The Art Show

Del, Mac, Cheese, and Roe walked back from the recycling center in the soggy ditch next to the road. Each of them had a small pocket full of money from recycling cans. They had had an exciting trip, a new couple had moved into a trailer down the road from the recycling center, and were volunteering there when they arrived, their yard had been a source of fascination on the way, filled with bright recycled metal sculptures, and whirligigs, and murals and fences and boulders. When the man, Rye, told Mac and Roe that that was actually where he and Io lived, the Del jumped in with lots of questions about their art. Io smiled, “I’m sure you can make some just as wonderful. We taught ourselves how to make our art.”

As Del and Mac placed cans into the correct recycling containers, and Roe played with Cheese and a stick, the three discussed what kinds of things they could try making an art project with. “We should do something special for one of Mac’s zines, like a giant painting or something.” said Roe. Del nodded, maybe we could each make one of the pages something different and then bring them back together. Mac grinned happily, “I’ll choose one of my favorites! You all are great friends!”, and hugged Roe. “Lets surprise eachother and not show eachother the ones we work on until they’re finished!” Del said and they joined the hug with Cheese wiggling over too.

Potluck

The sun streamed in through the curtains faintly as the wind up clock Del got at their cousin’s yard sale went off at 6 am. They got up, stretching, pj pants loosely dragging under heel on the linoleum as they walked into the dinette kitchen to make themselves some Farina for breakfast with some milk from the goat down the road mixed in and some herb flowers from the garden on top. While they were cooking, a knock came at the screen door and Roe’s face appeared. “You want some breakfast?” Del asked over their shoulder. “Sure, thanks!” replied Roe and came inside quickly without banging the screen door closed. Del put two bowls of warm mush on the table. “Did you get those pallet boards from behind the feed store?” Roe nodded, “a couple different sizes.” He said between bites. Del smiled, “I found some old cans of paint and a jar of nails and screws out in the shed that should work too. Is it still ok if we use your brothers tools?” Roe nodded, “he said we can use his work bench and the hand tools just not any power tools today.”

The two washed up dishes after breakfast quickly and loaded the boards, paint, jars, as well as other odds and ends into a box to carry down the street to a small shed, painted bright lime green, teal and blue, with calendula growing out front and a couple of shovels and bails of chicken wire hanging outside. Roe pulled a key from his pocket and unlocked the padlock on the double doors to reveal a nice large table, and lots of hammers, saws, measuring equipment, and various other tools for building all kinds of things. Wood, metal, cement and whatever other things people Roe’s brother knew could think up to use were there. Del sighed in the smell of dusty pine and set down the box of boards, rifling inside for a piece of paper.

“Ok, so here’s a design I drew of what we could make Mac for his birthday.” They looked at the drawing carefully, labeled in pencil on the back of a paper bag with measurements, where to cut, and other important considerations. Roe lay the paper down on the table carefully, then got out a piece of wood from the box, retrieving a measuring tape from the wall, carefully checking the paper as he measured and marking the board with a thick pencil.

Del selected a couple of hand saws from the peg board wall and they set to work together, squaring lines, marking edges, cutting at angles, and double checking their plan. After a couple of hours they were ready to paint. Del had found a can of white and a can of black they could use and they gathered the brushes and some cloths to cover the table while they painted.

When they finished the second coat and had cleaned up in the utility sink, they say in the railroad ties making up the garden together, drinking some water from old jars. “I think it turned out good, you think he’ll like it?” Del inquired as they looked back in the dusty shop. “Yeah, I think it turned out really good!” Roe said smiling. “Come on, let’s get everything wrapped up and over to Gina’s for the party.” Del said, pulling out some comics they had saved from the newspaper and some tape from the box. “You start wrapping that, I just remembered something in the house, hang on I’ll be right back!” and Roe dashed off as Del wrestled their creation into the newsprint. As the final strip of tape went on Row reappeared with a small Tupperware. “Check it out, my brother and grandma made Cheese something also, since he was born on Mac’s birthday and it’s his birthday too!” Inside the Tupperware was a silly dog sized bowtie and some homemade dog treats. They wrapped those in newsprint also and headed over to Gina’s.

As they came down the alley to Gina’s house they saw her starting up the grill, with lots of fruits and vegetables on skewers, a tasty smelling homemade sauce, and her boom box outside playing some fun music with trumpets and a beat the younger neighborhood kids were dancing to. “Hey Gina!” Del called as they held up one of the gifts, “where should we put gifts?” Gina nodded to a little card table with plates, lemonade, cake and some balloons “Just over there is good” she said. “Need any help with anything?” Roe asked as he put the package on the table. Gina looked around a little, “You two ready to run down and get Mac and Cheese? It’s not really a surprise party, but it’s sort of a surprise and I didn’t tell them when to get here” she said laughing. “Race you!” Roe said and took off ahead of Del, with Del’s long frame keeping them close behind. They both got to Cheese’s doghouse at the same time, and knocked on Mac’s door. A neighbor laughed behind them and they jumped, startled, turning to see Gina’s cousin across the street with a large side salad she was bringing from out of the fridge. “You two are funny, running so fast you didn’t see the other two running down the side street over there in the other direction. They’re over at the party already.”

They took off running again, back to the party, tackle hugging Mac from behind when they got close enough. “Happy birthday Mac!! And you too Cheese!’ They pulled the little dog in for a wiggly slightly stinky hug.

The evening went on, Cheese chased the soccer ball with various kids and cousins, the boom box was moved around so people could dance, and sing their favorite songs, stars came out as it got dark, and people started working their way through cake even though they were full from salads and salsas and kebabs and hot dogs and all kinds of other delicious food. Mac balanced a pile of cake on a small plate on his knees and fumbled with the newspaper wrapping of a gift. The Tupperware appeared and he opened it revealing the bowtie and dog treats. “They’re for Cheese’s birthday.” Del explained. “Actually, all the gifts are for Cheese, he just needs your help since he doesn’t have hands.” Roe joked. Mac rolled his eyes and opened the next gift, revealing a beautifully painted mini book case. “It’s for your zines and comics you make” Del said. “We really like all your art and we thought it would be cool for you to have a spot for them.” Gina was standing nearby, “That’s so funny y’all I was having the same thought, we must be on the same wavelength.” She handed a small gift bag to Mac. The gift bag was from the convenience store where she worked; inside were a bottle of nail polish labeled “for Cheese’s handsome little nails” and a box of colored pencils, some ink pens, Sharpies, and a package of looseleaf paper with a note that said “I always enjoy reading your comic books and magazines you make, I hope you make as many as you want”. Mac teared up, hugging his art supplies.

Thank you. This is such a great birthday. Let’s give Cheese one of his treats.