The sun was shining as it did most summer
days in California. They waited at the edge of the garage one foot inside the
garage and one foot outside straddling the black seam sealer between the
concrete garage floor and the driveway. They teetered from one foot to the other
in anticipation. Burt's garage was connected to his house. All the houses in
this housing tract had attached garages. Most houses did in the surrounding
neighborhoods as well. His house was painted the color salmon with brown trim
and brown window shudders. They weren't the functioning type of window
shudders. No need really in the area of California where they lived. They were
just decorative. Inside the garage was something they'd only seen on TV or in
the movies. Their friend's Dad was working on his dune buggy. They thought it
was cool and he promised the young girls a ride. He backed the dune buggy out
of the garage. Mingled with the sound of the engine were the squeals and giggles
of the girls as they skipped, hopped and skittered along side while the buggy
inched down the driveway. He stopped the buggy. Smiling at his daughter and
her friends he gave them the nod to climb aboard. Climb aboard they did in
their summer capris or shorts and colorful sleeveless tops. They all wore
sneakers with no socks. The girls numbered four. Two of the neighbor girls and
his two daughters. The girls were roughly all about the same age between 8 and
10 years old. Of the neighbor girls, Mary's auburn brown hair was in a short
pixie cut while her Sister Chrissy wore her blond hair in pony tails. His
daughters were as different as night and day, Bonnie had shoulder length wavy
blond hair which miraculously always seemed in place. His youngest daughter
Toni's ruddy red hair had a short bobbed cut. Her Mother Carmen was tired of
combing out the knots and tangles. Toni was a bit of a tomboy. Burt backed out
his driveway on to the street. He revved the engine, smiling at the wide eyes
and ear to ear grins of his daughters and their friends. Down the street they
went. He circled the block two times before returning to his house. All four
girls climbed off the dune buggy when they realized Burt was not going to give
in to their begging and make one more trip around the block. Mary singed her
calf on the hot tailpipe when climbing off the buggy but wasn't about to let on
to her friends or Burt. She wouldn't want to jeopardize any future
rides.
Lu'
5/21/12
Lu'
5/21/12
