We look forward to a neighborhood picnic on a warm, sunny day. To enjoy good food and interesting conversation with friends and neighbors is something we appreciate.

But what happens when the “children” aren’t invited? This becomes evident in . . . 

A Picnic To Remember

     It was a beautiful day for a picnic, sunny and warm. Rosa entered the kitchen and stared at George.

     “George, if you don’t get a move on, we’re going to be late.”

     “Okay, okay, I’m coming. Wish we could bring the kids. You know how they like playing in the park.”

     “But they weren’t invited. Remember, at last year’s event, when they destroyed the Lindquist’s picnic basket, they ruined their chances for any future invitations.”

     “Yeah, and then Sam Lindquist dug into our food, as if he hadn’t eaten in a week.”

     “The way he eats, it was more like a year, George. He didn’t leave anything for us.”

     “Okay, I got the chairs, two cokes, and two Bud Light beers. That should do it, if you have the food, honey.”

     “All ready to go, George.”

     George and Rosa loaded their Toyota RAV4. Rosa crawled into the passenger seat and George rolled into the driver’s seat. He was a miserable passenger, so he’d grab the steering wheel whenever they went somewhere together. As they drove down Marshall Avenue and turned onto Augusta Street, George looked at Rosa with a weird expression on his face.

     “What’s wrong, dear?” she asked.

     “You sure we have everything? Did we lock up the house? And the kids?” . . .

     “George, you worry too much. Cousin Kathryn said she would drop by and check on them. Let’s just go to the picnic and enjoy ourselves. All the neighbors will be there.”

     “Are the Lindquist’s invited?”

     “Yes, our whole neighborhood is invited. But why do you ask?”

     “Maybe we should have brought more food.”

     “Come on, George. That was last year. The kids won’t be there today to get into their food basket. Everything will be fine.”

     They pulled into the parking lot at Grafton Regional Park, a luscious tree-filled place with the greenest grass you’ve ever seen. It was a special spot, in which to relax and have a good time. They unloaded the car and carried their chairs, food, and drinks to the beautiful east end tented picnic area, as indicated in the invitation. They set up the chairs around one of the six-foot tables provided by the park, left the food and drinks next to the chairs, and walked about sixty feet from the picnic area to join their neighbors under the oak trees. This was going to be a wonderful day.

     Back at home, Max gave Lucy a thoughtful look. And she seemed to know exactly what it meant. We’ve been left out of a great spring party and that’s wrong. Just because we caused a little trouble last year is no reason to keep us from going this year.

     Lucy shook her head from side to side and then pointed to the front door of the three-bedroom ranch house they shared with their mom and dad. The door had been left open.

     Max thought about the situation for a moment. Dad probably forgot to close it again. Yes, again. He’s done it many times before. Then he turned and headed for the door, as Lucy followed. They both knew what they had to do. Since the park was only a mile away, they would be there in no time.   
     As the two youngsters made their way down Marshall Avenue, they noticed Jasmine and her brother, Gus, playing alone on the front lawn of their home. Four sets of eyes met. Max and Lucy nodded their heads indicating they wanted Jasmine and Gus to follow them. And so the parade to the park began.

     By the time they reached Grafton Avenue, Max and Lucy, had attracted the attention of four more of their best friends. Running and jumping and very excited about what awaited them at the picnic, the eight pals entered the open park gate and headed toward the tent-covered eating area. The thought of what they might find there—delicious food—was a lure they couldn’t resist.   

     As the neighbors socialized, they heard strange noises coming from the tent area. George looked at Rosa and asked, “Do you hear that?”

     “Yeah. What do you think it is?” Rosa inquired.

     “I don’t know. Maybe I should go and see.”

     Before Rosa could respond, “Sam Lindquist yelled, “I’ve got this. I’ll go check.”

      And so he headed toward the picnic area to investigate. Arriving there, he let out a horrible scream, “Oh, my god, they’ve got my food again.” The others jolted by Sam’s yelling, raced toward him to see what had happened.

     To their amazement, eight dogs—two cocker spaniels, two schnauzers, two beagles, and two Pomeranians—yelped, played, and enjoyed the food they had discovered. Empty baskets and paper bags covered the area. The dogs seemed to be dancing. The neighbors couldn’t believe their eyes. At least for the “children,” this was the best spring picnic ever.

Copyright © 2020 Alan Lowe. All rights reserved.