Mosquitoes, Space Ships, & Emerald Bracelets
Monday, June 20, 2005
It was the last day of spring, and OLeif was to chauffeur Diana, Carrie-Bri, Eve, and herself to the India Palace that evening, for dinner. Although Collette was not particularly wild about the thought of curries, Mom and Dad had both said the environment was quite exotic. And she had heard elsewhere that the desserts were especially good.
Meanwhile, Collette finished the fifty-seventh page of her book as she waited to be picked up for laundry-washing and history-tutoring. It was a most thrilling morning…
Later that morning, Mom picked up Collette on the way to grab Francis and Linnea from Vacation Bible School. After Oceanus Dibbs had to jump the little Civic, Francis and Linnea began to talk things over, concerning Vacation Bible School, on the way home.
“Well, my team’s in the lead,” Francis was saying, “the green team.”
“No, you’re the blue team, Francis,” Linnea said, frustrated. “My team is in the lead.”
“No you’re not.”
“That does it!” Linnea exclaimed. “This mosquito is not going to suck any more of my blood!”
She slapped at her arm.
“I’m a busy man today,” Francis said importantly, changing the subject.
“I am too,” Linnea insisted.
Inside, over lunch, Francis was most excited to read about the latest gizmo on the label of the 7-up bottle: “First free tickets into space” for the new space ship designed for the public.
Meanwhile, Collette quizzed Carrie-Bri for her American History examination that Saturday, while Carrie-Bri stuck her fuzzy feet slippers into Collette’s face.
“What do you think of my manicure?” She asked Collette, pointing to the shiny red toes of the slippers. “I left the moons all white.”
They were the comical slippers – a Christmas gift from the Combs that past Christmas.
Mom soon left with Francis and Linnea for piano and swimming. And upon Carrie finishing her first quiz, Carrie tried to think of things to auction on eBay.
“Ah! I could auction off my emerald bracelet.”
“I don’t think so,” Collette laughed at her. “Mr. Gumbo gave you that. I couldn’t sell the violin he gave me either. He brought that thing on the old trolley downtown to his violin lessons every week, back in the early 1900’s.”
Collette left Carrie-Bri to herself briefly, lying on the couch under a blanket, studying her history materials. After finishing folding a load of laundry, Collette returned and saw that Carrie’s eyes were closed.
“Carrie!”
Carrie turned her head, trying not to laugh.
“Just one little nap!” She cried, holding a finger up in the air. “Just one little nap!”
She finally dozed off in the middle of another quiz, and all the animals joined her in the living room for a snooze. So Collette removed herself to the kitchen and typed her book over a cup of milk and a pile of malt balls.