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As if Finding Pirate’s
Treasure Wasn’t Enough  The flickering flames that have been lighting the scene are coming from the rear of the fuselage where the engines appear to still be firing. Bright orange-red flames and thick smoke pour from each rocket funnel. An eerie reverberating noise emanates from within the craft. Looking through the clear domed bubble on top of the machine; the party sees destroyed circuitry, flashing lights, and an alien dashboard complicated with multi colored lights and switches. In the center of the dashboard is a display screen showing an image of Earth from space.  Jack, our 5 year old, wants nothing to do with the wreckage. Taking the route of prudence he asks to go home. Will and Clare are excited and curious but remain cautious. Taking Jack into my arms I lean my head into his ear and begin whispering my secret to him.  "Jack", I said, "there is nothing to be afraid of, Mommy and Daddy are here and you are safe." He's unconvinced. I give him a little squeeze and continue. "You know how we like to go on adventures together right?" Without taking his eyes off the frightening sight in front of him Jack nods his head. "Well this time", I said, "I've brought the adventure to you." I went on to quickly tell him the whole story and end it by saying that now he and I can play this trick on Will and Clare. Jack flashes me a wicked smile – now he is my ally and he possesses knowledge shared by less than half of the other partygoers. The wreck is a fake.  Still holding Jacks tiny hand I stand up and hear someone say, "Should we call 911?" Knowing that I have already broken half a dozen city ordinances I quickly run over and quiet the well meaning person. The road flares have now begun to set fire the wooden structure inside of the metal shell. I remove the clear bubble dome in order to throw in sand and extinguish the flames. Sensing now that there is no danger Will and Clare move close enough to peer into the cockpit. "Look, there’s computer parts", gestures Will while carefully peering over the edge and shining a flashlight. Clare and Jack lend their lights to help illuminate the broken parts. All eyes scan the interior and settle on the dashboard.  Jack has forgotten his secret and is drawn back into the fantasy. "Will! Look it’s a planet!" he yells pointing toward the dashboard with a picture of Earth lit from behind. For the next 15 minutes we bravely examine the crash site as the crowd slowly disperses into the night. Finally as the excitement begins to fade I tell the kids that that we've staged this adventure for them. Armed with this new knowledge they bolster their courage and begin to strip the spaceship faster than the Air Force at Roswell, New Mexico. Our debris field started out as old water heater mixed with spare parts from a vacuum cleaner and a 1977 Ford Granada. We dressed it up further with a bunch of glow sticks and some road flares to create our crashed UFO. Don, Sam and I half buried the shell in the sand and did some final dressing. About a minute before the crowd showed up I lit the flares which signaled the beginning of the spectacle. Strangers walking by on the beach went home to get their kids, (and probably their cameras). The final footnote to this story is what Jack said when he got home. My in-laws asked my precocious 5 year-old about the experience. In typical Jack fashion he said, "They wasted my time. I could have been playing instead." It takes a lot to impress that kid. Billo ----------------- |
