Today's #flashfiction Edward's Fireworks

“The reports of my death have been greatly exaggerated.”

Elvis Presley* #quote

Happy fourth of July everyone! And happy fifth and sixth and seventh! Everyday should be joyous right? Anyway onto the flash fiction!

Edward's Fireworks

         Little six-year-old Edward's house laid on the far edge of the city behind a hill. The fireworks of Independence Day could barely be seen let alone heard. For the first five years of his life, since his single mother died in child birth, he never saw the fireworks show since his grandmother didn't care for fireworks and merely spent the day playing with the boy until she tucked him into his race car bed.

        On the sixth year of Edward's life the grandmother remembered the fireworks while she played checkers on the day off from work with him. Edward wore that obnoxious tie-dye shirt he fell in love with at the store, that burst of color reminded her of fireworks. The grandmother covered the house with dull colors in her decorations and furniture choice, dark brown being one of the brightest colors used in her palette. With a dull home she hardly remembered fireworks but as she played the game and couldn't take her eyes off it, her mind had to think of them.

She decided end the checkers game and take Edward into the city in her old truck. Edward was initially confused, as they always stayed out of town on a holiday. There wasn't school or an errand.          His grandmother merely told him that they were going into the city to see a show, however he didn't quite understand since all shows were on television.

       They eventually arrived at a park. The grandmother took her grandson and climbed into the back of the truck with him, and turned his head to the night sky so the stars reflected in his eyes. She bothered driving them all the way out there so she figured she should go through the effort of using her old bones and muscles to get the boy a good view.

        In a few seconds the booming began. She looked at her watch. She timed getting to the show well. So now she just needed to wait through the thing to get back to her nice sullen house with its deep colors and read a good book.

      “Wow...” Edward said with what little breath he had while the excitement of watching the show filled him. When she heard this the grandmother looked up and the fireworks absorbed her. When she thought about it, she couldn't remember the last time she watched a fireworks show. These bursts of color, stronger than any she'd seen in a long time, made her eyes fill up. She hugged Edward close and they watched the show deep into the night.

     The next day she bought flowers to brighten up her home with more colors and soon she remembered why she never decorated her home with anything in the first place. A discarded paint set lay in the back of her garage. She opened it once again and painted some fireworks.