Sharon Creech - Absolutely Normal Chaos

I practically forgot this was the Fourth of July! Dad was at the kitchen table in his grungy clothes, and I asked him what he was doing there, and he said, “I live here.” Har har. Then he said, “I’ll give you a hint: firecrackers.” Har har. I got it.

We all went on a picnic today to Windy Rock, a park about ten miles from Easton. In this park is the actual Windy Rock—a huge boulder up on top of a cliff. Supposedly you can walk up there anytime and the air will be still and silent until you reach the rock, and then, whoooosh, the wind blows as fierce as can be just around the rock. Sure enough, every time we’ve been there, it has happened. Next to the rock is a plaque that explains the legend behind it.

According to this legend, there once was an Indian maiden who fell to her death on this very cliff. Her lover came to the rock, wailing and moaning, and then he stood on the rock, ready to jump over too, because his life was nothing without his maiden. But then the winds started to blow round and round the rock so that he was unable to jump. The legend says the winds blew for two weeks (he must have been starving by then), until he fell into a deep slumber. Then the winds “abated” and his friends lifted him off the rock and took him home. And now every time anyone approaches the rock, the winds begin again. I guess the winds think he’s coming back.

I like legends like that.

So we had a picnic there. Maggie didn’t come because she went to a party with Kenny (she’s ungrounded now), but Carl Ray came along. He’s like a shadow. Everywhere we go, he goes.

Most of the day Dennis, Doug, and I climbed trees and just messed around. We put Tommy up in this one tree with us, and he was having a great time pretending the limb was a horse. Mom and Dad stayed on the blanket, just lying there and talking. Carl Ray walked around a lot, but then he started chasing us through the trees and he was realllll scary.

I was surprised he had the energy to run, but he started tearing around pretending he was some kind of monster and making these horrible noises, and at first we all thought it was funny to see him like that, but then he kept it up, and I have to admit even I was scared, because he would run at us making these horrible faces and these horrible noises and he would grab one of us and drag us off until the others would come and pull the captive one free.

After a while Tommy and Dougie started crying and we all ran back to where Mom and Dad were. Then Carl Ray came walking up looking like his usual pale, pitiful self, and Mom and Dad didn’t believe us that he had been scaring the living day-lights out of everyone.

He’s a strange one sometimes, that Carl Ray.

When it got dark, we watched the fireworks. I used to think fireworks were so terrific, but this year they seemed a little disappointing. You wait and wait all day, and then there’s about ten minutes of booms and splashes of light and that’s it.

Dad made a speech (which he makes every year) about Independence and Freedom and all. We’re all so used to his speech that we don’t really listen, but Carl Ray was hanging on every word, and when Dad was done Carl Ray said, “Thank you.”

Dad said, “For what?”

Carl Ray said, “What you said was real nice.”

Carl Ray is just full of surprises.

Today was interesting (for a change). Real interesting.

Ready, O Muse?

Little did I know when rosy-fingered Dawn (child of morning) crept over the horizon today that it would be such a good day. Where shall I begin, Muse?

The pool. I went by myself because Maggie took Tommy, Dennis, and Dougie to the movies. I was going to go with them, but it was one of those days with clear blue sky and a little breeze and one of those sparkling suns (my Muse isn’t exactly warmed up yet). Too nice to be all stuffed into a movie theater.

Sure enough, Alex Cheevey was at the pool again, just as he said. He was all by himself (I guess those Murphys don’t swim at all), so we had a great time.

First we practiced diving. We were giving each other numbers (you know, like 10, 9, 8, etc.) for the quality of our dives. Then we started goofing around and doing clown dives and acting stupid.

At the first break we talked about the Odyssey because Alex happened to mention that he was reading it too. That surprised me, because even if he was reading it, I didn’t think he’d be the type to admit it. He’s farther along than I am and he actually likes it. He says it gets a lot more interesting as you go. But he’s really into this bit about Telemachus finding his father. And do you know what he told me? He said he’s always suspected he’s adopted . He said he doesn’t look or act like either one of his parents.

But, but, but. When the next break was called, he said, “Hey, let’s leave.” Did you catch that? He said “Let’s,” as in “Let us ”! He wanted me to leave with him.

Then he walked me home . He didn’t hang around because he had to go to work. He works part-time for a landscaping company, mowing lawns and pulling weeds and trimming bushes. Anyway, he said he had to work all day on Friday and Saturday, but, but, but, Alex Cheevey actually asked me if I wanted to go swimming again on Sunday! I mean he didn’t just say, “Are you going to be at the pool on Sunday?” He actually said, “Want to go swimming on Sunday?”

See the difference? I do. Sigh.

The other interesting thing that happened concerns Carl Ray. At dinner, in the midst of all the usual pass-the-potatoes chatter, Maggie says, “Oh, by the way, Carl Ray, you had a phone call today.”

Everyone stopped chewing because no one could imagine who would call Carl Ray. He’s received a whole lot of letters from Aunt Radene, but not one single phone call.

Maggie said, “I wrote down the message,” and from the kitchen she retrieved a piece of paper that she didn’t give to Carl Ray. You could tell she wanted everyone to hear this. “It was a lady…”

Everyone about choked.

“…who is the secretary of a Mr. Biggers.” She stopped to take a bite of her beans. She chewed awhile. Carl Ray had stopped eating.

“And this lady, this secretary of Mr. Biggers’s, wanted to know if you could come in and see Mr. Biggers…” and she took another bite of beans and chewed awhile. Meanwhile, we’re all waiting.

“…at four o’clock tomorrow afternoon. Apparently…” and she reached over for the jug of milk and poured herself a glass, “…this Mr. Biggers is a lawyer.”

Carl Ray’s mouth dropped open, revealing some unchewed potatoes.

“So you have this appointment at four tomorrow afternoon, and if you can’t make it, you’re supposed to call back. The number’s right here at the bottom,” and she handed the paper to Dennis, who handed it to Dougie, who handed it to Carl Ray, who just stared at it.

Dad said, “Carl Ray, do you have any idea what this is about?”

Carl Ray said, “Nope.”

Dad looked at Mom, so she said, “Have you ever met this Mr. Biggers?”

Carl Ray said, “Nope.”

Mom looked at Dad, so he said, “Hmmm. Are you sure you have no idea what this is about?”

Carl Ray said, “Nope.”

Dad said, “Does that mean…” but then he stopped.

So everyone went on eating, except for Carl Ray, who sat there staring at this piece of paper. He didn’t finish his dinner, which is a real sign that something must be wrong, because we all know what a gigantic appetite Carl Ray has.

After dinner, I heard Dad asking Carl Ray a bunch more questions. He asked him if this had anything to do with a girl (“Nope”) or if Carl Ray was in any kind of trouble (“Nope”) or if he owed anyone any money (“Nope”) or if he’d been in any fights (“Nope”) or stolen anything (“Nope”). Finally, Dad said he would leave work early tomorrow and take Carl Ray over to Mr. Biggers’s office if Carl Ray wanted him to. Carl Ray said, “Okay.”