It was not a dark and stormy night when Mona Robinson first successfully practiced voodoo. It was in fact a bright and sunny Saturday afternoon in early Spring. When she had tried to control the annoying new neighbors through Sam's old Darby and Ben dolls that she found in the attic, there was no effect. (Otherwise, Mark Harper would've been beheaded by Angela.) But she had rededicated the dolls to her daughter and housekeeper, having been able to collect hairs from Angela and Tony more easily.
Tony and Angela were working in the garden. The Harper family wasn't around, which made the day even nicer, although Angela wasn't thrilled that they had taken Jonathan to the movies with them. (The Rescuers in re-release, and she couldn't veto Disney, could she? Even if it did mean Jonathan and Heather were double-dating with Mark and Pam.) Sam was at the Mall with Bonnie. And Mona? She was in the kitchen, playing with dolls.
After four and a half years, she was getting impatient. She knew that Tony and Angela were crazy about each other but they were too scared to get together. Even a "first date" a few weeks before (well, their first deliberate romantic date) had gone nowhere. Mona was a strong believer in Fate, but she also believed in nudging Fate when necessary.
She made the dolls face each other, standing close.
"Mother! Come on out and help us in the garden!"
"Yeah, Mone! It's a beautiful day!"
Mona rolled her eyes and thought If it was these two in the Garden of Eden, the human race would've died out! Then she said aloud, "I wonder," and made the dolls lean towards each other, as if kissing. She closed her eyes and wished hard….
A couple minutes earlier:
"Isn't it a beautiful day, Angela?"
"Gorgeous! Thank you for inviting me to garden with you."
"Well, yeah, it's more fun to plant with a friend. Uh, I mean, you know."
"Right. Um, the roses and herbs look nice together, don't they?"
"Yeah, you've got a smart son, Angela."
"Yes, I'm proud of our young man."
They smiled at each other, then felt awkward.
"Herb and Rose," she said. "It sounds like a bickering married couple, doesn't it? Like the Lockhorns."
"I think they're named Leroy and Loretta Lockhorn actually."
"I defer to your superior knowledge of the comic strips." She knew Tony read all the comics, especially the old-fashioned ones like Blondie and Beetle Bailey.
He chuckled. Then he felt self-conscious, so he said, "Um, I think I'll test the garlic." He pulled up a clove and took a bite. "Mmm, that's coming along. You want some?"
"No, thank you."
"I'd pluck you a rose but those belong to the Harpers."
"Right. I need to stand up and stretch for a minute."
"Yeah, me, too." He set down the garlic.
They got to their feet, standing close, facing each other.
"Uh, do I have garlic breath?"
"Yeah, a little."
"Sorry." He took out a pack of gum from the pocket of his striped shirt. "You want some?"
"No, I didn't have garlic."
"Right." He unwrapped a stick of gum and put it in his mouth, returning the rest of the pack to his pocket.
Normally, she found gum-chewing annoying, but she found herself mesmerized by the movements of his mouth.
"Uh, how's my breath now?" He leaned towards her, with his mouth open.
And then, like some cosmic force had taken her over, her own body leaned forward, her own mouth opened. They kissed like they were in a trance, tongues exploring each other's mouth in a way they hadn't since their drunken kiss almost four years before.
Then they sprung apart, although their voodoo images continued to press together.
"Whoa, I think I have sunstroke!" he exclaimed.
"Me, too. Let's go inside for a minute."
So they did, feeling like the kiss couldn't have happened because it was so out of the blue. They entered the kitchen and again asked Mona to join them in the garden.
Then Tony said, "What happened to my gum?"
Angela suddenly realized Tony's gum was in her mouth! She took it out and held it. She and Tony looked at each other in confusion. And Mona grinned in delight, planning more adventures for Darby and Ben.