He had hoped to have his son Matt to
himself for the weekend and so was disappointed when Janet told him Matt was
going to a birthday party that afternoon. She sensed his disappointment and
rolled her eyes. Jeezuz Dan, like I don’t drive him to school every day and to
soccer practice and a hundred other things.
He was about to reply that was why she
got paid the big alimony bucks but then Matt came in and hugged him around the
waist yelling Daddy!
By unspoken agreement he and Janet put on
their smiles and their bright kid-talking voices.
Hey kiddo ready to go?
Yes!
Daddy’s going to take you to Jimmy’s
party. She handed him written directions along with a wrapped package in a bow.
Here’s Jimmy’s present. Matt should know how to get there, right Matt?
Yes!
They got in his truck and both waved
goodbye to her. He patted Matt on the head. Ok kiddo so no Pizza Hut tonight
huh?
No I guess not. But Jimmy said there was gonna be
pizza there.
Yeah but Suzie won’t be there will she?
Suzie the waitress at Pizza Hut that they
always asked for. He had thought of asking her out but it seemed ridiculous
since she was in her early twenties if that but still he enjoyed going there as
much as Matt did.
They got to the neighborhood outside of
town, pines and cedars everywhere swaying in the warm wind. He pulled his truck
up behind the row of cars parked at the curb. They got out and he followed Matt
to the door.
A woman answered and stepped back to let
Matt go running on in. She held out her hand. You must be Dan. Janet called and
said you were coming. I’m Donna. She had pale skin and hairsprayed blonde hair,
wearing a black dress with nylons and black flats. You are staying right? Some of the parents are
just going to pick up their kids later.
Well I don’t know what else I’d do. As
long as it’s no inconvenience.
Oh no not at all. I just need to know for
the pizzas later on. Come in.
A group of about ten boys tore around the
house and out into the backyard. Two other mothers sat at a picnic table in the
backyard, smoking. He spotted Jimmy, he assumed it was Jimmy, wearing a gold
cardboard crown swinging a plastic lightsaber at the other kids. Zzz! Got you!
Sliced your arm off!
Matt had gotten a lightsaber also and was
chasing some other boys around some cedars in the back.
Donna introduced him to Celia and Georgia
and they shook hands. He poured himself a Coke into a plastic cup and wished he
were at Pizza Hut. He saw the ring on Donna’s finger and asked where her
husband was.
She paused to light a cigarette, inhale,
exhale, then flick the ash in the grass. Tom’s got tennis this afternoon. He’s
not into birthday parties.
Jimmy came running by. I killed you all!
Let’s go play video games!
And all the boys ran into the house.
The woman who he thought was Georgia
laughed. Thank goodness, I thought I’d have to get a real lightsaber to shut them up. She too had
a wedding ring.
Donna got up. Well I might as well order
the pizzas. I know I’m
hungry.
Dan got up. You need me to go get them?
Oh no it’s Domino’s. They deliver.
He went into the house with her with the
excuse of checking on the ‘men folk’. The women laughed at that.
In the living room the boys were piled
around the tv watching Jimmy and another boy chase each other through a dungeon
of some sort. Matt was off to the side watching. Dan sat down next to him. Hey
kiddo. He realized he’d made a mistake when some of the boys snickered and Matt
didn’t look at him. So he just watched.
Jimmy died a lot but kept playing. It’s my birthday I can play as much as I want!
The other boy, Brian, seemed to be in favor, as he didn’t give up the controls
either. Just when Dan decided to say something the doorbell rang.
The pizza guy’s here! The boys all jumped
up and ran to the door behind Donna. Dan walked over and took the pizzas from
the young man while the boys jumped and reached for the boxes. After Donna paid
he followed her out to the picnic table and helped her open the boxes, with the
boys crowding around the table while the adults stood and held single slices.
After the boys were somewhat satiated,
Donna brought out the presents for Jimmy to unwrap. Matt’s present, a Hardy
Boys Mystery book, didn’t seem to interest Jimmy much, especially when the next
present was some purpley ooze stuff called Purple Ooze. He couldn't figure out
what one would do with it except get it in the carpet. Donna was next to him
smoking another cigarette. A book huh? That’s a creative gift.
I read the Hardy Boys when I was younger.
I think I was in love with Nancy Drew too.
Who’s Nancy Drew?
Nevermind.
She motioned him into the house. Before
they get rambunctious again I was wondering if you’d help put this up.
She pulled out a doll-looking thing. A
blonde girl, or woman, in a pink outfit, with kind of a leotard with pink legs.
What is it?
It’s a piñata.
A piñata? Aren’t they supposed to be
like, animals?
That’s what I thought but Tom took Jimmy
out to this piñata store out on seventy-one on the way to Bastrop and this is
the one Jimmy picked.
What is she?
A ballerina I think.
Is it a girl or a woman?
Well I guess she doesn’t have boobs so it
must be a girl.
They took the piñata out and when Jimmy
saw it he started yelling, Piñata! Piñata!, and then all the boys were yelling
it. Piñata! Piñata!
He got on a stepladder and tied it to a
thick overhanging pine branch. The string tied to a loop on the back of the
piñata’s neck so it almost seemed like the girl was being hanged. He wondered
if anyone else thought so.
Jimmy had run into the house and returned
with a baseball bat. He ran at the piñata with it overhead yelling. Donna and
Dan had to stand in front of the piñata to protect it. Jimmy! Be still! I have
to blindfold you first.
She tied a pink bandanna over his eyes
while the other boys laughed. Jimmy started to swing and everyone pulled back
out of range. While Donna spun him around they counted one two three go! and
Donna sprinted out of the way as Jimmy raised his bat and began swinging.
The boys started yelling. Get’er Jimmy!
Hit her! Hit her!
He looked at the women but they were
bunched together smoking and hardly paying attention. He looked for Matt,
trying to make eye contact but Matt was watching Jimmy, his voice breaking from
the strain of yelling.
It took a few minutes of wild swinging
before the bat finally connected, hitting the piñata girl on the leg. The boys
cheered but the leg had only cracked. Crooked but still connected. The piñata
girl spinning by her neck.
Jimmy stood smiling. With a yell he
pulled off the blindfold and charged. The bat came up over his head and smacked
into the girl’s face, shattering the whole piñata, sending candy flying
everywhere. The boys cheered again and scrambled for the candy.
Jimmy’s face grew red. Hey! That’s my candy! I hit her, I get to choose!
He bent and pushed Matt over on his back.
Hey! I want the
Reese’s Pieces. They’re mine! I hit her!
That was it. He walked over and lifted
Matt into his arms. Gotta go kiddo. See ya Donna! He waved to her as he walked
around the house, the three women looking at him oddly, not having noticed what
had happened.
Jimmy started yelling nyah nyah Matt’s
running away, Matt’s running away! The other boys joining in.
When they got to his truck he put Matt
down and opened the passenger door. Matt jumped in and he closed the door and
walked around to his side. Matt leaned over and unlocked the door for him. He
got in, turned on the truck, did a u-turn and headed away.
Y’know kiddo I don’t like Jimmy much.
Me neither Dad.
Let’s not be friends with him anymore ok?
Ok.
Would you like me to buy you some Reese’s
Pieces?
No that’s ok.
Dan thought a minute. Want to go to Pizza
Hut anyway? I bet Suzie could get us some breadsticks.
Yeah!
And then we could get a video! Jackie
Chan!
Yeah!
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