Autumn Splendor

Outside my window is a maple tree that looks like it's in flames and the lawn is partly covered in the most gorgeous leaves--red, yellow, and orange. Breathtaking. I'm spoiled by last week. I have to work today and the only thing keeping me moving is that there's a paycheck (from the week before last) waiting for me there. The moths in my wallet are getting lonely.

October 4--Antigua. It was Yacht Week and Brenda was busy counting up loaves of bread and checking to make sure that she had enough food for the household. There was no way she was going to drive down into the swirling mass of drunks and yachties in town. Not that most of the time drunks and yachties weren't the same people but this week brought what the island residents thought of as "the amateurs" out of the woodwork. Every flight every day for the past week brought more pasty-faced tourists onto the island filling up every available room and, as a group, working to deplete the island's rum supply to nil. She'd rather eat butter bread and dry cereal than risk life and limb on the roads this week.

Last Monday's second prompt. Four Eyes had a secret suitcase which he kept carefully hidden. Four Eyes, that's what that loudmouth Ed North called him. Called him in that raspy singsong that bounced off the back of the tall, red brick, Sacred Heart School. Four Eyes. It echoed around the schoolyard as soon as his foot touched the pavement inside the chain link fence that was supposed to keep the balls inside but never did. Four Eyes only had one friend, Patricia Yellig, a girl who never brushed her teeth, who was called Dragon Breath by Ed and his gang. The stupid thing was Four Eyes called her Dragon and she called him Four like those were their real first names. Four thought it somehow took the sting out of the bullies' taunts. As they grew older Four and Dragon remained friends. They went through First Communion class together (Four kept a few consecrated Hosts in his secret suitcase) and Confirmation too (He had a vial of the blessed oil in his case.).

And that's when Laurel called time. I'm not sure what Four and Dragon had planned but maybe I'll go back and find out one of these days when I'm bored. Happy day!
--Barbara