Sunday, July 5, 2009

just another 4th

Nobody had seen a 4th like this in years. It was raining. The baseball game was off. So were the fireworks at the stadium.

"We're still doing them." Floyd informed Gordy who got everyone over to his place for the 4th. "We will shoot off fireworks or else." It was late when the rain let up.


So the whole gang was there at Floyd's. Even Bella and Fish. Possibly the house had never been this full of little kids.

"I don't know about this," Rachel hesitated to go, but she knew Charlotte would be there which meant Rosco, Kal and Whitney would be there too. And somehow Emily and Archie got in the mix. Rachel brought along her famous pretzel dessert with cream cheese filling and Jello on top. It was only the kind of thing that was perfect for maybe an hour or two and then it went soggy and in this weather it didn't have a chance of having that certain crunch to it.

"The girls can just watch." Gordy wasn't going to let them touch one firework. Of course, the next thing she knew Floyd was telling the girls. "I got sparklers, especially for you."

"You didn't have to. You really didn't have too." Rachel had nightmares of someone getting burned. She could even see Gordy getting his face burned off. "We really should have gone to a nice movie tonight. Wasn't that new Ice Age movie showing?"

"We'll be just fine." Gordy kept comforting with his arm around her.

Naturally, Serena had gone to great lengths to have so much to eat. So many dips and chips. She'd made cupcakes especially for the girls. And everyone couldn't help but be nice to her. Of course, only she, Whitney and Charlotte were drinking the hard lemonade.

"Well, as soon as they leave, we'll get out the rum," Serena told Whitney and Charlotte as if the real celebrating wouldn't happen until Rachel was out of their hair.

Rachel was getting blue.

"Well, look, you can eat anything you want to eat," Bella informed her. "Try my diet. No sugar. No caffeine. No fat. That leaves very little to enjoy. Be happy with what you've got." Bella told her she'd probably never be able to drink alcohol again with her diabetes if she wanted to keep it from getting any worse.

"Be happy." Bella smiled and Rachel wasn't sure she liked her attitude, but she supposed she'd embraced her situation.

Of course, they had to watch Fish act like the biggest kid of all. It looked like he was making bombs instead of setting off fireworks in the drive way.

"He's from Texas. He hasn't gotten to set off fireworks in years," Bella told her. "Last time he set off fireworks he set a mesquite tree on fire."

"What is that? Like a burning bush?" Rachel wondered.

"Yeah, he almost set off his grandpa's pasture on fire."

"Oh," Rachel winced. "What is the big deal about setting off all these firecrackers and rockets?"

"You don't get to do it everyday. And well, its celebrating Independence day." Bella shrugged as she stayed on the porch with Rachel to watch the fireworks with her and the girls.

"But from what I read on the site where I bank, we didn't really start celebrating the 4th like a major holiday until 1942." Rachel shrugged.

"I dunno. Everybody likes to set off something to explode." Bella laughed.

Smoke thick in the air. Rachel shook her head. It was a war zone as far as she was concerned. Just her luck they'd all be sick with asthma someday because of all this smoke in the air.

7 comments:

ellie said...

the highs and lows of the 4th.

sid and violet said...

I'm glad Bella talked to Rachel.

diane said...

It was a little hard to get past that pretzel dessert (yum), the the phrase "embraced her situation" pulled me out of it. Genius.
You really captured the fun and family of July 4th in this post.

raspberry said...

This was too cute. Made me wish I was american just so I could light up some fireworks on 4th too.
I love how they all hang out together. Even if Rachel is still a little dislocated from the rest of the group. I like how Bella is trying to get her comfortable.
Really, the whole picture was so cute and genuine.

How did you celebrate your 4th of July?

Anonymous said...

Interesting 4th of July...

the oaks said...

Its a lot like that on the 4th for me.

friend stories said...

Cool 4th of july.