Chapter 5

Chapter 5

The Bonfire

Wesley’s mom drove him and Eve to the center of town. There were already thirty or forty people gathered next to the library. She pulled in beside the Piggly Wiggly. which served as the community parking for just about everything. There were a few spaces on the curb, but those were now obstructed by a bulldozer, a dump-truck and a caterpillar. As Wesley began to unbuckle Eve from her seatbelt his mother started with instructions.

“Be careful of that heavy equipment, Wes. Don’t let Eve near it. I can just see her trying to drive off in one of those things.”

“We get to ride in that bulldozer?! Yea!” Eve cheered.

“No honey. No one gets to ride on one of those.” Mary spoke firmly.

“Why did they park beside the party then ?

“My thoughts exactly, sweetie. All the kids will want to get inside those trucks. But they are dangerous.”

“I see men driving them all the time and they don’t look dangerous to me.”

Wesley stepped in. “What she means is it is dangerous for four year old girls to try to drive caterpillars. And before you get any ideas. It’s not a caterpillar, it’s an earth moving machine. It’s just smaller than the others. See it over there. It looks like a baby compared to the dump truck.”

“Yea, I see it. That’s the one I want to drive!”

“You can’t. Eve, Promise me you won’t try to get in any of those. Okay?” Mary pointed her finger at the trucks lined up like elephants waiting their turn at a drinking hole.

Eve waved her hand towards her mother’s face, but said nothing.

“Eve, I need to hear you say ‘Yes ma’am’”

“Crossed Fingers means YES!” Eve had her fingers crossed. All of them.

Eve had a language system, one she’d started using when she was two years old. She expected the world to just know it. For a while Eve’s mom thought she’d picked this up from the babysitter, an elderly woman with a great imagination, but soon realized that Eve was creating this all on her own.

“ I don’t believe you’ve showed us that one before.” She patted Eve’s head and smiled. “I’ll see you at 7:30. Right here.” She looked at Wesley with a serious face and he knew it meant he’d better keep Eve away from the big trucks.

“Yep. We’ll be here.”

Wesley scooped Eve up from the backseat and shut the door. He carried her about fifty yards before his shoulder started aching.

“Sorry I can’t carry you, Eve.” he said, with a slight moan, as sat her down on the uneven parking lot. A gentle wind arrived, sweeping a coolness over them and counteracting the heat radiating off the brick buildings. As they approached the sidewalk, he could see kids and adults in costumes mulling around under the ancient oaks. Little witches, ghosts, a grim reaper and several skeletons ran around the building. Some hid behind the trees, popping out when an adult walked by.

Wesley looked around for Brian, who would certainly be on the sidewalk, on his skateboard. But he didn’t see him. He felt a chill run up his back but shook it off.





“Are you cold? I’ve got your jacket here.” He pulled it out from under his arm.

“I’m not cold Wesley. You’re crazy!”

He squatted down in front of her. “Eve, do you see anybody here you know?” He watched her eyes looking around, “Yes! I see a wizard from Waverly Place. And Harry Potter is over there next to Tinkerbelle.”

“Eve, we have to hold hands tonight. All night. Since we can’t see people’s faces, we don’t know who’s behind the masks. You have to hold on to me. Tight. No matter what. O.K?”

“You mean, like I do when we go to Walmart?”

“Exactly.” He reached out and held one of her hands while brushing aside her hair with his other hand. “I don’t want anyone to get my Princess Sapphire.”

“I thought the mean man only went to Walmart?” Wesley didn’t know what to say to this. He wanted to say, “There are mean men EVERYWHERE!” But he didn’t want to scare little Eve into staying indoors forever. He was searching for a response when a voice over a loudspeaker interjected. “Everyone in the costume contest, line up next to the wall to my right!” Mrs. Loftin, the librarian, dressed as the witch from the Wizard of Oz, stood in front of a simple podium and spoke into a microphone.

“Let’s go, Wes!”

“Don’t let go of my hand. Okay?”

“Okay.”



The crowd moved around, parents walking their kids to the designated area. A cluster of children, including a pirate, dead ballerina, three Disney Princesses, a ninja turtle, witches and ghosts, along with a wizard, Harry Potter and Tinkerbell stood against the wall. Less than a minute later, five teenagers dressed head to toe in black, wearing long trench coats, scarves and assorted wigs and sunglasses, wandered up and attached themselves to the end of the line.

“Children ages birth to twelve, only, please,” came over the speaker. Four tall kids and one short one slinked off the sidewalk. A pumpkin toddler, being held by his mother, took their place.

Wesley walked Eve to the end of the line and stood motionless. She looked up at the baby pumpkin, waved, and smiled.

“Are there any more here for the costume judging?” Mrs. Loftin asked, with a tone indicating she knew there were no more contestants. She paused long enough for Wesley to inhale and exhale. “Alright. Judges, you may begin.”

Mr. and Mrs. XXXX sat behind a card table, making marks on a legal pad, as they had for the past 19 years. Eve took a step away from Wesley, held her robe and twisted her hips back and forth. She tried to pull her hand free of Wesley’s, but Wesley held tight, bent down and reminded her, “Don’t let go of me.”