SPARKS 17

I’m sitting on a bench, watching the kids playing and reading “The God Delusion” *why can’t I read Heat magazine? Wonder if they have spotted Jay this week* when Tricia appears at the end of the walking path pushing the pram. The twins are already waving at me.
“Hello stranger”
“You’re late”
“But I’m bringing coffee” and she hands me a Starbucks cup.
“You’re forgiven then. Hello guys! Should I set you free to walk around?” I tell the two little rascals.
“If you unleash Pestilence and War, you are the one following them around before they turn this place upside-down”
“What did you do to mommy to be renamed after the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse? Or maybe mommy is trying to tell me she’s about to have two more of you …”
“No thanks. I’m waiting for you to complete the band of forces leading to man's destruction”
“It is true; a mother is the sweetest of women!”
“Hilarious. So?”
“So what?”
She looks at me like her all life depends on what I’m going to tell her. I breathe deep. “I don’t know who I am anymore. I went to bed last night and I was Prude Spice. I woke up this morning and I’m bloody Paris Hilton”
“Did you serve time?”
“Nope”
“You’re not blonde …. I get it! …. You’re retarded”
“Funny but nope”
“The video! Is it online already?”
“Stop it! I can’t breathe. I’m in the middle of a psychotic breakdown and you are not helping. I have no control over myself when he’s around. And he moved in with us. I have this feeling ….. hard to explain”
“I can say it’s a typical case of ‘being in love’ hun, welcome to the club”
“Not in a few days. That’s so not me”
“Have you ever heard of love at first sight, or better, it only takes a minute girl” she sings
I look at her “did you get the same package I got?”
“Yep, Ultimate Collection, DVDs + CDs… it seems like Julie and Caro are 17 again”
“Should we worry about them?”
“They’ll be fine”
“I don’t know myself anymore”
“And who are you?”
“Good point”
“You have been so busy pleasing your father and your uncle, trying so hard to be what they wanted you to be I fear you got lost along the way”
“Are you saying I live under the same roof with the sexiest compass ever?”
“Cheers!” and our cups touch
“Dawn knows and she’s not happy. She’s going to be trouble. She’s a friend of her”
“My dear Ringo, I wouldn’t worry about Mrs. Barlow if I were you. John, Paul and George are on your side and we’re determined to destroy the axis of evil”
“You’re spending way too much time with the twins”
“Tell me about it”

Jason looks at Gary, I guess desperation is what best describes his feelings at present.
“Let’s see if I can make it as simple as possible Gaz. It’s 1-2-3 and spin, lift your arm, turn your face and stop!”
Gary tries again but he bursts into a fit of laughter watching Mark making mock of Jason.
“I call for a time-out! Time-out! Time-out!” Howard yells “we need a break and maybe if we let Gary eat something he’ll be able to find enough inner strength to perform a dance routine a mental ape would learn in 7 minutes, break included”
“I hate you! The three of you are just mean! What I need is here” and points at his head “in my mind”
“And in your stomach” Jason adds.
Dawn walks to them and talk to her husband “problem solved. The agency said they can send us a temp for the week-end to take care of the children”, she looks at Howard and smiles satisfied.
“What are you talking about?” he asks
“Talking to my husband really. None of your business as you pointed out last night. Bea asked for free week-ends and she is getting them” she tells him with a defiant tone. Then she turns to Gary, her tone is sweet again “I need to go and try some new costumes on. See you later love”
Howard takes Gary’s arm and walks him to a corner “talk to her”
“About what?” and bites into a doughnut.
“The trip, Bea has to come”
“Don’t worry about us, you heard her, we found a replacement”
“Mate, I love you but sometimes I just wish I could open up your head and see how much free space you have inside. Listen to me carefully. If Bea doesn’t go, I’m not going and I don’t think we want to give the Label too many explanations don’t you think?”
He opens his eyes wide “Bea is the one you were talking about last night? Mate you’re screwed”
“Not if you help me”
“What about …?”
“We had a major fight yesterday. That’s why I came back. I knew Dawn would be all over me so I asked Samantha to cover for me”
“She accepted? That’s so not like her”
“I talked to her. She knows me … Gaz I need you to help me here”
“How are you going to manage the situation? Salina is as big a sand box, two women at the same time … even you are not that good”
“She’s not coming. One of her friends is getting married”
“Doug this is wrong”
“You need to be with me on this, please”
“You hardly ever look at Bea. Is it some kind of a bet? Because if it is I don’t want anything to do with it”
Howard puts his hand over his shoulders “she bites into her inner cheek when she watches TV, and she rubs her earlobe with her index finger and thumb when she tries to concentrate. Before starting to play with your kids she always pulls her hair back in the shortest pony-tail ever and hums silly songs in the middle of conversation. Her eyes are brown, with little green sparkles here and there. She has a little sexy mole on her left wrists, but I guess you’re right, I don’t even look at her”
Gary pats his shoulder “Does she know?”
“We haven’t really talked about it but I guess she has an idea”
“No problem mate, she’s coming to Salina. I’ll deal with Dawn”
“Thanks”
“Lazy gang!” Jason calls them “time to get back to work. And I also have these business cards for you with the directions to get to the place where you can rent your costumes for my party. I figured out it would be easier to all go to the same place so to avoid having two Red Riding Hoods dancing around”
“I’m in for the part of big bad wolf” Howard interrupts him raising his hand.
Everyone laughs.
Jason rolls his eyes while Mark takes the card “and they say you are a control freak. People just don’t know you, do they?”
“Yes Jay” Gaz says “let’s do something wild, what about two spoons of brown sugar in our herbal tea instead of one? Let’s see what wild scenarios could open up in front of us”
Jason breathes deep “inner strength, I’m calm and relaxed; your sarcasm is not touching me”
“But we can” and Mark jumps on his back.