The Ridge Farm Summer

Starry, Starry Night

It was pitch dark around the pool. The late night crickets chirped in the nearby bushes. The lapping of the water intertwined with the hum of the farm at night. The lights in the pool cast an eerie and pale glow in the water, which created such harmony against the moonless night.

 2:00 in the mornin’. It was quite late. Roger and I had been the first ones to go to bed, which was quite surprising because we usually stayed up late. But we had each had five margaritas and were ready to call it a night. John and Veronica were shortly behind us, going to bed about a half-hour after we did. The only reason I knew that was because Roger and I heard John fall up the steps. Brian and Chrisse had gone to bed after John and Veronica. The only reason I knew that? Well, we shared a wall, as they were in the room beside us…and Roger and I had already been woken…twice.

 Freddie and Mary were still up. They were the only ones. Even Greg, Norma and Vivienne were long since asleep at this point. Poker and taco night had gone something like this: Freddie won the first hand and so John pushed him into the pool. Roger won the second hand and so Vivienne, already being drunk off three margaritas, threw her arms around him and told him she would 'so sleep with him'. John won the third hand and Freddie pushed him into the pool. Mary won two hands and she and I celebrated by pouring more margaritas. Brian won the next three hands and…well, that’s about the time he and Chrissie went to bed….taking the pitcher of margaritas with them.

 Now, in the silence of the night Freddie and Mary were relaxed in the pool. Freddie was resting his hands and arms on a float, leaned over slightly on it. “Oh my goodness! Look, Mary! A barn cat! Oh, isn’t that just wonderful!” Freddie let go of the float and paddled himself over to the edge of the pool to do his best to coerce the cat to come to him. Mary laughed.

 “Oh! Freddie! Please! Leave that thing alone! You have no idea where he’s been!” Mary cautioned him as she swam toward the float Freddie had left behind.

 “I know where he’s been! On a farm!” Freddie said still trying to get the cat to come see him. He had been successful.

 “Well, he is pretty cute.” Mary said grabbing on to the float and resting her elbows on the side of it as Freddie had done.

 “I want at least four of these!” Freddie said, grinning all over and looking at Mary. She laughed at him.

 “Freddie!” she sighed. “Well, if that’s what you want, that’s just alright.” Freddie was petting it sweetly, as Mary had expected he would.

 “Mary! He just loves me!” Freddie said, more than pleased with himself as he turned around and looked at Mary.

 “I’m sure all cats would.” Mary told him as she floated around on the edge of the float. Freddie was overjoyed at the fact that the cat started purring at him. Mary looked up to moonless sky, stars dotted around sporadically. She breathed in deeply and closed her eyes as she exhaled. Freddie was still infatuated with the cat as she tiled her head back into the water up to her ears. Mary opened up her eyes again and stared at the sky as Freddie continued to dote over the cat. The pool was so peaceful tonight. Freddie fawned all over that cat until it decided it had had enough and slowly walked away from him. Once it had decided to groom itself near the lounger away from the edge of the pool, Freddie swam back over to Mary and did as she; resting his elbows on the edge of the float. Mary pulled her head up out of the water and was now positioned across from Freddie. She smiled.