It wasn't until later in the evening, my two little kids returned home from skateboarding in the skating arena by the park in our small town. Russell and I sat at the couch in the living room, as we turned to see them come back home late on this day.
Mark and Valentino didn't say anything as they took off their helmets and put them on the hook of the coat hanger next to the front door as they entered. Mark and Valentino looked up at us, watching them, coming home from their night outing, their faces were smeared in dirt filth.
"Do you kids feel better, now?" Russell asked Mark and Valentino. They just looked at each and then turned to us and shrugged. "Your attitude is getting on my nerves, kids," Russell growled, angrily at them. "I'm going to take your privileges away if you don't obey our rules in this house. We're going to stop letting you two kids do whatever you want. And not telling us what your plans are. If you two aren't coming home until late hours in the night," Russell said. He sat up off the couch. Got a smoking pipe out of his red, cotton bathrobe he wore. Then, he took a match, struck and lit his smoking pipe.
Blowing a puff of smoke into my face, I coughed and waved my hands in the air. To get the smoke out of my eyes. "There was nobody to play with in the park, anyway," Mark said, grumpily. With his head down. He and Valentino marched down the hallway to their bedroom. "It started raining on us. And we couldn't finish playing," Mark continued, still not looking back at us.
I stood up from the couch and tried to grab my kids' attention. "You two will stop there!" I said, halting my hands in the air to stop them from going into their bedrooms. They slowly turned around, looking red from embarrassment. "You know how much we both love you kids, very much," I started, hoping they would pay attention to me. "But you can't come and go as you please. Until you turn sixteen. You have to tell us everything going on in your lives," I continued, angrily. Russell put a comforting hand on my shoulder, making me jump a little. He laughed and took another puff of smoke from his black smoking pipe.
"There's nothing to do in this crummy little town," Valentino complained, finally. "We've been in Sparkle Town too long, mom and dad. Nothing's changed. We just earn our freedom and trust you have nothing to worry about. We're not doing anything wrong. Just want to have some fun like old times sake," Valentino said, honestly.
I rolled my eyes and folded my arms across my chest in disgust. I turned to look up at my husband, who was looking at the ceiling, smoking his pipe. Like he was daydreaming. And not caring about anything that goes on with our kids.
"We just want the best for you kids," Russell said, finally. Turning his head to our kids, standing in the hallway. Taking another puff of stinky smoke from his pipe, he smiled at them. Mark and Valentino looked back at us like they had a cramp in their legs and turned red.
"I know you kids are looking forward to going to the Halloween party at school on Friday," I said, changing the subject. "I want you two kids to the mall tomorrow after school. And pick a scary Halloween costume and some candy for the party goers to share with everybody," I continued, smiling wryly at my two adorable boys.
Mark and Valentino turned to look at each other frowned. They both laughed nervously, to break the tension. Then, they each high fived each other. "Okay, sounds awesome, mom!" Mark declared, excitedly. "I can't wait to scare the daylights out of everybody at the Halloween party at school next week. It's going to be sick!" Mark laughed and Valentino bumped knuckles with each other.
Russell and I tried to get our two boys to calm down. "Kids, listen," Russell said, loudly. "You're only pretending to be scary at the Halloween party at the school dance, right?" he asked, worriedly. "You're not really going to hurt anybody, right, kids?" Russell asked, frowning and looking worried.
Mark and Valentino looked at each other and shrugged. "We're just going to get on some squeamish little girls' nerves and give them something really to celebrate at the Halloween dance," Mark said, laughing. The two boys laughed and bumped each other's chest, like they were excited and looking forward to going to a party to be remembered.
I looked at my husband, with concern. He just frowned at me while sucking on his smoke pipe and inhaling on the smoke. "What can I say? They're your kids, Emma," Russell, said through gritted teeth. While sucking on the brown, plastic smoking pipe.
"Our kids, dear," I corrected my love. "We both had to make these two monster kids, together," I said. I turned back to look at Mark and Valentino. But the two boys had disappeared back into their bedroom down the hall. I sighed and rolled my eyes. I wrapped an arm around my husband's body and squeezed onto him. "They won't always need us, you know," I told Russell, looking down at the floor, and daydreaming.
Russell nodded, still sucking on his brown smoking pipe. "Let them have the time of their life at this Halloween party at their school next week, love," Russell said, suggesting. "It could change their lives forever. Everybody deserves a chance to be happy, every once in a while, in their lives," Russell said, pulling strands of stringy blonde hair out of my eyes.
"Okay," I said, sighing, finally. "But if they get hurt because they got out of control, they're going to blame us for not raising our kids, right," I said, hoping to make sense. Russell laughed, his belly blubber on his round stomach, bounced on my face. Making me shake and shudder. I laughed too, and didn't care about anything else. Except for making my kids happy.
If I didn't let our kids learn to be on their own, how will they survive when it's time for them to be in the adult world, by themselves? If they don't grow-up, they're going to have trouble dealing with their attitude adjustments. I knew they were good kids. They wouldn't do anything too dramatic to get into real trouble. They know how to be awesome without even trying.
I didn't want to have to worry what would happen if our kids never want to leave us. I know how scary being alone can be sometimes. Something somebody knocked on the front door. Making Russell and I both jump with fright.
Russell blew out some smoke in his mouth, quickly. And put out the smoking pip in the ash tray on the coffee table. We both quickly hurried over to the front door. Opening the screen door, Russell and I peered out in the front yard.
"Hello, dears," it was our friendly neighbor, Ms. Stargazer. She carried a yellow and white striped umbrella over her head. Smiling, she wore a yellow and flowery skirt and pink sandals. "I was in the middle of cooking some chocolate chip cookies for the children's Halloween dance party next Friday," Ms. Stargazer said. "I ran out of sugar. And I didn't make enough for the students going to the dance party," she said, smiling. Lighting flashed and rain dribbled down the side of Ms. Stargazer's umbrella. "Can I borrow a cup of sugar so I can finish another batch of homemade chocolate cookies, for the kids?" she asked, her smile grew wider.
Thunder boomed, making us all jump. We jumped again, as a black cat jumped in front of Ms. Stargazer's sandals. It started rubbing against Ms. Stargazer's legs, purring and meowing up at us. "Bad kitty! You'll bring me seven years of bad luck!"Ms. Stargazer complained.
Taking her leg in the air, she kicked the black cat in the stomach. Making it howl and screech as Ms. Stargazer kicked the kitty into the wet, stormy night. It turned around to look at us and the creature's eyes turned red. It hissed at Ms. Stargazer and hurried away.
Trying to shake it off, Ms. Stargazer turned back to Russell and myself. We quickly turned away from our concerned trance. Put on a smiley, happy face, we just stared out at our neighbor, zombified. "Let me see what I can do," I said, finally, snapping out of my sleepy trance. "Excuse me," I apologized.
Laughing nervously, Russell quickly turned his attention back to our nosy neighbor, not taking her eyes off Russell. Who was just giving Ms. Stargazer the most devilish grin on his face at her. Ms. Stargazer just grinned back and laughed nervously at him.
"Do you like kids, Mr. Changeling?" Ms. Stargazer, suddenly, changed the subject. Russell just let out a loud, high-pitched laughter. Trying to contain himself, Ms. Stargazer didn't stop staring and smiling at Russell.
After Ms. Stargazer didn't stop smiling or say anything else, Russell's face suddenly got sweaty and turned red from embarrassment. "Sure, I guess," Russell finally said, letting out some air. "I have two monster kids of my own," Russell continued.
Suddenly, the thunderstorm struck lightning and turned out our power. Plunging everything and everybody into total darkness. I lost my balance in the kitchen, looking through our pantry for a bag of sugar for Ms. Stargazer. Suddenly, we heard sinister laughter coming from our children's bedroom. I knew they were planning something devious.
I hope our kids won't get away with their rambunctious behavior. They came out of their rooms, wearing glow-in-the-dark hockey masks, with arms outstretched. Moaning, they were coming for me. "Kids? What's going on?" I said, and as they floated closer toward me, I fainted and plopped my head on the hard linoleum kitchen floor and passed out.