Mommy, mommy can we go now?" said seven year old Percy. He was tugging earnestly on his mother's dress and his bright green eyes shone with excitement as she washed the dishes. "We'll be late to see the fireworks!"
Sally laughed at her son's happiness, lightly touching Percy's nose with her soap covered finger. He giggled and wiped the soap off his nose.
"We're not going to be late, Percy," chided Sally. "It's just down the street. I'm almost finished washing the dishes and then I have to get dressed in nicer clothes. After that we can go, okay?" She put a plate onto the rack.
"But you look nice now."
"Maybe to you, but not to others." Sally turned off the faucet and wiped her hands on the towel. She glanced at the clock, 8:00 it read. . Thank goodness Gabe would be going home late tonight. She was looking forward to all month to get spend time with Percy. "Alright, I have to go upstairs to change. It'll be really quick."
She ran upstairs and a few minutes, she came down wearing a checkered blue dress with white buttons. Sally smiled and took Percy's hands in her own. "We can go now. Put on your shoes. We'll walk there."
They were blasted with a rush of humid air and mother and son walked together on the sidewalk. Percy happily skipped ahead humming Amazing Grace from the parade that they watched on TV earlier.
They arrived at a park, it wasn't big but it wasn't small either. A small crowd gathered around a wooden picket fence. Many held American flags and were dressed up in the national colors. On the other side, were men with striped rockets and blow torches. The fireworks were set up, darkness had fallen, and all that there was left was to light them up.
"I can't see what they're doing mom," Percy said. He was standing on his tippy-toes to see what was going on, but the adults covered his view.
Sally picked Percy up in one swoop and placed him on his shoulders. "Can you see them now?"
Percy laughed in delight, holding onto his mother's neck tightly. "Yeah, yeah."
At first, only a few fireworks were lit but then more and more started to fill the sky in all of their fiery glory. The sky lit up with an explosion of red, white, and blue. They were like colorful flowers burning in the night sky and the tendrils slowly fizzed out into sparks. A sound similar to a sonic boom ripped through the air and through ear drums and rocked the ground. The people "ooo'd" and "ahh'd" at the brilliant display of patriotism.
As time went by, fewer and fewer fireworks were lit up and then the sky was just a curtain of black. The people applauded and slowly dispersed into their cars and drove back home.
Percy looked at the whole event in awe; he was utterly speechless. He was sad to not see any more of the fireworks, but nevertheless, it was fun while it lasted. "Can we go next year?"
"We can go as many times as you like Percy." Sally gently lifted him off her shoulders and put him onto the ground. "Now, it's time for us to go home. It's way past your bedtime."
"But I'm not sleepy," insisted Percy, but the yawn that escaped from his pink lips betrayed him.
"Sure you aren't." Sally grinned and held his hands as they walked towards home.
Happy Independence Day for my fellow Americans, a late Canada Day for my Canadian readers, and a late Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Establishment Day for my Hong Kong readers. Jeez, July is quite a month for national holidays... and we haven't gotten to Bastille Day yet for France!