Return to Space Yellow jacket

Chapter 61 Flying Christmas Star

Warm and comfortable stretching out slowing opening my eyes to the flicking of lights from the candles among the tree branches, smelling the fresh pine tree scents and wood burning from the fireplace. Under the tree everything the same as it was last night surprised they weren’t open already, Mike still asleep curled up under the blanket one arm dangling over the arm rest with his head resting on it, pulling the blanket aside stretching as I walk to the door looking down the hall way everyone sitting around the table; time to make a run before seeing them was first thing, checking outside the window snow piled up shoveled to one side seeing the path cleared, sliding into my sneakers rushing out feeling the cold should have grabbed a jacket, around the house right to the door with a quick knock before opening it stopping looking at Mat sitting holding sears catalog page crumbing it up rushing inside closing the door behind me sitting down next to him.

“Morning little cold out?”

“Cold and snow and no dam toilet paper”

“That’s what the book is for”

“You wiped your ass with this yet”

“Little stiff you got to work it”

“Yea well I like paper on a roll”

“Soon ok give me a sheet would you”

“Right that’s today”

“Yep’ as soon as were done with the breakfast will get going”

“What about the tree and presents”

“Well get to them too”

“Mike still upset from last night”

“No he’s ok now still sleeping”

“Good’ you better hurry up before you stuck on the wood”

Mat pulled his pant’s up turning placing the squire lid down holding his noise with two fingers “See you inside keep wading it now”

“Thanks’”

Heading back looking to the field seeing wagon tracks already towards the hay stack and back, as I walked checking the barn a few cows already out among the fields pawing at the snow moving in small groups together, hitting the snow piled next to the step not watching were I was going that was stupid of me filling my sneaker with cold snow, kicking them off inside checking the livingroom Mike still sleeping, Jeff coming right at me with a long noise bucket holding it with two hands “Open the door for me” struggled to carry it. His legs were wide apart the object dangling precariously between them as he huffed and puffed towards the porch.

Turning back opening the door watching him pour the bucket of ash on the steps rushing back inside “Had to do the steps Pa said” we both went to the kitchen aroma of food cooking and fresh eggs sizzling with bacon grease.

Pa sitting at the end near the door giving me a grin while I sat down, Lisa brought over coffee setting it down giving me a smile, wondering just what everyone was so smiling about even Faye and Sue were smiling.

“What’s going on everyone’s smiling this morning”

“It’s Christmas a time of Joy and Happiness”

“Yea Pa going to tell us about Christmas”

“Everyone’s up early how come”

“It’s almost eight”

“Still too early to get up”

“Eggs almost ready, you want two slabs this morning” Sue asking

Looking back at her holding only one plate: “What I’m the only one eating this morning” “We already had ours around six” Jeff said giving me a morning hug sitting down next to me, “Two’s good”

Sue slid the plate in front of me while I held my steaming coffee getting another quick sip again wishing I had an ice cube for it maybe I could get one of the boys to get me some snow to cool it down some, maybe not something was cooking in the stove meat of some sort.

“What’s cooking in the stove”

“Goose and we have fresh pies with apples and nuts”

“Goose for Christmas”

“I never had goose have you” Jeff asking

“No I never did”

“Pa said it was a bird for Christmas right Pa”

“That’s right it’s a treat only have it at Christmas time”

“Shawn you and the others never had goose before what did you have for Christmas dinner where you came from”

“Turkey or ham mostly” looking over Jeff glued watching me eat like he never seen anybody eat before, watching the fork cut the eggs sliding them on next to the slab, moving up and down with his head” You want some?”

“No just watching you” Jeff at back down off his knees dangling his legs back and forth, trying to look around at everyone else, Pa sat up tapping his cup sue rush over filling it.

“Ok ready for the Christmas story boys”

“Brian you still cold”

“No Pa just enjoying the morning”

“Ok boys drink your choc let and I’ll tell you about Christmas”

“It’s a story of Christmas and how it came” Jeff blurted out tapping me on the arm all excited waiting to hear about it, Sue sat down in her chair as we all looked over to Pa sitting back more holding his cup.

“Christmas started a long time ago that we honor Jesus of Nazareth for his birthday being he died for us” “Why did he die for us, he died on his birthday” Jeff asked, everyone just looked at him. “Jesus died on the cross for our sins Jeffery, when the Romans crucified him from a Dogwood tree at one time that grow straight and tall, the tree itself has never grown straight afterwards, many still say that the evergreen tree represents the wood that was made into a cross and used to crucify him, we don’t know for sure what tree it was but we honor pine trees as a more symbol of promise of life to come after long months of cold winter”

“Wow it doesn’t grow straight anymore did he make it stop”

“Jeffery the dogwood trees are short and grow outward”

“So the pine trees grow straight to the heaven’s then”

“That’s a good thought Jeffery I’ll keep that one”

“So why do we put the pop corn on it”

“Decorations our more a form of when it all started with the garden of eden having nuts and berries and apples when you could get them, mostly eaten by the children of the household”

“Apples and Nut’s how’d they get the nut’s on the branches?”

“string and wax from the candles to hold them”

“That’s why we have the candles and not light’s”

“Pa we have little bulb’s of light on strings” Brian said out giving Jeff a look to sit down and be quite, Jeff sat back checking his cup.

“Jeffery the candles are more like stars from heaven at night, giving the tree itself life seeing all its beauty glistering around us, your Pop corn will give to the Birds and Squirrels after the celebration is over so they can enjoy it with us, did you know the strips of paper you cut up were reminiscent of the hair of the angles that had been caught in its branches”

“Cool we made hair of the angles”

“Did you find the pickle?”

“What Pickle I don’t see one”

“On the tree is a glass pickle and the first one that find it gets an extra present from St. Nicholas, but when we go in together Mat, Jeffery”

Both made a sad look wanting to go find a glass pickle, I never heard of a glass pickle hidden in a tree at Christmas time nor did I know fruit cookies were made a first on both accounts Gingerbread, stars, bells and trees.

“Morning everyone see no one woke me”

“Good Morning breakfast eggs and slabs”

“That’s fine what are you talking about”

“Christmas and Pickles hidden in the tree”

“What”

“I’ll tell you later about it”

“Got everything ready for you Mike”

“What”

“Took some blankets and your clothes to the ship”

“All ready”

“Had to get it ready, less you changed your mind”

“No I haven’t” Mike looked around at everyone taking his coffee cup.

“Can we stay for Goose and pie?”

“Sure Turkey and Pie”

“No it’s a Goose not a turkey”

“Those black and white birds”

“Yep Goose, taste like turkey don’t worry”

We all sat talking about the Christmas ornaments of other types Jeff sat back taking it all in waiting for Mike to hurry eating so he could find that pickle first before Mat found it, Pa sat back lighting his pipe talking, Brian added a few more logs to the stove, opening the lid on top smelling the bird more, my mouth was already watering wanting to try it, just as the fork hit the plate, Faye took it away setting it in the sink, Pa got up both Mat and Jeff rush to the livingroom, we all followed behind sitting down watching them looking around the boxes and among the tree staying clear of the candle flames not getting burnt, Mat found it holding it showing everyone, Jeff was happy he found it first, Mat stood holding it they walk over handing it to Pa.

“Here you should get the extra gift”

“You found it Mat it’s yours”

“I want you to have it for all you done for us”

Pa took the pickle sitting back after giving him a hug, Mat and Jeff sat down in front of the tree with all three girls, Sue told them to hand out the boxes each of us had a box, one present each seemed strange only one but we really didn’t need them, holding my little box watching the girls all open theirs getting neck warmers, sue made wrapping them around showing them off, Brian open his along with Pa watching them seeing they got the same, Mike open his and found cookies, as I open mine finding Tree cookies also. Everyone look over Sue sat holding a box Pa brought from town, we all watch her open it teary eyes looking at us holding up a rounded heart with children playing in a circle it saying read God bless our home with children.

We all sat for awhile before heading to the kitchen, the Girls set the dining room table with all sorts of stuff Pa pulled out for the holiday meal, Brian took the boys washing them before sitting down at the table, the Goose was a large one bigger than any Turkey we ever had on the table, apples cooked on the side of it, fresh hot potatoes and more green beans, fresh bread set at both ends of the table, books on three seats was a little puzzling till they came in sitting down being the same height as all of us now, Pa said his grace and started carving the Goose holding up the fresh cut slice waiting for a plate, Mike quickly worked the plates passing them down.

It was a nice early dinner or lunch even the girls had plenty to eat sitting back enjoying everything, small talk about what to expect with school here, Brian would take them in the wagon so they could learn the Tree R’s, having to spell them out to Jeff, Reading, wRiting and aRithmetic almost getting into another argument over the three R’s not making any scents not starting with R, glade that was over fast, the dishes were cleared away everyone helping everyone keeping quite knowing what was ahead, Mike gathered up his last thinks setting them in the buckboard, we all stood on the porch, Sue and the Girls didn’t want to come down so we said thank you and wish them well, it was a hard thing to do but we had to do it, the Boys dangled legs over the back as we headed for the hay stack, Pa slowed the wagon holding the horse still with Brian helping the boys up after say goodbye to Pa and Brian Mike shook pa’s hand as I did turning to Brian Mike gave him a hug telling him he was sorry and hope everything worked out for him.

The wagon pulled away slowly both looking back Brian waving heading towards the house seeing them standing waving also we both jumped in waving bye Faye took Brian’s seat with both boys holding the back of ours, with the lights flashing on the door closed our window screen cleared with a rumble from the bottom pushing the snow and hay as the ship moved away from the stack we hovered next to it looking to the house, the boys both waving at them” Ok lets head home” Mike said turning the ship around pushing the peddle feeling the ship rising towards the sky just as Pa said the flying Christmas star heading back to the heavens, clearing the clouds into the blue sky above everything was just the beginning to our journey home.

Thank you Supermarket Malls

Thank you Supermarket Malls

 Mr. Mickey O’Rourke, Born of Irish parents’ One of the few past residents of Mitchell Ave, that liked his territory he could run around play in his yard go swimming when someone would go with him in the above ground pool, laying down next to the lilac bush near the fence he most like, less of course if company came by for a picnic, then it was under the table waiting for scraps, he made a lot of friends in this small town of Cheshire they were his best years growing up. Now a lot knew him and his roaming the Neighborhoods, Mickey knowing every short cut to homes and just exactly when dinner time was.

 During the early years Mickey grew up in Michigan living in a single wide trailer park, now if you think a cement block was going to stop him better think again even with two block he could drag them around the park bouncing them behind him, So doing what Dads do he tied him to the porch it was a big porch took eight men to put it in place even then they used jacks, Mickey pulled it away alright almost three foot into the driveway, talk about someone getting mad.

 Now during one winter in a blizzard we where snowed in and after the porch being dragged a large pen with six foot walls was made for him in the back yard,  just open the back door when he wanted out for a few minutes or more, this one winter blizzard we open the back door and it was a clean shot across the back yard right to the golf course, snow had  filled up overnight leaving only about six inches of fence, he took off towards the greens having a field day.

  This same golf course in the summer time before the fence was build being this was Mickey main play ground chasing golf balls rolling down the freeway before they reached the  green, a few more then he should have taken on the green running off with them, never did know what he did with those golf balls but the golfer’s were sure made at him a lot. A few years later we moved to a beach house with a boat dock, living on the first floor with stairway to the bedrooms on the second floor, Mickey would run those stairs like he could fly, but he loved the water chasing sea gulls and sometimes we walk the beach line looking for new shells he always sniff out the sand crabs jumping on them just to watch then scoot back into the sand, when he found a dead fish that was the worst smell ever more trying to stop him before he rolled around it smelling the house up and me ending up giving him a bath in the bath tub, no fun with that he like shaking soap and water everywhere, drying him was ok brushing him was fine as long as you didn’t take too long getting him bored, Toys he had more toys in a wash basket near the back door, someone always had to restock it from the livingroom, Mickey always picking out just what he wanted to bringing it in the livingroom playing  mostly an old dirty one.

After two summers living on the beach we ended up moving to a farm where he could roam like the wind if he wanted to this was his heaven for sure, a donkey next store always he-hawing driving him to chase it, stopping at the wire fence hitting it a few times with a loud yelp stopping him from his chase being electrified with low voltage but it got him to chasing it staying clear of it knowing right when to stop,. We end up getting horses in the back pastures and rabbits, no matter they didn’t bother him like that donkey would, horses just minding them self’s eating grass not wanting to play with hi or be chased around, one day one did start chasing him around the pasture whining and barking back and forth, before both stopping out of breath staring at each other to see who was going to start off running first, those two became good friends, we would  ride along trails together with him following or racing ahead of us a few times we camped off the trails, he stayed close by staying up most of the night watching for wood critters keeping them away.

  As time went on he got older and not so much play full we were all getting older, Things happen Dad past along and we ended up moving into the town area he didn’t mind it he could still roam around some but stayed away from the main roads, living near a Fire station the whistle would go off and out he go sitting at the end of our property watching the trucks screaming down the road never chasing them just excited watching the men running to the trucks more, our only problem we had with the Fire station was Bingo Night, he always knew when they had Bingo he go out and come home afterwards a few times, Then a knock on the door asking us to keep him in on Bingo night, a few didn’t like this big Irish setter sitting begging for food,  he like sitting by the refreshment stand for free handouts till it closed up, then go around see what was offered by the elderly women playing they gave him everything French fries, hot dogs, candy he was well feed maybe that’s why he just looked at his food waited till late that night to chow down.

 He spent a few good years in his back yard still wanting to play in the winter snow with his sweatshirt dangling under him, keeping him warm. We lost him that summer laying him down under his favorite laic tree to rest in peace, a few long years went by getting older as we do returning to see him to say hello to my old friend, to my surprise the house was gone the street we lived on was no more, they put up a shopping mall my heart was broken, parking near where I left him so long ago, one small tear down my cheek looking around at the little park with picnic benches for employees, looking to my left seeing the back of a building we used to sit in this same spot at night watching it thru the fence seeing the elegant dressed going in  for dinner then it hit me.

 He was right there in front of me saying, hi his ears raised his special grin he always give, just near a small tree it wasn’t a laic bush but at least they didn’t put a building on him, we said hello while I sat on the bench talking with him, an elderly lady ask if I was ok.  I looked at her and smiled saying “we were just talking about old times”, she gave me the eye and I told her “my dog was here with me”, “oh that’s real nice you two have a good day now” and off she walked.    Sorry old friend but I’ll see you again soon I’m home this time for good no more roaming  we said this small saying we found in a news paper long ago, over him laying him down to sleep peacefully, A light is from our household gone, A voice we loved is stilled, A place is vacant in our home, Which never can be filled, Some may think you are no more, But in memory you are with us, As you always were before, Will miss you Mickey. Thanks’ for reading about Mickey the Irish Setter who I dearly miss Will.

Three Mounths and we Meet

Being a writer sometimes leads to a characters that we hear about, Looking back I’ve said this once or twice before that making a character personality come alive in print is not that hard at all. Each one of us has used in some form a person that we know or heard about, being writers we absorb this information taking in every little detail action about them, picking out his or her average age following what color eyes they have and whether they have short or long hair maybe even what color it is.
All information resting till we need it, this is the case with my Nephew Daniel talking about his best friend he told me his name but I did forget it somehow, now I never meet his best friend only heard about him for almost a year or more on and off, he for some unknown reason was on my mind like someone that needed a place in a story perfect character maybe the next story I’ll write but that didn’t happen. I brought him in knowing he would fit right in with the rest of my characters, yes I did put him in the story and it did work out well. I knew this Character I named Mat quite well now what he looked like how he responded around others all good and well, My Nephew Daniel had a school choir being the end of the year ok I’ll go sit with a bunch of screaming kids to watch him it’s only one night.
Sitting in the hard plastic seats lined up in rows, the stage was setup for all the students to perform their wonders in song. Sitting looking around I spotted one boy that stood out for some reason I knew him something about him he looked just like one of my story kids, trying not to stare over at him looking for my nephew, here he comes walking down the wall near the windows waving over at me, giving him a half wave back hoping to escape before someone starting asking PTA or some other school event, watching him sit right down next to this boy talking with him, wow maybe this is his best friend I thought watching the two talking glancing over a few times. it was starting up on stage good the sooner the better we can leave, sixth graders singing the Star Spangled Banner by Francis Scott Keys, everyone clapping hands next up Beethoven’s Ninth I would have preferred Beethoven’s Fifth myself. Finely the seventh graders Daniel was up and so was his friend both playing in the back of everyone just making them out between the others, playing When the Saints Go Marching In, I just wanted to Go Marching out thankfully it was the last song for the night, Photo afterwards of the band members; ok they had free water and cookies after wards that the kids all ran for as soon as the song was over. Waiting for Daniel staying clear of the stampede of kids and chairs being gathered together seeing the boy again with his family, Daniel went over to him getting his photo with him, I just had to meet this boy. “This is my best Friend Marco” overwhelm feeling like I’ve knew him all along, we shook hands telling him I was glad to meet him after hearing so much about him, then I just couldn’t help myself telling him I wrote him into a story I was writing from what Daniel had told me about him, he was thrilled that I would put him in a story and would like to read it.
Yellow jacket Story You just never know when someone will form a character that you just want to write about. Hopefully the photo shows up here of Daniel and Marco. Thank you Daniel and Marco.

The Paper work ending it

Yellow jacket Chapter 59 the boys holding back, this is next to the last Chapter, Thank you all for reading it, Last night was a big hit looking forward to Next Book  soon to follow. Here’s some of Chapter 59 Thank You All again Will.

“It’s one of their requirements for the law here boys got to be legal”

 

 Tears still streamed down Brains’ face waiting, Brian loved working the farm asking all the questions helping Pa this was his home he knew it right away, he was told about it and here he was ready to give it up on our say so, Lisa was happy doing old fashion cooking from scratch, Chris was enjoying being a little girl now for the most part even if she had to wear pants under her dress beside she fell in love with all the farm animals.

 

 Mike said ok handing the paperback to the Judge, everyone was silent except the Judge dipping his roll swishing it around, I looked down at Jeff hoping in one way he’d ask to stay somehow I think he knew I was waiting shaking his head no, I nodding down to him padding his back holding him in looking up at Brian, wiping his tears hoping to stay but willing to leave it all on our say so, that would only kill him in the end if he went with us, Mike looked over at me confused waiting along with everyone “Shawn problem?”