Stuffed Animals
Tuesday, August 7, 2007
Mercy was wasting no time. Her wedding date was set for October 6th. Although she was probably going to have a difficult time on deciding who the bridesmaids would be – she knew so many people. Collette could think of seven girls off the top of her head: her two future sisters-in-law, her present two sisters-in-law, Catalina, Kitts, and maybe even Strawberry.
Puck spent part of his Tuesday evening, laying on his dad’s knee, chewing vigorously on his jeans.
It had been a slow, hot day.
Collette and Puck drove over to the house in the early afternoon to work on archiving Carrie’s New York journal.
Kids scattered with friends for the early evening. Carrie, after returning from work, was off to The Pageant for a concert. Joe had just returned from the movies to take himself and Rose and friends downtown to one of Rose’s favorite eating spots – the Crown Candy Kitchen. Francis had Creole over to spend the night. Linnea’s neighbor friend was over to play stuffed animals. Mom was taking all four kids to Grandpa’s to swim.
“Hi, girls.”
Collette had popped her head in Rose’s room. Linnea and her friend were on the top bunk with their Webkins.
“They just got married,” said Linnea.
“Yeah, they just got married.”
Both girls held up their Webkins.
“And a big star just landed and said that they could do anything that they wanted.”
After Collette warned them that Rose was on her way home from work, Linnea half-pretended to be scared.
“We’d better clean up our mess.”
The girls began the project and started squealing at each other to hurry when they saw the red car pull into the driveway. According to the commotion that ensued down the hall, Collette had to assume that the girls did not meet their deadline before Rose walked in the door.
“Aaaaaah! Quick! Run!”
Both girls evacuated the premises, with Webkins and piles of Webkins’ things flying out of their arms as they scattered – Collette imagined.
Then they put their mind to swimming and were soon nagging Francis and Creole to hightail themselves back up the stairs and out into the green slug oven to head over to Grandpa’s pool.
On the way home, Collette and Puck dropped by NAWS for OLeif to show them the newly installed indoor basketball court by the IT room. And the Club Exodus sign had been erected outside the building. Things were cooking.
Carefree summer days…