Memories

Thursday, May 5, 2005

Cinco de Mayo – surely to be a wild and colorful party in St. Louis. There would be beads and brawls and beer… much like Mardi Gra. However, while Collette didn’t really recall why Cinco de Mayo was a “holiday”, festivities, within reason, were always fun to witness.

Meanwhile, in a more quiet part of the neighborhood, Mom had dropped off a vegetable salad at Mrs. Pretzel’s the evening before. Francis had come as well, just from choir, and was engrossed in his World War II book. Linnea also came, and Collette sat with them while Mom ran inside.

Outside the Pretzel’s house, it was peaceful in the late afternoon and the blue sky. A mower was humming in the neighbor’s yard and little flowering trees lit the Pretzel’s front lawn – dogwood and redbud. Neat rows of little golden pansies, sunning themselves in the early evening, flocks and little red poppies, garden animals and stone pots.

Eventually, Peter walked out with his friend, Julia. He picked a pale blossom from the clematis on the porch and tucked it in her beautiful long dark red hair. It was one of those afternoons she recalled the old days, when that house was full of parties and debates and laughter, music, good food, and the good old times. She wondered if it would ever be that way again. Mr. and Mrs. Pretzel had put off their trip to Maine until they heard more news from the doctor that Thursday.