Puck Visits Kitts

Early that morning, while Collette worked with the students, Carri-Bri drove Puck over to the Silverspoon’s to see his Aunt Kitts before she left on the 2:00 plane back to Austin.
“Dad tried to throw away my cactus plant last night!” Rose screeched from the living room. “I had to pull it out of the trash can!”
Francis giggled.
Later, Francis took a brief break from math to drop beads of blue and red food coloring in the fish bowl (which did not currently contain the fish). He watched the swirls and spirals of color tumble down into the abyss.
“Come on, Francis,” Collette called him back.
“I’m tired of school,” Francis moaned. “I don’t feel well.”
“Francis, I still did school when I was sick.”
“Yeah, thhat’s what Dad always says too,” said Francis.
“I did school when I had the flu,” said Collette.
“Yeah,” said Rose from the living room, “I still did school when I had anthrax poisoning.”
“Rose, you never had anthrax poisoning,” Collette laughed at her.
“Collette, I’m trying to get him to do his school. And, yes, I did have anthrax poisoning!”
“You did not.”
“Yes, remember when I got that letter?”
“No.”
“Well, I did.”
“You would have been dead if you did.”
“No, you don’t always die from anthrax.”
Francis was giggling.
Meanwhile, Linnea was busy routing through Joe’s wallet.
“Joe has only six dollars in here,” she said, as if he were a very poor person indeed, putting the bills back inside. Then she went into the living room to hula hoop with one of Joe’s old bicycle tire tubes.
After a five minute break outside, Collette called for Francis. “Time!”
“What?” Francis called, coming around the corner of the house with a large piece of metal which had fallen off the barbecue grill.
“Time.”
“But… I just found this piece of metal!”
“Now, Francis.”
“No!” Francis cried, running off with the sheet of metal and laughing.
“Renegade student!” Collette called after him.
“What happened to the fish bowl?” Rose cried from the kitchen.
Shortly later, Carrie and Puck returned early in the afternoon with a plate of fresh brownies.
“Puck helped make them,” said Carrie. “Kitts and I took him on a walk to the lake in his stroller. Kitts was taking him off-road and everything. Grass was flying!”
As they had driven into the Silverspoon’s subdivision, Carrie heard Puck say “Nanna! Nanna!”
He gave hugs to Theodore and kisses to Denae, and was given hamburger and tomatoes in return. The rest of his day was spent napping and out in the sunshine with his Uncle Francis. Life was good for a 16-month old.