Shari Jewell stood at the
makeshift barricade strung across the lawn at Brookley Field. She was happy and excited, waiting for the
fireworks to begin, holding to her sister’s hand on one side and her cousin
Carter’s on the other. In a crowd of
highly anticipatory people standing in the thickly settling dusk. “Is it time soon?” she asked Jenny.
“Soon,”
answered Jenny. “Do you remember the
fireworks from last year? When we lived
in Richmond?”
“Yes,”
said Shari. “It’s loud as thunder. And like birds of fire all different colors.”
“That’s
right,” said Jenny, grinning at Carter.
“Birds of fire.”
“Like
golden eagles,” said Carter.
“And
green parrots,” added Jenny.
“Red-tailed
hawks.”
“Blue
jays.”
“Yellow canaries.”
“Pink flamingoes,” rejoined
Jenny.
“White-tailed kites.”
“Oh, come on.”
“Look it up.”
"Purple finches.”
“Scarlet Tanagers,” said Carter.
“Peacocks,”
said Jenny, as a final, triumphant word.
“Peacocks.”
“Peacocks,”
agreed Carter, grinning at his pretty young cousin.
“Shari!” someone
called. Kimmie Broun was weaving through
the crowd toward them. Del was following
her anxiously. Kimmie hugged Shari and
then Jenny. Del nodded.
“Hello,
Del,” said Jenny. “My cousin
Carter. This is Del Broun.” They shook hands.
“Kimmie
just barrels through people,” said Del, half-grinning, “then, I have to
follow. Folks don’t mind a little girl
pushin’ through ‘em but a grown man is another story.” He stopped talking suddenly. The grin left his face. Jenny followed his eyes to a short blond
woman standing some fifteen feet away.
She was looking back at Del through large thick glasses. She smiled.
Waved. Del waved back. Then, looked sheepishly at Jenny.
Jenny
studied the woman again. She was
intrigued. There seemed to be some
connection between the woman and Del.
Next to her she recognized Faye Ruff, a friend from school. Faye spied Jenny and moved toward her. Olive and Web followed. There were introductions and a sorting
out. Del explained how he knew Olive
from Scouts. He seemed discomfited, shy
in the small blonde’s presence. His son
Todd, Del told them, was out there in the dark somewhere. When they had arrived, he had quickly
disappeared into the crowd.
As he was speaking, the
first rocket was launched, whistling upward.
A great explosion and a burst of light sent Shari into Carter’s
arms. He picked her up, holding her
against his hip. Her face buried in his
throat. Carter was abashed and pleased
at his cousin’s trust and affection. At
his unaccustomed role. After a time, she
lifted her face toward the sky and watched the loud, fiery, colored birds.
Del
stole glances at Olive who stood nearby.
Kimmie and Web between them. We could be mistaken for a family,
thought Del. Dismissing that thought
from his mind. Watching the varicolored
lights play upon Olive’s face. Heard her
oohs and aahs. Olive turning to smile up
at him every now and then. Kimmie
squeezed his hand at the louder ones.
Del wanting his hand squeezed by Olive Ruff. He felt suddenly lonely and lost, small under
the sky, amidst a sea of strangers. A
spent ember had drifted down and settled in his chest. Lit a flame in there. He kept his eyes on the sky as he monitored
the burning within. He dared not look
again toward Olive Ruff.
Not
a hundred yards away, Amos, Wanda and Ruddy sat on the tailgate of the old
Stringfellow pickup. They were parked
across from the fenced area, beside the highway. The sky was exploding in colors above them. Fireworks in the heart of Dixie, in the deep,
warm Alabama night. It’s like a date, thought Wanda and Amos independently. Each, perhaps, not caring much about
independence for themselves anymore.
Ruddy, sitting between them, a proper chaperone. It felt good, to be out in the world
together. Neither had been on a date in
many years. Maybe a portent of things to
come?
She was wearing her soft,
faded jeans and plain, feminine blouse.
A gold locket around her throat.
It made Amos’s heart leap. He
wanted to touch the woman to whom he sat so close. Stroke her hair. Explore her eyes. He did not have the nerve. Even when they returned to Bayou Petite, she
would say goodnight while holding onto Ruddy.
And he would nod and smile and walk toward his house under the
moon-shadowed oaks.
Wanda felt Amos’s eyes
upon her, his admiration and appreciation.
She was shy under his gaze and yet she felt safe. She held her head tilted upwards, motionless,
as if posing. She hoped he would not
notice in the dim light, how she was trembling slightly, blushing deeply, her
breasts and neck hot in the humid night.
A great, brilliant,
thunderous finale sent the crowd to their cars.
The group that had gathered around Jenny and Carter walked loosely
together. No one had anything to say. Words seemed an intrusion. Todd was waiting at Del’s car. The three families parted and made their way
home. Across the field, Amos cranked the
truck and entered the highway. The
beauty of the fireworks left an afterglow in each heart and mind. And there were other afterglows and
impressions, emotions and yearnings that lasted long into the night.
