Singularly Worst Day of the Year
Monday, January 24, 2005
It was predicted to be the singularly worst day of the year, every year, whenever it fell – Monday, January 24th. Of course, that one winter morning of orange glow, on Neil Diamond’s birthday, Collette only thought of it in passing. A mathematical equation could hardly forecast a good or a bad day.
The morning before had been as usual. In Sunday School, they had seven children to teach, minus two more that made up the total nine. Maria Welches, a particularly precious little one, reminding Collette of Winnie the Pooh, had much to say on a favorite balloon which had “died” over the weekend.
“Balloony was so sad,” Maria spoke carefully and distinctly, “he losted all his helium. He’s at home practicing to float.”
OLeif and Collette tried not to laugh as she colored a light drawing of her special “balloony”, but it was almost too funny and cute, not to.
At home after a lunch of stew, Francis exhibited the working motions of his latest missile machine (the camera tripod) to Collette as she sat on the couch in the basement watching, “Somewhere in Time”. He explained all the functions.
“And these are short range missiles,” he hoisted the contraption up onto his shoulder. “You shorten the range by pushing these things in.”
He jammed the legs back into the casings.
Upstairs, Carrie was looking up sequined and rhinestone tops on the Internet, sorting through bright colors and elegant styles, hoping to find something appropriate for the Fox, when “Les Miserables” came in February.
Linnea was asking for a cup of ice (her usual evening treat when she thought of it), Collette was listening to “Phantom of the Opera” in the kitchen, and OLeif was examining “Where’s Waldo” once Francis and Linnea had set it aside after roaring and giggling over each picture. And thus the afternoon had passed, highly uneventful.
It seemed to be a weekend for films which was a semi-relaxing way of easing off into a new week of likely frustration. There was just the sense of nothing in particular coming up, and yet it seemed like there should be, Collette thought to herself. Of course it was the doldrums of January. But for the past several years there had been something in particular to look forward to, plan for, or watch carefully, even in January. The year before it had been her wedding, the year before that – her graduation, the year before that it was OLeif, the year before that – Hungary and college. But perhaps something would come up. Carrie-Bri was to graduate and already be well into her plans. Things came from time to time, but a day was hardly ever boring.
As Collette laced up the buckskin uggs she had borrowed from Rose the previous afternoon, she had a passing wish to suddenly be in Alaska for a month or so, away from the hubbub of St. Louis and the rest of the world. Just some peace in the cool green and heavy snows – the untamed wild of milk-white peaks and only a little further – Yellow Knife and vast unsettled regions. She looked at the boots once again pulled up over her jeans – soft brown and warm with lines of fur around the top and down past the laces, held in with bronze buckles which jingled only slightly when she set her foot down. Yes, she thought, Alaska would be ideal. Perhaps Carrie-Bri would settle on going there for the family vacation that summer.
Collette thought of the exciting web of intrigue Carrie-Bri had masterfully planned. When broken down, Collette figured there would pretty much be four phases to complete before obtaining her top goal.
Sequence of six years:
Phase I: (18-20)
Bachelor of Science degree
Pilot’s License
Tae Kwon Do black belt
Arabic/Chinese + travel
Phase II: (20-22)
Masters of Science degree
Judo
Police Academy
Continued Arabic/Chinese + travel
Phase III: (22-23)
E.S.I. training
Continued Arabic/Chinese + travel
Phase IV: (24)
Secret Service
*Continue work at Columns Banquet Center or work tailored appropriately to present studies.
It all sounded so fabulously like Carrie, so marvelous. Surely there would be kinks along the way, as in every tentative plan, ideas that wouldn’t come out right, plans that would be changed, but Collette was confident that Carrie would come along as a trooper no matter what came her way, and that in the end she would be quite satisfied with how her life had been.