Take Two
"It's easy to forget what you learned
Waiting for the thrill to return
Feeling your desire burnAnd drawn to the flame"
- Distant Sun, by Crowded House
I worked for weeks to help organize the high school graduation celebration for two of the Casa Gabriel boys, Carlos and David. Director Phil created a program for the evening, I had the physical programs laid out and printed. He made a guest list, I created and sent out invitations. He decided on what the dinner would be, I ordered the cakes and that day, went to Casa Gabriel to meet Maricruz, the mom of one of the boys who was going to be cooking the dinner. When Maricruz arrived, I told her I was expecting about 80 people for the dinner, so she asked specifically for a giant pot which she had used before. I asked house-dad Danny if he'd look for it while Maricruz and I went shopping for ingredients.
Upon returning to the house with all the groceries, Maricruz immediately asked if the pot had turned up. I found Danny in the upstairs kitchen and asked about the pot.
"No, I'm sorry," he said, shaking his head. "I couldn't find it."
Beside us on the table was a huge cooking pot. This thing so was big, I believe twins could happily bathe in it. I nodded towards it.
"So, what about this one?"
Beside us on the table was a huge cooking pot. This thing so was big, I believe twins could happily bathe in it. I nodded towards it.
"So, what about this one?"
"Oh yeah," said Danny, giving a sheepish laugh. "That's it."
I picked up the pot - with a mental face-palm - and presented it to Maricruz.
When I returned home, my living room was an ordered mess of bags containing decorations, candies and bowls for the tables, candles, paper and pens and instructions for people to write notes to the boys, ingredients for making punch, paper goods for 100, certificates for the boys which I had filled in with calligraphy, and other odds and ends. I went through everything again and again, trying to make sure I didn't forget anything. Phil picked me up three hours before the event and dropped me off at the church. I set everything in the downstairs dining hall and went to work setting up the tables and chairs.
Two of the Casa Gabriel boys, Joel and Moises, came to help me decorate. They walked in wearing their huge headphones, a little too cool for school but still willing to come help. We were blowing up balloons when one of them popped, echoing through the dining hall. Joel shuddered.
"I hate it when they pop!" he said. We had all the balloons on a table, blowing them up then deciding where to hang them. Whenever one would start drifting towards the floor, Joel would dive to grab it, afraid it would hit something and pop. A couple more did pop, randomly, causing Joel to jump and shudder every time.
"I really don't like that pop!" he muttered.
The evening was a huge success. Afterwards, the boys all pitched in to help clean up. As Joel picked up a broom, I hurried over to him.
When I returned home, my living room was an ordered mess of bags containing decorations, candies and bowls for the tables, candles, paper and pens and instructions for people to write notes to the boys, ingredients for making punch, paper goods for 100, certificates for the boys which I had filled in with calligraphy, and other odds and ends. I went through everything again and again, trying to make sure I didn't forget anything. Phil picked me up three hours before the event and dropped me off at the church. I set everything in the downstairs dining hall and went to work setting up the tables and chairs.
Two of the Casa Gabriel boys, Joel and Moises, came to help me decorate. They walked in wearing their huge headphones, a little too cool for school but still willing to come help. We were blowing up balloons when one of them popped, echoing through the dining hall. Joel shuddered.
"I hate it when they pop!" he said. We had all the balloons on a table, blowing them up then deciding where to hang them. Whenever one would start drifting towards the floor, Joel would dive to grab it, afraid it would hit something and pop. A couple more did pop, randomly, causing Joel to jump and shudder every time.
"I really don't like that pop!" he muttered.
The evening was a huge success. Afterwards, the boys all pitched in to help clean up. As Joel picked up a broom, I hurried over to him.
"I need your help, I have a special job for you," I told Joel. He listened, curious.
"I need you to go and pop all the balloons," I told him earnestly. Poor Joel got a shocked/scared look on his face.
"Just teasing!" I said. He was relieved.
"Noooo, Sonnet," he said, and laughed.
"I need you to go and pop all the balloons," I told him earnestly. Poor Joel got a shocked/scared look on his face.
"Just teasing!" I said. He was relieved.
"Noooo, Sonnet," he said, and laughed.
Missing items right under one's nose, and the frightening pop of balloons. Two small and humorous memories from a full and very good day.
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