Page 5 - Indies Roundtable Winter 2020
P. 5
Chapter One Bazaar. As the son of the longest
running PTSA president and the
Garland and lights hung from son of the assistant principal,
the gymnasium walls and the
smell of nutmeg and cinnamon everyone came to expect that I’d
filled the air. The static of old be around to help out at every
speakers churned out Christmas event.
music while vendors packed their
wares — crafts, treats, and other I didn’t mind helping out,
homemade items. Meanwhile,
lingering shoppers, their arms especially since I was in good
already loaded down with goods, company who I spotted coming
seemed to pester vendors for toward us. My girlfriend, Alissa,
that final sale of the night. My carried a stack of cardboard boxes
mom was one such vendor. As as she trailed a few paces behind
with years past, she wasted no
time to pack up. her mother, Mrs. Claude.
I waved. “Hey. Can I give you a
“Marcus, help me with this,”
Mom said as she knelt behind hand?”
one of the many tables lining the Alissa grinned. “You bet! Here.”
school gymnasium.
She handed me the entire stack,
“Sure,” I said, kneeling which I fumbled as I turned,
opposite her to assist with a letting several flattened boxes
crate. slide off the top of the stack and
On the count of three, Mom onto the table.
and I grunted as we lifted and “Jeez! These are heavy,” I said.
placed the crate on the table. She placed a hand on her hip.
“I thought you’d sell out of “Glad you finally admitted it. I’m
scrapbook material,” I said. “It stronger.”
looks like you’re coming home
with twice as much.” On the other side of the table,
Mom and Mrs. Claude laughed.
Mom scowled. “It’s actually
half.” She added a wink. “There Before I could give a comeback,
might be something in there for shouting from the other side of
you and Bri.”
the gymnasium drew my
“Thanks, Mom,” I said. “I’m attention. A group of patrons
going to go see if any of the other circled around the silent auction
vendors need help.” table, creating a din that echoed
throughout the gymnasium. Other
There was still so much to do
to close out the annual Christmas vendors, parents and their kids,
stopped their packing to have a
look.
“Oh dear,” Mom said. “We
should go put out that fire.”
Mom and Mrs. Claude jogged
running PTSA president and the
Garland and lights hung from son of the assistant principal,
the gymnasium walls and the
smell of nutmeg and cinnamon everyone came to expect that I’d
filled the air. The static of old be around to help out at every
speakers churned out Christmas event.
music while vendors packed their
wares — crafts, treats, and other I didn’t mind helping out,
homemade items. Meanwhile,
lingering shoppers, their arms especially since I was in good
already loaded down with goods, company who I spotted coming
seemed to pester vendors for toward us. My girlfriend, Alissa,
that final sale of the night. My carried a stack of cardboard boxes
mom was one such vendor. As as she trailed a few paces behind
with years past, she wasted no
time to pack up. her mother, Mrs. Claude.
I waved. “Hey. Can I give you a
“Marcus, help me with this,”
Mom said as she knelt behind hand?”
one of the many tables lining the Alissa grinned. “You bet! Here.”
school gymnasium.
She handed me the entire stack,
“Sure,” I said, kneeling which I fumbled as I turned,
opposite her to assist with a letting several flattened boxes
crate. slide off the top of the stack and
On the count of three, Mom onto the table.
and I grunted as we lifted and “Jeez! These are heavy,” I said.
placed the crate on the table. She placed a hand on her hip.
“I thought you’d sell out of “Glad you finally admitted it. I’m
scrapbook material,” I said. “It stronger.”
looks like you’re coming home
with twice as much.” On the other side of the table,
Mom and Mrs. Claude laughed.
Mom scowled. “It’s actually
half.” She added a wink. “There Before I could give a comeback,
might be something in there for shouting from the other side of
you and Bri.”
the gymnasium drew my
“Thanks, Mom,” I said. “I’m attention. A group of patrons
going to go see if any of the other circled around the silent auction
vendors need help.” table, creating a din that echoed
throughout the gymnasium. Other
There was still so much to do
to close out the annual Christmas vendors, parents and their kids,
stopped their packing to have a
look.
“Oh dear,” Mom said. “We
should go put out that fire.”
Mom and Mrs. Claude jogged
