“Magnificent! We have three judges for each category,” Tom informed the group who immediately cheered. “Uh, did you people notice that Mrs. Alice Morton signed up to sing?”
A loud groan went up. “We’ll have to alert the town that they’re not hearing an air raid siren.” Jimmy laughed.
They were laughing so loudly that they didn’t notice the door opening and Mr. Grissom entering. “What’s the joke?” he smiled. “I need a laugh. My wife has tickets to an opera for tonight and I’m too bushed to go, but she will insist. I won’t enjoy it.” he pretended to shiver.
“We’re just being goofy. Pressures of planning, school and home responsibilities ---” Jacob was still laughing.
“Here, Mr. Grissom. Look at this list of judges and sponsors. There’s also a list of people donating prizes and food.” Tim was pleased with the cooperation they were getting. Publix Grocery is donating twenty loaves of bread. Lion King is donating six packages of sliced ham and six packages of sliced cheese. There’ll be more.”
“We have a small problem though,” Tom told him.
“Lay it on me. It can’t be worse than the opera.”
“The Old Dominion Bagpipe Band and Drum Corp has volunteered to play. At the same time Tripping the Jig, the Irish dance school has offered to perform. We have K-9 dogs and some of the service dogs from the training school. The talent show will be long enough without these, but we don’t want to turn anyone down and discourage them or hurt their feelings.”
Mr. Grissom thought a minute. “How do you feel about inviting them to perform on stages during the carnival hours? Then people could listen and watch free. The dancers and bagpipers could have fifteen minutes each. The K-9 dogs probably won’t need more than fifteen minutes.”
After a lengthy discussion the group agreed to try to work in the groups who were willing to perform. Tom asked for attention. “Maybe the bagpipers would be willing to play for the dancers and they could share a stage. We can ask them.”
“Okay, gang,” Tom continued. “Here’s what we agreed on. Speak now or forever hold your peace. The talent show will be from ten until twelve.
“Fortunato’s Nursery as agreed to furnish potted plants and tree roses to decorate the stages. Each person performing will furnish their own music. Any questions or suggestions?” They agreed, but, naturally, they were all nervous as they’d not attempted this before.
Tim took over. “After an hour break for lunch, we’ll start the carnival at one. Our Fairfax High Band will march on to the field as soon as the gates are open and lead the first people in. They’ll pay a reasonable fee to enter. There’ll be a barrel near the entrance for donations. Throughout the day, the band can march through the crowd playing. Around two thirty the K 9 dogs will give a demonstration and the officers will answer questions. A section will be set aside for the service dogs to do as they please. They may decide to demonstrate or just hand out brochures. Tell everyone to ask a runner to tell the announcer when they’re ready to perform so the public can be informed over the speakers. Around three thirty the Irish dancers will perform and at three forty-five the bagpipers will perform. There will be at least one student and one parent, or adult, at each booth and each activity. The football and basketball teams have agreed to be runners and take notices around. Everyone will work in two hour shifts.”
“What about trash on the field?”
“The Glee Club has volunteered to set up trash barrels and to patrol the grounds as well as help us clean up afterwards.”
“Our Safety Patrol will walk the grounds and help to keep order. The city police will come by at different times, but I hope we won’t need them. Our Home Economics classes have volunteered to take charge of the food booths. Hopefully we’ll have enough donated until we won’t have to buy much. Two different pizza restaurants have donated twelve pizzas each and the Burger King has sent us more than one hundred coupons for free variety plates,” Jacob announced with pride and glee. “We’ll ask other fast food places to donate what they can.”
Marshall was his usual exuberant self when he heard the plans. “Dad, can we go? I want to see everything.”
“We’ll talk abut it with your mother and make a decision as a family.”
“Hey everybody. I’ve had three letters from Anna and one each from Dede and Janell. Mom says I’m poplar with the girls.”
“Son, the word is popular. My popular son.”
“Why don’t we get dates and go ice skating tonight?” Mark suggested. “We’ll soon be too busy to do anything.”
“Sounds good to me. Why don’t we meet at the Pizza Mart and eat before we skate,” Tim said.
Alex was at the ice rink with a rowdy group. They were skating fast and cutting around people and in and out, almost causing some adults to fall. Alex laughed at Mark and Doris for waltzing on skates.
“I think they’re pretty good,” one of Alex’s friends said.
“You don’t know anything, clown.” Alex laughed loudly and skated backward trying to do jumps and twirls. He finally fell and rolled on the ice, still laughing manically.
Tom looked on grimly. “We’d better get the girls out of her and take them home safely. Let’s don’t let on to Alex that he’s bothering us or that we’re leaving. What a waste. He’s always been a straight A student and now he barely gets by and is failing. He’s now on suspension.”
For the big Saturday, the day was beautiful, sunny and just cool enough to feel good. The planning committee met early to check on lights, microphones, outside speakers, flowers, stage decorations and booths.
“What great talent are your parents planning to display?” Mark asked.
The twins shrugged. “You know as much as we do,” Tim answered.
“Look at that crowd in the auditorium,” Dories exclaimed as she peeped through the curtains. At a donation of three dollars each, we ought to make a good sum. Eight hundred fifty can be seated and it looks like a full house. Look. Some boys are bringing in folding chairs and lining them at the back and down the side aisles.”
“Close your mouth, Tom. You might catch more flies than you expect,” Herb laughed at his son’s stunned expression. Herb was wearing a big, fuzzy coat and what was known as a zoot suit. Irene was wearing a silver dress of tiny beads with three long pearl necklaces. She had a hat called a cloche and chunky shoes that were worn in the nineteen twenties.
“What in the world?”Tim muttered as if he didn’t know whether to greet them or pretend he didn’t know them.
At that moment Herb and Irene’s names were called and they ran on stage with some lively Charleston music. Herb threw off his coat and he and Irene started dancing a rousing Charleston. The audience went wild. The twins were both pleased and embarrassed.
Jimmy Dodd hid in a corner when his parents ran on stage dressed as they had in high school. Rita was in a poodle skirt with a white sweater and oxfords. They did a lively jitterbug. There was a gasp when Darrel leaned over and let Rits roll over his back and land on the floor on the other side of him while he reached for her and pulled her through his legs from back to front.
A fourteen year old girl, from Woodlawn High, won the dance trophy for her impressionist ballet danced to ‘America the Beautiful’. A black youth, from Oakton, won the instrumental trophy for his violin solo. Twin girls won the singing for dressing as bums and singing and dancing ’Side By Side’. A Fairfax City policeman won the miscellaneous category for juggling knives and other objects.
“Wow! Even taking off the few expenses we had, we made one thousand nine hundred fifty-five dollars for the talent show.” Tom punched the air.
“Marshall, my man!” Tim called as he got up from his lunch table and pretended to dance over to Marshall and his parents. He spun Marshall’s chair around and pretended they were dancing. Tim asked permission to take Marshall over to introduce him to other students. Before his parents could answer, Marshall said, “Sure. Me’n Chuckles would like to meet your friends.”
“Chuckles and I,” Tim corrected.
“Can’t I go?” Marshall pouted.
His father waved a hand in the air. “Take him if you can stand it.” He knew Tim would take good care of Marshall.
“Hi, gang. This is my pal, Marshall, that Tom and I have told you about. He’s our favorite new friend.”
Marshall beamed. “Everybody come meet my buddy. His name is Chuckles and he’s the bestest friend in the world.” He gloried in the attention and was upset when everyone had to get back to work.
Tom eased over. “Tim, isn’t he getting too excited?”
“Yeah, he looks awfully pale and tired,” Mark whispered.
“Marshall, we have to go to work, so I’m going to take you back to your parents. See, they’re over there with my parents.” Chuckles looked worried because Tim pushed the chair and the dog only walked beside them.
Sharlene looked at her son and sucked in a breath. “We need to get home.
Thank you for giving my little man a good time.”
“Mom,” he whined. “Can’t we stay for the carnival? It isn’t fair.”
“There’s nothing you’ll miss at first. Let’s take Chuckles home so he can rest and we’ll come back to watch the K-9 dogs.”
“I guess that’s okay. Besides Chuckles might get jealous if he thought I might like those other dogs.” Marshall’s head was wobbling and he could hardly hold it up.
Irene and Herb had agreed to meet Marshall and his parents at the K-9 area. The two couples enjoyed walking around and seeing everything. Marshall was thrilled when a policeman hid a knotted rope in his wheelchair and one of the K-9 dogs found it. He was extra thrilled when Marti held his hand and told him that he would be famous and everyone would always remember him.
Irene and Sharlene were walking together. Sharlene was worried. “Marshall gets tired more easily, but he’s a little trooper. He did take a nap when we went home. I can’t keep from worrying.”
“It’s been exciting for him. This is something unusual even for the students here at the school. If you need to leave, Sharlene, we’ll understand, but we must get together soon.” Irene hugged Sharlene.
“Promise me that you’ll tell Tom and Tim that I loved everything,” Marshall told Herb with a hug. Herb had been carrying him and now carefully placed him in the wheelchair.
“I promise. They’ll be seeing you soon and you can talk about everything with them. So long.”