Veni, Vidi, Vici

Thursday, June 2, 2005

Wednesday afternoon, the Coca-Cola boys were outside swinging badminton with Joe while their younger brother, Creole, exploded dandelion puff-balls with Francis and Linnea. But soon it was time to leave, and Mom, Carrie-Bri, and Collette took off. On the way, they discussed life and such, as usual.

“Gum anyone?” Carrie took a package from her purse. “We have a gum-exchange at work you know, while we’re on break. Of course, Elizabeth and I have the best gum.”

“Oh, naturally,” Collette watched Carrie’s pearly whites flash.

Carrie usually managed to find the best whitening and long-lasting taste in gum on the market.

And Carrie was soon relaying the story of how, (while Mom and Dad were in Europe and the kids were off for the weekend), she and Elizabeth had stayed up all night. They were all packed, ready to go off to Chicago, just for the fun of it.

“You know how we’re always saying, ‘Someday we’re just gonna go; we’re just gonna go’, whenever we pass the sign to Chicago on 70.”

But then they remembered that Pumpkin was a new kitten at home by herself. So instead, they drove around all over Saint Louis and everywhere, and watched the sun rise down by the river in Saint Charles. And they tried Miss Aimee B’s for breakfast, but she was closed.

Then Carrie talked about Elizabeth and what a genius she was when it came to art. She had created a mosaic-laid table of “Starry Night” completely by hand, with no pattern, only a copy of the painting in front of her. She had even smashed the tile by hand.

Meanwhile, “Cake” played from the stereo as Mom maneuvered through traffic all the way to Grandma Combs. Upon arrival, there was a tree of paper cranes crafted from five-dollar bills, sitting on the table for Mom’s and Dad’s 25th wedding anniversary. With this, was a box of Tea Rose for Mom, a beaded heart tea-light candle holder, and a card. Naturally, Mom loved these.

And the four soon drove off to St. Louis Bread Co. for dinner, Carrie and Collette with soup in bread bowls, Mom with her panini and soup, and Carrie encouraged Grandma to try an iced green tea with herself.

There, they discussed the current happenings: how Carrie’s hair had turned purple, green, red, and various other obnoxious colors within the past year, how Carrie intimidated her fellow amigos, embarrassingly… and of Lucia and her quest for Hollywood, as Grandma rolled her eyes.

In other exciting news, they were informed that Aunt Petunia had just taken an interview that very afternoon at Children’s Hope International, an adoption agency.

“Adel,” she had said to Mom over the phone. “Be praying for me. I just walked in there, and felt like I was at home.”

Collette hoped she was hired; it would be perfect for Aunt Petunia. She could see her working there and loving it until she retired. Aunt Petunia was trying not to get her hopes up, but they were praying she was hired. She would begin with secretarial work, and would be obliged to travel to China at least four times a year. This prospect excited Carrie.

“I could go with her and be her interpreter,” she exclaimed.

But there was a wait of five days or so, until they knew anything. Meanwhile, it was time to leave for UMSL, and it was a good thing they left when they did. They found practically front-row seats and the ceremony began over an hour later. Carrie and Collette had only been to one public school graduation before, for their cousin, Bristol, also at UMSL. And it was most different from what they were used to. It was a vastly different crowd.

The graduates marched into great whoopings and hollerings to a Star Wars march and the proclamation of the class’ motto: Veni, Vidi, Vici. The ceremony even opened with an invocation, which greatly surprised Collette and Carrie-Bri. And following the usual speeches and such, Lucia finally made her way to the front in white cap and gown.

Apparently, hardly anything had changed since the time Aunt Corliss, Uncle Clarence, Uncle Balthasar, Aunt Tuuli, Dad, Mom, Uncle Mo, and Aunt Petunia had graduated from McCluer North. Even the diplomas looked the same. But although Lucia had a rather embarrassed look on her face, it was later at her party that they heard her real thoughts on the matter.

“Let’s do it again!” She cried, walking back into the Combs’ with Little Caesars and her cap and gown in one big heap.

Over ice cream cake and confetti, she read her cards, sighing over each one.

“Oh, this is so cute… I just love graduation. I’m not even kidding. Graduation is the best ever! Look at all this money!”

Collette and Carrie-Bri laughed as she asked for the biggest piece of ice cream cake, and looked around the room smiling at her small party. Queens sat giggling from time to time as Lucia kept commenting on the evening.

“I want to get back up there on that stage,” she sighed.

It seemed to be a satisfying evening all around.

Thursday, however, had been a far different day. Around eleven or so, Collette began feeling rather poorly at work. Ivy had been relaying stories about her and Mo’s beautiful time in Pevely over the weekend, with lunch at Kimswick, watching the stars at night from their cabin, and walking by the river… Chiggers had been the only bad draw-back, and lizards haunted the woods, doing push-ups on the rail-road ties to see what lay beyond.

And then there was the story of the snake inside the church office, Wednesday. He had startled Ivy, all coiled up under the last stair, as she refilled her water-jug at the cooler.

“I feel sorry for the little dude today,” Ivy was saying. “But yesterday, I just wanted him gone. I was like, ‘Waaaaaa!’ He was black and gray with a diamond pattern all down his back. I just don’t know what kind he was. But he was all up and ready to snap at me. The little guy was just scared.”

Collette was glad she had not witnessed such a thing. Snakes were one of her worst nightmares. But even then, as Ivy was telling her about the intruder, Collette’s throat began to clench. She tried to swallow, and realized it was sore. Shortly later, she began feeling unusually tired, and while trying to recover over a sandwich at an early lunch, she felt herself becoming woozy. It was then, as she talked to Mom over the phone, that she found out why. She had sat next to Curly in the movie theater, Monday. And the next day, Curly was sick, in bed, tired, with a sore throat.

“Well, that explains that one,” she decided.

And OLeif soon came to pick her up.

Back at the apartment, Collette slept most of it off, with some medicine, and was feeling much better by the time dinner rolled around. Some days were just meant to stay in bed.