FEATURED STORY
“Isn’t that Don Burrows?” Someone yelled from behind Don’s back. He turned around and saw Jane Scaffali.
“Where’s my hug?” she cried, spreading her arms towards him. They exchanged hugs. Jane Scaffali was a big-chested woman, wearing a
lacy black corset, and a short red cloche skirt revealing nice shaped tanned legs. She wore a pair of red spiked ankle boots, defying the pits of
the park. Shiny gold dangling earrings added a glamorous touch to her face.
“You never tire of shocking people, do you, Jane?” Don flattered her.
“Well, don’t blame me; it’s my Italian genes. If you’ve got it, flaunt it. That’s the motto I’ve been living by all my life.”
“I believe the Creator saw fit to bestow nice assets on you more than anyone else,” Don continued. She giggled satisfactorily.
Jane Scaffali operated the municipality’s cafeteria. One day Mrs. Agnes Kobovsky rebuked her about her penchant for provocative dressing. Jane replied back with many obscene words (Mrs. Agnes Kobovsky said later she counted them). She was shown the door.
“That’s John, my best friend,” Don said, and she extended a hand to John.
“Am I in your team, guys?” She was waving her O-lettered card.
“We’re afraid you’re not,” John said, “but we wouldn’t mind to have you with us.”
“Swell!” she cried, “I’m so happy.”
“So are we!”
***
“Team A get here, please!” an announcer shouted. Then Team B was announced. They approached the announcer. They all shook hands.
Mrs. Agnes Kobovsky, holding her B-lettered card, was approaching from the back of the announcer. She was short and fat, and was hobbling out onto an engraved cane. Bill and Dona shook hands with her. Jane nodded her head for hello. Don and John said hello to her.
The wind was starting to get a bit noisy. “We better start doing our jobs,” Bill said, and Team-B was off deep into the park to pick a spot.
All the other groups scattered in their turn.
“Let me help you with your bag,” Bill said to Agnes, and took her hand and helped her passing over a stubborn branch. John was trying to
find an excuse to help Jane with her spiky boots, and she let him hold her hand for time to time.
They started arranging the area. Bill found some stones for fencing the place, and Dona helped him. Don and John started digging a shallow pit, the size of the bonfire they wanted to have. They surrounded the pit with stones that Bill had found, to keep the fire from spreading
outside of the pit. Then they grabbed a bunch of dry twigs, leaves, sticks, and unwanted wood, and arranged them standing like a pyramid
and placed some leaves under. Jane gave her Zippo to Don who ignited the leaves under. The bonfire was lit.
Dona stretched out a green blanket on the ground, opened the cooler Don and John had brought, and put the ice cold beer and a huge
bottle of Whiskey on it. Agnes, sitting on a bent branch, pulled out the radio transistor and switched it on. Some old crackling songs were
spreading out in the air like humming crickets.
“Don, what are you doing for living?” Bill asked.
“I’m working now in my new job as a taxi driver, am not complaining. And you, Bill?”
“I’ve been working all my life as a baker in the town hotel, the only one we have here in Buzzport,” he smiled.
“You mean the Deep Lake hotel?” Jane asked, and without waiting to his reply she continued: “I once have been there for a date with some
nice guy who ordered one of the tastiest cakes I ever ate; so, I believe your hands have been involved in this sin.”
“At least you enjoyed the cake,” Bill said.
“I enjoyed the cake and the date. I got married to the guy who bought me the cake.” They all burst out laughing.
“Don, what were you doing before starting your new job as a taxicab driver?” Dona asked.
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Genesis Science Fiction Magazine Summer/Fall 2014