Previous Challenge Entry (Level 3 - Advanced)
Topic: FIZZLE (06/09/16)
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TITLE: Divine Intervention | Previous Challenge Entry
By Francie Snell
06/15/16 -
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***
"I want hot dogs on my night, Gamma," Mandy requested over the phone the week before.
"Over the camp fire?"
"Yah Gamma, in the fire with sticks and marshmallows, she squealed."
“Oh, Mandy.” Lizzie chuckled. “Hot dogs and marshmallows it is."
***
The cabin had been reserved 6 months in advance, for shortly after the snow melt when the fish would be biting. Lizzie pictured the lake with the early morning mist hovering just above the surface of the water. And in the evenings, the song of the whip-poor-will echoed through the trees. Maybe I’ll get up early before the kids this time and do some fishing of my own. She mused. Butter and lemon on fresh trout… yummm.
Lizzie peeked through the kitchen window to catch a glimpse of Charlie outside on the patio stringing fishing line onto one of the fishing poles. She slid open the window over the sink and cleared her throat. "God willing, we'll be catching fish this time tomorrow. You sure you got all the tackle, old man?"
Charlie nodded with a boyish grin. "Oh yeah, and then some: rubber worms, power bait, flash lures, gigs… yep. I think I got everything."
“Bubbles and flies?”
He chuckled. “Yep, got your bubbles and flies Liz.”
"You bought the kids life jackets, right?"
"Yeah, remember? They were on sale when we went on our shopping spree at Big Bob's Outdoor World …remember?"
"Oh yeah." Slightly embarrassed, she giggled. "Oh, I'm so excited I forgot. What time are the kids flying in again?”
Charlie huffed. “For the umpteenth time girl, they’re on flight two-twenty-seven, arriving at 6:45am."
Lizzie reminisced how the kids loved hiking the trail around the lake the year before, except for Mandy. Mandy held her arms up and cried to be carried after waddling a short distance. “Gamma, up! Pick-me-up!” The two mile trek turned out to be more than Lizzie expected, carrying the three year old on her back. That night the kids were early to bed and slept until late the next morning. Everyone gulped down their food when Lizzie finally got breakfast on the table.
***
When evening came the van was packed and ready to go for the next day. The phone rang. It was John. "Mom,” he said taking a deep breath, “You're not going to believe what happened, but I have some REALLY BAD NEWS.”
“What is it John?”
“Mom, I just broke my leg and I'm in the hospital. They said I have a spiral fracture and need to be in traction a few days.”
Lizzie gasped. "Oh, John, what happened?"
“I really don't know for sure, it's hard to explain; I was packing the car for the trip and somehow twisted my leg and heard a pop. Hurt like heck. I'm ok, but we won't be able to make the trip tomorrow. I feel awful; we were so excited about going to the cabin with you and Dad. Laura and the kids are heartbroken. I am so sorry.
After they talked, she hung up the phone and burst into tears. “Charlie, John just broke his leg and is in the hospital!”
Charlie ran into the kitchen. “What happened?”
Shaking her head, she sobbed as she repeated the information. “Oh Charlie, this is terrible. We've planned this trip for so long, and now this has to happen. This is so disappointing."
Charlie wrapped his arms around Lizzie and kissed her on the forehead. "Don't you fret girl. Things happen for a reason. We need to be grateful John's okay. Who knows why the good Lord lets things like this happen; maybe this just wasn’t meant to be."
She buried her face in his chest and sniffled. “Oh, I don’t know Charlie. I guess.”
***
The next morning Charlie reached over and flicked on the radio setting on the bedside table. The announcer solemnly spoke. "It’s been reported that flight two-twenty-seven, scheduled to arrive at 6:45am, collided in mid-air with another aircraft. There were no survivors.”
Charlie gasped. “Lizzie. That could have been our kids!”
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