exerpts from the novel
The Electronic Windmill
By Pete McKinley
Chapter X
Saturday morning, Larry Carver, driving a two-year-old sports convertible, dressed in tennis whites and exposed to the early morning sun, idled down the street on which his sister and her family lived. The turn-of-the-century houses abutted each other and seemed to have a common wall. They were two and three-story structures, neatly kept and painted in a concert of colors; architectural curlicues of another century trimmed the front elevation and were generally embellished by a contrasting shade of the same hue. Parking wasn’t easy. If there were any garages for these homes they had come as an afterthought and added on in an era when one car to a family was considered plenty. Larry was lucky and parked half a block from his relatives’ light grey, black-trimmed home. Nephew, Larry II, had gone unnoticed as Larry backed the car and cramped the wheels to the curb to prevent a run-away. Larry II opened the door on the street side and before his uncle could switch off the ignition cried,
“Don’t turn her off. I’ve got my stuff right inside the door; it won’t take a minute to get it.” He slammed the car door and started running back to the house.
Larry shouted, “Hey, hold it a minute, your mother invited me for breakfast.”
Larry II stopped. “I’m not hungry; are you hungry?” he asked. “Let’s go now; we can get something to eat at the park. We don’t want to keep everybody waiting.”
“Nobody will be waiting. It’s only eight o’clock and we’re not supposed to meet until ten. Anyway, your mother’s making something for the party and it won’t be ready now. We’re only ten minutes from the park, relax.”
Larry II grabbed Larry’s hand and tried to run with it as they started back up the street. Larry’s brother-in-law, Dewey Ridge, met them at the door.
“You’ve got nobody to blame but yourself. It was your idea. At least, it looks like you picked the right day for it.”
“There’s only going to be two kids against four grown-ups,” Larry grinned. “We’ll handle them.”
Larry’s sister, Delia, coming from the kitchen had just a suggestion of being hurried. “You’ll have a wonderful day,” she defended. “Larry II has promised to behave and mind everything you say. Isn’t that right, honey?” and she put her arm around Larry II’s shoulder and pulled him to her.
“I already opened my presents that Mom and Dad got me,” Larry II said excitedly. “But I can only take one with me. It flies and we can do it in the park. There’s no place to throw it out front; come on in the back yard, I’ll show you how it works.”
“I’d rather wait till we get to the park where we can do it right,” Larry said seriously. “I don’t want to spoil it by just seeing it fly a little way in the back yard.”
“O.K., I’ll show you some jacks I got. Did you ever play jacks? I had some old ones, but these are better, the ball bounces a lot higher. Oh, I forgot. Mom says I can take them because they’re small. Come on, I’ll show you.”
“I was probably the best man at jacks in the whole kindergarten system at one time,” Larry told him.
“Not now, dear,” Delia said patiently, “we’re going to have breakfast and I’ve cooked all your Uncle Larry’s favorites and yours too.”
“I’m not hungry,” Larry II said.
“You wait till you see what we’re going to have. The biscuits are just ready to come out of the oven, and we’re having ham and eggs and grits with redeye gravy.”
“All right,” Larry II ran to the table, “but we’ve got to hurry.”
Larry looked at his sister in disbelief. “Holy mackerel, Delia, how do you expect me to play tennis and keep up with this guy all day if I start out with a breakfast like that!” But he also moved toward the table. Larry II insisted on sitting beside his uncle, and when the food was served tried to eat as much - but didn’t quite make it.
After breakfast, Delia iced the banana cake with a fluffy white frosting and placed fourteen candles in a plastic bag - seven for the side labeled ‘Happy Birthday to Larry II’ and seven for “Happy Birthday to Erica.’ She had thought one big cake would be better than two small ones and had been particularly careful to keep the lettering even and the halves equal. She packed it in a portable cake holder and cautioned Larry on how to carry it, and then at the last moment decided she’d better take it to the car herself. Larry opened the trunk and cleared a space in one corner. Delia placed the container carefully and arranged a small satchel with Larry’s change of clothes on one side of it and wedged a bag of golf clubs to protect the other side. Larry II grabbed up a particularly deflated basketball and tried to dribble it, shouting, “Let’s shoot some baskets. We can stop at the station and get some air in it.”
“You’ve got enought things to play with,” his father said. “I don’t think you’re going to have time to shoot baskets.”
“Sure we will. We’re going to be there the whole day and Uncle Larry promised to show me how to shoot one-handed when I got older.”
“O.K. If we have time,” Larry sighed, “but your Dad’s right - we’re going to do a lot of things, so climb in and let’s go.”
Delia, half-frown and half-smile, looked worried. “Are you sure you want to take care of him for the whole day? You know we’re going to the delta to visit friends on a houseboat and there’s no phone. We probably won’t be back before five. Are you sure it’s all right?”
Larry rolled his eyes and grinned, “Yes, Sis, it’s fine. We’ll have a ball.”
“But this is the first time You’ll be completely responsible for a whole day.”
“Yeah. Well, I appreciate your confidence in me, but don’t worry. You have fun fishing and we’ll have fun with the kids. Oh, and everyone said to be sure and thank you for baking the cake - especially Pilar.”
“You tell them I enjoyed doing it. I just hope it’s as good as the last one we had when they were all here.”
“Come on, Uncle Larry, we’re going to be late,” Larry II screamed. His father laughed and shook his head and said again, “Well, you asked for it; take care now and we’ll see you later.”
Delia called out as they started to pull away, “Did you put everything in the car to play with? Have you got what you need for tennis?”
“I’m only taking my flying bird and the jacks, and I’ve got my tennis shoes on.”
Both Larrys waved happily as they rolled toward the park to spend the day.
Kang was warming up on the backboard, Cole was lacing tennis shoes, and Pilar and Erica were changing in the ladies’ locker room when the two Larrys arrived. Cole looked up and waved one hand. “Hi, Larry II, Happy Birthday.” Then he noticed Larry II was carrying Larry’s old beat-up racket.
“Did Uncle Larry trade you out of your new racket?”
“This is his racket. Don’t you know where my new one is?” Larry II looked doubtful.
“Yeah, I forgot. Pilar has yours and Erica’s both, she’s keeping them safe.”
Kang caught the bouncing ball on his racket and walked over to the three of them. “Happy Birthday, Larry II, I’m glad to see you like tennis. Some day you can play for the Davis Cup instead of winding up like these two ex-football sausage heads.”
“I can already hit the ball good,” Larry II said. “Uncle Larry told me if I tried hard, you promised to teach me the fine ‘rodents’ of the game.”
“That’s right. We’ll have a class of four and you and Erica will be half the class if you really want to.”
The girls came down the path to the courts, both ready to play. Pilar had made Erica a short slipover dress with laced pants to match. She looked very much like a small edition of her aunt.
Larry II’s clothes for the day were white Levis cut off above the knee and a light-weight tennis shirt, another birthday gift. When he saw the girls he began a series of somersaults on the grass, calling for everyone to watch, and challenging Erica to show what she could do. Erica wandered over and when he sat up to look around she said, “Happy Birthday, Larry II.”
“Oh, yeah, I was supposed to say that to you. Happy Birthday, Erica.” He got up and took her hand and they walked over to the small stack of presents and Erica asked:
“When do we get our tennis rackets?”
“I like surprise parties, but are you sure these kids aren’t undercover agents for the CIA?” Cole wanted to know.
The presents were opened with some delay in getting the rackets to the proper recipient - they were exactly alike. It was explained to the kids they could play tennis on the adjacent court, play with any of the other toys they’d brought along, or watch the grownups’ match. The only rule was that they must stay within the bounds of the one court. The rules were barely listened to, and then they both took their new rackets, grabbed a ball apiece and ran to the far court. The effort in getting this settled seemed to have taken something out of the group.
“Shall we spin for serve?” Kang asked.
Larry looked at Cole. “It really doesn’t make that much difference who starts the serve; why don’t you two go ahead if you think it’s an advantage.”
Kang’s eyebrows raised slightly because this just wasn’t true. It did make a difference who served first. He knew if he took the serve their chances of beating him ranged from poor to none and he didn’t understand Larry’s comment. He finally concluded that since this was a warmup for his benefit, to help his tourney play, they were just being nice giving him more practice on his serve. They should realize that with the competition he had in the first round, he didn’t need any practice. With some gratitude in his voice, he said, “I think it would be better if we spin, unless you want to serve first.”
“O.K., we’ll serve first.” Cole accepted at once.
With no further comment, Kang took his place in the back-hand court for a brief rally before starting the match.
Pilar was aware that Cole and Larry were trying to shake Kang. But realizing that champions aren’t made by their mechanical skills alone, she too made no comment.
After the warmup, Cole took a couple of practice serves and then to start got a real hard smash to Pilar. She returned it well enough, but Larry gambled at the net, crossed over, and was able to get an unreturnable angle on the ball. With Cole’s fair-to-good serve and Larry’s gambles, they won the first game. Kang with court courtesy insisted that Pilar serve first for their side. Cole and Larry broke Pilar’s serve, putting them ahead two - love. After the second win, confidence and hilarious repartee ran high between Cole and Larry and continued when Larry muddled through and won his serve. The fun was somewhat dampened when Kang’s turn came and he served three blazing aces. Each time he served the ball it barely caught the serving court line, but was good enough so that it couldn’t possibly have been called a fault.
To gain a little time Cole got something in his eye, and Larry went to look at it. Confidence ebbing, Cole said in a low voice, “We’ve got to slow him down, we’d better start talking to him.”
Kang called out, “What’s the matter - did you get something in your eye?”
Pilar started around the net with real concern. “Maybe I can see it.”
“No, it’s O.K. now,” Cole assured, “Let’s play. My vision was blurred. I thought a couple of your serves were awfully close and Larry wasn’t looking, but that’s O.K. I played them anyway. The game’s still 40-love.”
“Do you want me to serve that last point over?” Kang asked.
“No, no. Your serve is really great. It’s got a lot of zip. I think if you put a little more muscle behind it, I won’t be able to hit it even though my eye isn’t blurred any more.”
Kang netted his next serve to Larry. On the second try it was obvious he was consciously making an effort to get it well within the serving court. Larry pounced on it and shot it hard at Pilar. With exceptional reaction she got a return, but it was just weak enough to give Cole a chance to pass her.
The score was 40-15 and Kang moved over to serve to Cole but Larry interrupted just as he was ready to toss the ball up. “Are the tourney officials pretty strict on foot fault or not. You do everything so smoothly that from where I’m watching, it would be a hard call to make, but a guy looking along the base line would probably pick it up pretty quick. I’d hate to see you get into trouble during the tournament.”
Kang didn’t say anything, just got ready to serve again and then netted his first try to Cole. The second was even less confident and Cole, returning it got good top spin and looped it over Pilar’s head at the net. Kang rushing in to the net was clearly surprised at Cole’s deft handling of the serve and tried to race back, but was too late.
“Sorry about that, Kang. Larry shouldn’t be talking when you’re serving,” Cole commiserated. “Just relax and don’t pay any attention to him. Everybody foot faults once in a while.”
The muscles visibly tightened in Kang’s jaw, and he double faulted to Larry, evening the score at 40-40. Walking slowly back to the opposite corner of the court, he was breathing deeply. His first sizzler to Cole’s forehand was a blur, but was close enough to the corner that there was no way to call it out. Cole nodded his head and spread his hands in resignation, indicating he was conceding the point.
Kang shook his head and said, “No, it missed,” and got ready for a second try. Cole and Larry looked at each other realizing Kang must be really upset because he never gave up a point when the other side conceded, but nothing could dissuade him now. His next shot hit with the same speed in the same area, but almost six inches within the corner. He looked at Larry and Cole shouting, “How are you calling that?”
“Oh, that was in by almost six inches.” Cole admitted.
With a barely visible smile, Kang said, “I know it was in. I was just asking how you were calling it.”
Cole held up his hand for time and walked over to Larry, turning his back to the net and saying sotto voce, “I think he knows what we’re up to.”
“Yeah,” Larry said, “we’ll change our strategy. When he serves to me, he’ll rush the net, I’ll lob deep to the base line and even if he gets back it will be tough to handle - and we’ll both come in fast for a kill shot.”
On the add-in serve, Kang and Cole both broke for the net from opposite sides but Larry got a bad lob and Kang saw that it wasn’t deep, that it would drop barely six feet beyond the net. Cole was oblivious until he saw Kang poised for an overhead smash and he only had time enough to throw himself down and back of the net as the ball whistled through the space his body had just occupied. He rose and walked slowly back to Larry.
“Next time I’ll lob and you rush the net,” he said shakily.
With the game score three to one in their favor, things rapidly got worse for the psych experts. Strategy was revised again and again, but the game score mounted to 5-4 against them. It was at this point they decided to both play back near the base line; this ploy, of course, wasn’t overlooked. On the last play of the day, Kang had another setup for a perfect overhead smash, but seeing both opponents playing back, he changed tactics at the last moment and with a beautiful soft touch barely tapped the ball across the net. Cole and Larry were horror-stricken when they saw the ball dropping so far away in front of them, they broke for the net as one, racing each other to forestall defeat. Cole, attempting to reach the ball with his backhand, accidentally stuck his racket between Larry’s flying legs. Larry naturally crashed headlong into the net, but an instant before the crash his racket caught the ball and sent it into a high lob. Both the upper and lower net supports were snapped from the post closest to where he hit and he was partially rolled up in the loose webbing. Pilar looked frightened, Kang registered amazement, and Cole was stunned. Larry sat up and tried to remove the twisted net from his head and shoulders and in a concerned voice asked, “Was that a good return?”
The kids had stopped to watch the doubles match and Erica immediately assured him, “Yes, it was good. The ball went high up in the air and fell inside the white lines.”
Larry looked relieved, but Larry II said, “It doesn’t count because you touched the net.”
There was a moment of silence and finally Pilar spoke. “Those are the rules, but it’s your call to make - whether or not you touched the net.”
Larry slowly became aware that they were waiting for him to speak. He raised his head and smiled weakly. “It took the rule book to beat us,” he said.
While Kang discussed and Cole cussed the rule of idiocy that said you couldn’t touch the net while playing the ball, Pilar dabbed an antiseptic on Larry’s skinned knees and covered the wounds with band-aids. The argument ended when Kang left for the central courts to play his tournament match. Cole strolled over to look at Larry’s knees and Erica and “Two” stopped their play and came running down the grassy slope to report that the police were on their way. A park official and a policeman on horseback approached. When they got to the tennis courts, they paused to examine the damaged net. The park official turned away from the havoc and looked at the group with an air of disappointment.
“What’s been going on here? We had a report of rough play, but we didn’t realize it included the destruction of property.”
“My uncle got hurt, but it wasn’t his fault.” Larry II spoke up. “Mr. Rain tripped him.”
“But he didn’t mean to.” Erica came to Cole’s defense.
“No, he didn’t mean it.” Larry II admitted. “It was an accident.”
“Hold it, kids, we’ll explain.” But when Cole had finished explaining, the official and the mounted policeman didn’t seem to be any more enlightened; however, since the lawman rode off on his horse, he had apparently decided police action wasn’t necessary.
In turn, the park official explained that even though he would accept their version that the cause of the damage was accidental, it would have to be paid for. Cole and Larry admitted their culpability and paid twenty dollars each to cover the forty dollar assessment. The official took their names and addresses, handed them a receipt and told them that after the repairs were completed, if there was anything left of the forty dollars, it would be returned to them. He folded his receipt book, stuffed it in his pocket and left with the admonition that they should be more careful of park property henceforward.
“Henceforward, we’ll play without the net,” Larry muttered. “Who needs all that fancy equipment, I can tell if the ball is over of not. When do we eat and drink?” he wanted to know, forgetting the irritation and his skinned knees.
Cole had brought wine and soft drinks. Kang had cooked southern fried chicken, and Pilar had prepared two salads and baked a pot of brown beans. Larry and Cole were to pick up ice cream for the cake later. While they were placing the packed food on a park table to reserve it, Larry II brought his flying bird and his jacks from the car. Erica clutched a new doll and carried a small suitcase filled with a complete wardrobe; she intended making two or three changes of the doll’s clothes to coincide with the various activities of the day. She explained to Larry II just how precocious the doll was, that it could walk and talk, that it could cry and get wet and need changing, and it could do anything. Larry II suggested changing the doll’s party dress for a tiny bikini and then throwing it in the lake to see if it could swim. Erica hugged the doll close to her and, waiting to make sure Larry II wasn’t looking, placed it back in its box and covered the box with a blanket.
Larry II got busy with his flying bird and went racing over the grass and up a tiny knoll. He stopped on top and turned to face the picnic grove. Holding a life-size plastic bird, he tried to attach it to a short cord that in turn was fastened to a long whiplike rod. There was a hand grip and a leather loop to circle his wrist on the end of the rod. Finally, he hooked the tip of the thong to the breast of the bird, whose wings were spread in a permanent position of flight. Turning round and round, he whirled it over his head and shouted for everyone to watch and just before he began to run down, he brought his arm forward like a pitcher throwing overhand, and the willowy rod with the attached cord snapped the bird into free flight. The hook at the breast disengaged when the pressure was relieved at the end of the ship-like action. The bird flew straight as an arrow making a perfect arc and sailing fifty feet over the heads of the watchers. Larry II came tearing down the hill screaming, “Did you see that? He’s the best flyer in the world.” As he raced past the mildly startled picnickers he shouted, “I’ll go get him and then I’ll show everybody how to fly him.”
“Where the hell did he get that thing?” Cole asked.
“My sister said he picked it out himself. He found it in a toy store when they were shopping for his birthday.”
Erica had followed Larry II and they came running back after retrieving the bird, Erica squealing, “It’s my turn - you promised.” Larry II hadn’t promised Erica anything. “Let me do it,” she demanded.
As the children ran for the knoll, the others followed, curious to see just how Larry II’s toy worked. Erica was first and surprised them all with the distance she got out of the bird. Pilar tried and then it became a contest between Cole and Larry for the long distance championship. Larry II and Erica were stationed far down the grassy valley to alternate as retrievers. According to the kids, one of Larry’s efforts produced the longest free flight, but Cole insisted that his last whip would have been further if the bird hadn’t struck the branch of a tree and veered off into the side of a hill. The contest didn’t stop until the kids got tired and insisted it was their turn.
Larry and Cole agreed to run back with the bird until each of them had three turns. This was subsequently increased to six turns each. After the last counted turn, and ignoring the kids’ protests, Cole, breathing hard, suggested he try once to land the bird on the water of the pond. This was a little less strenuous because the time it took for the wind to blow the bird back to the bank where it could be reached provided a breather. Another twenty minutes of spot landing on the small lake, and then Larry came up with the idea that the kids go take a look at the buffalos, but Larry II and Erica insisted on staying to play with the grown ups. They walked wearily back to the table stacked with boxes and baskets and Larry stretched out on the grass. Pilar went through the usual motions of women preparing a feast, and the kids asked Cole to read them a story. Cole, leaning back against a tree with his eyes closed said, “Well, I’d like to but I don’t have a book.”
“Think one up then,” Erica insisted.
“Tell us a story about space and exploration,” Larry II demanded.
“Well, I don’t know about that. What would you like to hear, Erica?”
“Tell us about Sleeping Beauty and how she couldn’t be waked up only in a special way.”
“Hmmm... I don’t think I know that well enough to tell it.”
“You must know a lot of stories,” Larry II said. “Tell us the one you like best.”
Big Larry was dozing and only heard part of the conversation, but he heard Cole say, “Let me think a minute This is about a little girl who lived on the edge of a desert, probably some place in the southwestern United States....”
“Don’t you know where she lived?” he heard Erica ask.
“Well, yes, I know where she lived, but you see her father was a scientist. He was working on a secret project and where they lived was classified top secret.”
He heard his nephew ask why? and Cole say, “Just take my word for it that it was so.”
It was the most updated children’s story Big Larry had ever heard, but then he hadn’t heard many recently. The father was this space scientist; the little girl, his daughter, was the product of a broken home; the little girl’s brother was a junkie who had disappeared. When Erica asked what he looked like, Big Larry heard Cole say, “Well, he had a lot of hair and he was sort of wild-eyed. O.K.?”
Later on he heard something about the mother and heard Larry II ask, “Was she dead?”
“No, she wasn’t dead, she had just gone away some place with one of the assistants at the space lab.” More questions from the kids, then he heard Cole say, “She had fallen on hard times and was earning her living as a go-go dancer some place in Orange County - that’s south of Los Angeles.” Big Larry learned that the little girl had got in trouble trying to find her brother. Then Cole said something about a horrible hairy monster who strapped the little girl into a chair, pushed a button, pulled a couple of levers, and ‘whoosh’, they took off straight up.
“Was it a girl monster?” Larry II asked.
“Yes, it was. You can never tell about monsters,” he heard Cole say.
Big Larry must have dozed off a long time because the next he heard was both kids asking, “What’s vigil?”
“Their parents were just watching and waiting for the kids to return that’s vigil - and while they waited the mother who could cook as well as dance prepared a huge feast.”
Big Larry decided the story was finished so he sat up. Kang had returned from his tennis match a winner. Then he heard Cole say, “That’s the end of the story, but there’s a sequel to it if you’d like me to go on.”
Kang and Big Larry both got up and advanced on Cole. Kang held a dirty towel and Larry said, “I’ll hold him, you gag him.”
Cole jumped up and ran to the table, saying, “I nominate Larry to say grace.” Larry II demanded to be seated between Pilar and Kang. This worked out fine because Erica was clinging to Larry and Cole. When everyone was arranged, Larry relinquished to Pilar the honor of saying grace. The children looked at her expectantly. Pilar hesitated in apparent deep thought. She bowed her head and with softness and distinctness started her prayer:
“We pause briefly to give thanks before partaking of these delectable and life-sustaining substances prepared by us, but created in a mystery. We acknowledge ignorance of life’s source or the reason for its being given into our care. We value its joys and will protect its flame, knowing it as our most precious gift. Lastly, we hope to contribute to its ultimate purpose whatever that may be. Amen.”
An hour later there were just token amounts left of the overabundance of food that had filled the table. Pilar had covered the remaining dabs and was playing jacks with the children while Cole and Larry stretched out on the grass. Kang sat under a tree reading a paper. Cole could hear the conversation coming from the jacks game. Larry II wanted to play the “Flying Dutchman” but Erica preferred “Pigs in the Pen.” Pilar was on threesies while the children argued.
Larry wasn’t sleeping either because suddenly he called out, “I used to be the King of Jacks in the Mission District. I won so many toys and comic books they called me the junk man. Kids nowadays get everything for nothing so the game doesn’t mean anything.”
“That’s right,” Cole said. “The best way to learn anything is to have a reason for learning and you don’t develop an urge to win unless you stand to lose something. It’s part of our evolutionary process. Hey, Larry, I used to be pretty good too; do you want to show the kids how it’s done?”
They both got up, stretched and strolled over to the corner of the tennis court where the jacks game was in progress. The ball Pilar was using was better than the old ones Cole and Larry had played with. It was rounder and bounced higher, giving the player a longer time to pick up the jacks.
“Oh boy! Now we’re going to have a real game.”” Larry II said.
Erica jumped up, “I’ve got some in Aunt Pilar’s car; I’ll go get them.” But Pilar stopped her and said she would get them.
Cole took charge. “O.K. This is the way we’ll do it. Larry and I will stand you two guys. In the first game I’ll play against Larry II and Larry can play Erica.”
“O.K., Cole,” Larry II was enthusiastic. “I’ve got my jacks, we can start right now - let’s play the ‘Flying Dutchman.’”
“Wait a minute, Larry II, I never heard of the Flying Dutchman. That must be a new kid’s game. Let’s just play onesies and twosies, but when you lose you forfeit something so the game will have some meaning for you.”
“Onesies and twosies is the best game,” Larry agreed. “But whenever you make a mistake, you have to give something up but you don’t lose your turn. You just keep on going to tensies. Understand? Touchsies, helpsies, burnsies, dropsies and movesies will cost you whatever we decide to bet.”
“That’s the problem,” Cole said, “What have you guys got to bet?”
“I’ve got five dollars and thirty-two cents,” Larry II said. “Mom gave me this wallet and my Dad gave me some money and I already had some.”
“What have you got, Erica?” Larry wanted to know.
“I got over eight dollars for my birthday and Aunt Pilar has it in her purse.”
“Right,” Cole said. “Every time anyone makes one of those mistakes Larry was talking about, he has to pay so much money to his opponent - that’s us and we’ll let you two start first.”
“How much money are we going to bet?” Larry II asked. “Let’s make it a dollar every time we miss.”
“No, you don’t have much money,” Larry said. “Let’s make it a quarter, and if you run out of money before you get to tensies, Cole and I will lend you some.”
Pilar had returned with the other set of jacks and had been listening to the betting arrangements. “I think you should be ashamed of yourselves,” she said, “teaching two little children to gamble, and I’m not going to let you do it.”
“Oh, Pilar, you don’t understand,” Cole groaned. “All right, kids, go over and talk to Kang. We’re going to have a conference with Pilar.”
“Aren’t we going to play?” Larry II protested.
“But, Aunt Pilar, we want to play with Larry and Cole and bet money.” Erica wailed.
“Don’t worry. We’ll play, but we’ve got to have a conference now. Go talk to Kang and we’ll call you when we’re ready.” Cole herded them toward Kang, who looked up from his paper.
“The kids won’t lose their birthday money,” Larry explained to Pilar, “We’re only going to keep it for a little while and then we’ll figure out a way to get it back to them. Just as Cole says, it will be good for them. It’ll teach them not only to concentrate on what they’re doing, but it will give them a taste of the value of money.”
Cole interrupted, [This is the greatest lesson children can learn - it’s part of life - it teaches them that their actions can cause penalties or rewards. You’ll see, they’ll enjoy it after it’s all over and they have their money back but they’ll understand that they could have lost it.”
Pilar wasn’t wholly convinced, but acquiesced reluctantly. The conference over, they called the kids back to get the game under way.
“We can also play silence,” Erica said. “That means if you talk or smile or even show your teeth, you lose a quarter.”
Agreement was reached on all the rules of the game and the two kids got first turn. They dumped their jacks at the same time and both got a good spread for onesies. Erica played methodically with a graceful rhythm. To everyone’s surprise, she picked up the ten jacks one by one without a mistake. Larry II had lightning fast hands but lost one on touchies and once again when he said “damn” because of the mistake. Pilar wanted to forgive the penalty because she said Larry and Cole said “damn” practically every time they missed a tennis shot and it wasn’t the childrens’ fault if they picked it up, but she was overruled and Larry II was down fifty cents. From then on he played with deep concentration and completed the game through tensies with only three more mistakes. When he placed a dollar and a quarter in the pot, his eyes brimmed with tears.
Erica did better starting out, making only two mistakes up to ninesies and then with her smaller hands committed four more errors before completing the game. Her lower lip trembled and she blinked back tears as she bravely placed a dollar and a half forefit into the pot.
“Don’t worry about it, Erica, I thought you played very well,” Larry said. “I want to take a couple of practice bounces with this ball. It’s better than the one I used to have.”
Cole commiserated with Larry II by pointing out that after he got past onesies his concentration had become a lot better and he’d played a beautiful game from then on. Larry II looked doubtful and said, “Yeah, but I lost a dollar and twenty-five cents and I was saving up to buy a pony.” The tears almost came again.
Erica folded her hands resignedly and waited for Larry to finish his practice bounces.
Kang had given up on his paper and come over to watch the educational process.
“All right you two, let us know when you’re ready to start,” Pilar said. “Kang can count Cole’s mistakes and I’ll keep Larry honest.”
“We don’t need any help in counting our mistakes,” Cole said calmly, “but if it makes you feel better, have at it. I’m ready. Are you set, Larry?”
Larry took a last practice bounce with the ball, picked up the jacks, and dropped them. He realized too late that he had forgotten to practice this phase of the game; the jacks were all bunched. Cole, watching, saw what had happened so he tossed his jacks in the air to make sure of a good spread but a couple of them rolled over against Larry’s pile.
This was merely the start of what turned out to be a minor disaster. They committed all the offenses - touchies, helpsies, burnsies, dropsies and movesies. The only offense they missed was smiling, but both were guilty of swearing and showing their teeth. At the end of onesies Larry had committed thirteen fouls. Surprisingly, Cole came up with only eleven. The children forgot about their tears and watched the money pile up in front of them. When they reached sixies Larry had lost forty-four quarters and Cole fifty-three. Cole suggested that they stop the game and offered to put another dollar each in the pot as a forfeiture. The kids accepted this arrangement gladly.
“Uncle Larry, let’s play ‘Flying Dutchman’ now.” Larry II was happy.
Erica wanted to play “Pigs in the Pen,” but Pilar and Kang stepped in and vetoed cancelling the gambling game, insisting that it be played out to the bitter end.
“You know, I apologize,” Kang grinned. “At first I thought you were putting these children on but this really is an educational process.”
Pilar asked Cole and Larry to forgive her saying she hadn’t fully understood their intention but now she realized they couldn’t have been nicer to the children or made them happier.
There was nothing to do but struggle on through tensies and at the end Cole had lost twenty-six dollars and fifty cents and Larry was down twenty-two and a quarter. Cole, being out of money wrote a check for his share and Kang accepted it and gave the children cash. Larry II and Erica split the money into equal shares and, having learned a valuable lesson, matched for the extra quarter. Erica won and wanted to buy candy, promising to divide it with Larry II. This was promptly vetoed by all, and then the children wanted to continue playing but it was time for the birthday cake and, since Cole and Larry were to furnish ice cream, they borrowed five dollars from Pilar and took off in Larry’s car. Both children wanted to go along, but were persuaded to go to the lake and watch the miniature sailboats instead.
When Larry and Cole returned with the ice cream, the fourteen candles were divided, seven to a side, and stuck in the fluffy frosting of the cake. They were lighted with ceremony and blown dead with prodigious simultaneous puffs. So far the adventures of the warm sunny day gave them every hope that their secret wishes would be granted. Cole asked what their wishes were but neither would tell, so he asked what they intended to do with all the money they’d won. Erica decided she would make a down payment on a house in the desert, but Larry II had to think. Cole asked him again, “What are you going to do with all my money, Larry II?”
“It’s my money now,” Larry II said, “and I’m going to buy an electronic windmill. Did you ever see one?”
“Not recently,” Cole said. “In fact, I don’t think I ever did see one.”
Larry II jumped up and started toward the cars. “If you’ll take me in your car I’ll show you one right now. It’s down by the beach.”
“I’ve seen that one,” Cole admitted, “but I’m pretty sure it’s not electronic.”
“The one I buy has to be ‘solid state.’ That old one by the beach is probably a tube model.”
“Could I ask one more question?” Cole hesitated. “What would you do with an electronic windmill?”
“I’d take it with me all over. If I was on the great plains or in the desert it would bring water up out of the ground for my pony - or grind my corn. I could even use it to charge a motor-bike. Are you sure you don’t want to look at the old one by the beach?”
“I’m sure. I’m just not sure I shouldn’t go fifty-fifty with you on the one you buy.” He looked at Larry II for a minute and then said, “Anyway, right now I’m ready for cake and ice cream.”
“Me, too!”
“Me, too!” Erica echoed.
Pilar removed the candles and Erica and Larry II made separate cuts in the three-tiered vision. The wedge they severed was so huge that it had to be quartered, but only after it was explained that everyone could eat as many pieces topped with ice cream as he could hold. This might have been the sixth or seventh mistake of the day. Larry II had three and a half helpings, while Erica stopped at three. The cake was the best they had ever eaten and they proved it by not stopping until all were a little sick. When the cake was gone the day at the park began drawing to a close. The first strands of cold fog from the sea barely skimmed the tree tops.
After the trash and remnants were cleared away and when it was time to go, Erica refused to budge unless Larry carried her to Pilar’s car. Larry II, even though he had been moving listlessly toward the parking area, now sat on the grass and demanded to be carried also. Kang stooped and swung him onto his shoulders and they moved slowly down the winding path. Cole, loaded with baskets and boxes, followed along in deep thought. There had been a catalyst somewhere in the day’s events that had steered him into a new train of thought about smuggling and the ship. He wanted to follow a lead Larry had suggested earlier, but there was something else nagging his mind. When he got to the cars he deposited the picnic things and arranged to meet Larry around eight o’clock at Borgia’s.
Erica kissed everyone goodbye with the exception of Larry II who refused to be kissed, insisting on shaking hands all around. As the two cars left to take the children home, Kang and Cole waved until they were out of sight around a bend in the road. Kang thought the day had been a big success; Cole agreed but decided that celebrating birthdays once each year was probably overdoing it.
As they turned back to their cars a girl appeared from out of the trees and walked into the parking area.
After they left the park, Larry II fell asleep, his head resting in his uncle’s lap. Again there was no opening to park near the house on the crowded street and Larry didn’t find a slot until a block and a half beyond. He gently shook Larry II awake. They collected the tennis racket, the toys and the empty cake container and wearily trudged back up the street. Larry was surprised and happy to see that his sister and brother-in-law had returned early. Delia said it was just too hot in the delta country and they were glad to get back to the city fog. Wide awake now, Larry II launched into a detailed report of the neat day at the park, spreading out the crumpled money he had packed tightly in his pocket and explaining how he and Erica had won it. But his parents couldn’t quite understand the involved description and Delia scolded Larry, saying that he and Cole shouldn’t have given Larry II that much money. Dewey took his son on his lap explaining to him that he would have to return the money to Uncle Larry and Mr. Rain.
“Look,” Larry broke in, “he’s telling you exactly how it happened. He and Erica won the money fair and square. I’ve listened to him and I really don’t think I could explain it any better than he did. Cole and I were trying to be fatherly and teach the kids a lesson in the value of money but maybe neither of us were meant to have all the many joys of fatherhood. Anyway, we had a great time and next week I’ll bring Cole around and let him explain how it all happened; it was his idea.”
“I’ll bet you’re tired,” Delia said. “Why don’t you just sit down and relax and I’ll fix you both something to eat.”
Larry turned pale visibly. “Please don’t mention food,” he choked.
