Then They All Went Inside For Dessert

Connotation Press 2019

My parents told me to come home no sooner than 11pm since it was their turn to host the quarterly party. What’s the big deal if I come home earlier and watch TV or go to bed? Don’t even think of it my mother said so naturally I could think of nothing else so at 8pm I parked my car around the corner weaved through yards and watched as a dozen so called adult men worked on shimmying up ropes tied to branches of our white oak trees. They were yucking it up until Mr. Shore reached his branch and everyone else froze. Mr. Shore then slid down and after a few moments of silence the other men slid down and clapped. Meanwhile Mrs. Shore was busy making a noose and positioning it seven feet off the ground. The women dragged Mr. Shore over to the kitchen chair, stood him up, and then Mrs. Shore gave him a shot of Jagermeister, a kiss on the cheek, and ruffled his hair. Like a field goal kicker she stepped back two paces then two to the side blew her husband an air kiss, ran at the chair and kicked it out from under him. Then they all went inside for dessert