Page 53 of The Cannon
“This is charming,” Bristol says.
Then we spot the character that connects instantly. Cousin It. He or she, can’t tell who’s under there, comes waddling across the room. Towards our group. Long thick strands ofhaircovers it head to toe. Somehow the kid sees where they’re going.
“Here comes It!” Eva calls.
She opens her arms to take it in a bear hug. But the child knows how to handle it. Instead of getting too close and having it affect the costume, he starts dancing in front of our group. Side to side he sways. Much to everyone’s delight.
TheAddams Familytheme song plays on a loop, and I’m sure this dance has been done many times.
I take a peek at Jude. There’s a barely there smile. No, not a smile. A slight lifting of a corner of his mouth. Okay. It’s a start.
“Does anyone need to use the bathrooms?”
Of course Bristol thought of that.
“I do,” I say raising a hand. For some reason it amuses the kids.
“Me too,” says Richard.
“Yeah,” Robert agrees.
“I’ll go,” Eva says taking ahold of her girlfriend’s hand.
“Okay. Let’s all go. Meet back here. Right here,” Bristol says.
“Okay, Mom,” I tease.
That was a hit with the kids. Especially when Bristol gives me a pretend mad face.
* * *
The Rainforest Caféhas brought the kids to a fever pitch. Between the tropical rainforest décor and the rain and lightning effect it’s been a big hit. I think it’s better to introduce new foods slowly. Get them to trust us first, then we’ll take them to an Indian or Thai restaurant.
Good thing we kept the group relatively small. Five people under the age of thirteen is enough. They’re fun though. Bristol and I have been laughing since we sat down.
The clown of the group is Eva. Her dry wit at twelve is sharp. Even the boys find her funny. Especially Richard who has that twelve-year-old boy look on his face. Girls are on his radar already. He’s like I was back in the day.
She got a laugh out of Jude when she pointed out the fact that the balloon animal meant to be a dog more closely resembled her math teacher. Richard’s reaction was a little too over the top. In time he’ll learn to be more subtle.
“One more check, just to make sure. Does anyone have allergies of any kind? Nuts, shellfish, anything,” I say.
“I’m allergic to bees,” Richard says.
“Don’t order the beehive pasta,” Eva jokes.
“Did you all try to pick at least one thing you’ve never tried?” Bristol asks.
“I did. Coleslaw comes with the ribs. Never tasted that before,” says Robert, scrunching his face with disgust.
“It’s good. I like it a lot. But if you don’t like it that’s okay too. The thing is to try,” I say.
“What about you, Jude?”
Bristol lays a hand gently on his shoulder. This time he doesn’t shake it off. But it looks like it’s almost painful for him to speak.
“I’m going to have the Beastly Burger,” he says softly.
I’m not about to say a word challenging his choice.
