Writer's group assignment for August

 August 20, 2020 – My writer’s group assignment for August.

 Story with an unexpected twist.

I have a re-occurring dream . . . let me share it with you. 

     

         The occasion is a surprise birthday party given in my honor at an elegant home.  I am sitting at the formal dining table, that was adorned with flowers and crystal, having just finished a sumptuous meal.

          The host, Teddy, leaned in close to whisper to me with twinkling eyes and a mischievous smile playing on his lips.

          “Are you a good sport?”

          Not knowing him well enough, I am not sure what he is asking of me.  I bite my lip and hesitate.

          Teddy grins and tips his head to one side waiting for my answer.

          “I – I guess so.”

          “Good,” he claps his hands and rises from his chair, pulling me by my hand.  A dozen or more guests, male and female, both young and old silently trail behind us. 

          A moment later, we are standing in the marble-floored hall at the foot of a wide, sweeping staircase that rises toward a second story ceiling of carved swirls and roses. The space is bright and open and every noise causes a soft rippling echo.

          The glowing wood banister is wide and smooth sweeping outward at the bottom in a curled circle. Midway up the staircase is Godfrey, the butler, who beckons to me.

          “Go on,” my host says and I hesitantly walk up the staircase, my fingertips lightly skimming the shiny banister.  As I join the butler, he climbs higher and I follow him.  Near the top of the staircase, we stop and I glance back over my shoulder, the dinner guests are scattered in a semi-circle below with smiling, expectant faces.

          What have I gotten myself into?

          “We have a birthday tradition here at Vandervere, the honoree slides down the bannister into her next year,” says Godfrey who turns to me with a warm smile.

          I lean over the bannister and assess the distance of the drop to the shiny, hard marble floor letting out a soft, “Ah,” thinking, I’d like to see my next year, not die with a splat today.

          I prudently step down several steps, Godfrey follows.  A stifled chuckle comes from the gallery below.

          In quiet tones, Godfrey shows me how to perch on one haunch on the railing with a bent knee, the other leg standing on the stair tread.

          “Use your arms for balance. When you are ready, tuck back your standing foot. Teddy will catch you and set you safely on your feet.”  He rose and added, “Here, try it before I put the wool throw around you.”

          I raised half my buttocks onto the railing, putting my arms out for balance and keeping one foot solidly on the tread as Godfrey leaned against the bannister in front of me checking any downward movement.  My adrenaline kicked in making me almost breathless.

          I nodded satisfaction and whispered, “The objective is to not pitch myself over the edge to my certain death?” 

          He chuckled, “Let me wrap this around you.”

          I stood and he wrapped the large plaid square of black and navy wool around my waist and tied the ends into a knot.  He leaned on the bannister below me again as I settled myself into a sidesaddle position.

          Godfrey whispered one last caution, “Keep your foot tucked back until he catches you.”

          With my arms circled up and out for balance, I looked down at the faces waiting and noticed the gents were spaced all along the bannister as a human safety net.

          I pressed on a wide smile. When Godfrey asked, “Ready,” I merely nodded and he stepped back.  In a flash of seconds, my arms were about Teddy’s neck who caught me, twirled me around, and set me down safely.

          “Bravo,” and “Well done,” instantly followed by applause and an ear-piercing whistle.

          I stood laughing as Teddy knelt struggling to untie the knot. The haunting sensation of flying through the air made my knees weak. 

          Rising up with the bunched up wool throw Teddy asked,

          “Ready to go again?”

          “Maybe next year, from the top.”

          I heard someone ask, “Did you catch it on video?”

          “Yeah, I got it,” - “I got it too.”

          I shouted, “I want to see it,” as we all returned boisterously to the dining room.

          A huge cake arrived, the lights dimmed, and candles were lighted, one by one.

          Teddy leaned in with me to watch the video, “Perfect, look at your smile, such ballerina grace.”

          He called out to the guests loudly, “She scored a perfect ten, didn’t she?”

          “Thump, thump, thump,” resounded from the guests’ knuckles in unison on the dining room table.

          “Make a wish,” Teddy urged.

          I could hardly catch a deep enough breath.  I exhaled to blow out the candles starting at one side, then the other, the last candle dies out. Small swirling streams of smoke rise from the wicks.

          Oh, I’d forgotten to wish, will it count if I make it now?

          Tasting the rich buttery frosting - utter perfection - my thoughts drift to gravity and velocity, or is it speed and gravity makes velocity . . . I’ve forgotten how that works . . .