Chapter 5 Dressing up the Guests Art: It was time for the real work to start. It took both of us working together five days to complete the grueling task of connecting and dressing two skeletons and one partially decomposed body. Yes, it did smell a little ripe. Pappy’s attire consisted of his best cap, bibs, and a flannel shirt. We fitted Grammy’s rotted body with her yellow Easter dress and fixed her hair, aah somewhat. As for Arlene, we did what we could. We spritzed honeysuckle on her…then wrapped one of Grammy’s scarfs about her neck and painted her nails. But, I must say when it was inlaid, well; I think it all came together rather nicely. “I can’t believe that I’m doing this, you know, desecrating corpses?” So, anyway, in the middle of the table, we placed a large spray of Grammy’s favorite flowers, mums, ferns and geraniums, arranged in her favorite blue vase, which sat for many years on top of the GE fridge. That helped diminish most of the stench, at least for the time being… Suddenly, I hear Arlene, sniffling… Grammy blurts out, “Arlene, what’s wrong now?” In a whimpering tone, “I can’t find my ring finger, who has my finger?” Looking sternly at Pappy! “Hey toots, I aint gots any of your bones!” “Daddy you do, it’s right there, under my clump of hair, I see it sticking out!” She starts sobbing. Bob: “Oh great, just what we need! Our first family squabble in fifty- two years; all over a finger. I think what happened; Artie, you tell her…” “Aah yeah, I guess…. that I might have misplaced, or, forgot to attach your hair and finger, and I’m sorry, ok?” Bob: “Thanks Artie well stated. Now, let’s all look up, over here, I’m taking our picture… Mom, Mom, can you please try to smile? Okay, hold that death look…” click. I have a selfie with the five of us. I’ll post it on Facebook tonight, with the caption, “guess who is coming to dinner?” Alright, I know, someone is losing their head, another one blinked! But hey, I think our friends will agree we stand pat as a complete family. Art: Bob seems pretty content; he hasn’t punched a door in ages. In a sense, he seems quite happy. We all sit at the kitchen table for each meal hashing over bits and pieces of long-forgotten repose. The guests, as I call them; eat rather small portions. I don’t like to see food wasted, so I sneak their left-over bites up to my room. I don’t think Bob knows or cares. He is satisfied just to have his family back together. We all rise early each morning and join at the kitchen table to eat breakfast. Then one day Pappy says, “Hey it’s Saturday! Who wants to go to the auction with me?” Art: Boy, I remember those days. I said, “let''s square up, I’m ready to go.” Bob, as usual, had already sprinted from the house to the old 1965 Scout International. He had to use both his hands and his left foot to pull the squeaky passenger door open… sliding onto the seat next to Pappy. But that’s alright; I don’t mind the back seat! “Auctions, yeah!” Pappy always wore out his stay at these farm auctions. Two or three hours, that was long enough for me. Pappy rarely bought anything, if he did; it’s something he already had, but just couldn’t find. I could tell that Bob was ready to head home; he seemed antsy, besides it was getting late and Pappy can’t see to drive at night. Later when we pulled into the driveway, Bob jumps out, I guess forgetting that it was a high step; he tripped skinning his left knee on the gravel, funny, earlier I had noticed an old scar in the exact same spot. Grammy is the prankster in our family now. One day Bob and I came into the kitchen; Grammy says, “Hey you guys; I just baked an angel food cake, would you like a slice?” “We sure would,” I replied. But after turning the kitchen upside down… well, we never found it. I don’t know what the story was behind that; it was a good prank on us I guess?