Night Fever

Just another Friday night in Brit-Wales.

Everyone is out doing something. Aisha has drafted her friends for more volunteer work. Lewis stood in her doorway with her head tilted.

“Whot?” she asked. Aisha pressed her hands together, smiling.

“I volunteered to help out with choir practice tonight,” she said.

“We?”

“Yes.”

“We?”

“Yes, we.”

“Why?” Lewis tried to close her door, but Aisha stuck her foot inside. The farmer tried in vain to kick it out.

“Don’t you want to do good for the village?” the leader asked.

“No,” Lewis said.

“Why not?”

“I had a long day today and I just want to watch the telly and sleep. Good night.” She just about closed the door when Aisha reached in and grabbed her by the arm.

“Let go!” Lewis shouted as she tried to pull away.

“This will be relaxing to you,” Aisha said. “Muriel and Clyde are already waiting for us at the church. Now come on!” She yanked the farmer out of her house before she had a chance to argue.

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Clover looked out her bedroom window. Things had gotten quiet ever since Liz went to new London for college. The house was much cleaner, however. William was a different matter, however. He still sat around the house and drank all day. Muriel was still a bad influence on him there. But, what could she do?

Clover turned around when she heard a door close down the hall. “William?” She poked her head out in the doorway. The seventeen-year-old girl waited for five seconds before she heard the stumbling and mumbling.

“Coming, uncle!” she shouted. Clover wandered into the hall and down to the living room to tend to her drunken uncle.

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Lewis and Aisha walked up the path to the church. The farmer sighed and rolled her eyes. Why am I doing this? She looked ahead and noticed Muriel and Clyde standing outside, waiting for them. The latter looked like she was chewing on something. Lewis gave her friends a sheepish wave.

“Hi,” she said.

“Did Aisha talk you into this too?” Muriel asked.

“Yep.”

“I’m sorry.”

Aisha clapped her hands. “Okay, now that we are all here, let’s get started!” She had to drag Lewis along with her to the church.

“Clyde, what do you have in your mouth?” she asked. The dirty old biddy turned her head.

“Wha?” she asked. Bits of dark green fell out of her mouth as she spoke. Aisha was quick to put up her hand and look away.

“Never mind,” she said. “Don’t talk with your mouth full. It’s gross.” Clyde shrugged and turned back to the door. Aisha rubbed her forehead.

“We have to work on her,” she muttered to herself.

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Tucker watched Annie as she was on the phone with her mother. He rolled his eyes.

Women, he thought. Why do they talk so much? Tucker never could get along with his mother-in-law. Ever since she first saw him when her daughter brought him home to meet her new boyfriend, the old woman looked for an excuse to fight with him. She nagged him about small details. Nothing he did could ever satisfy her. Still, Tucker had to grin and bear it during family gathering and when she came to visit. If not, Annie would nag him to death when her mother left. Like mother, like daughter—he would have headaches from both ends.

Tucker shook his head and rubbed his forehead. Women, he thought. I just don’t get them. Annie walked into the kitchen and closed the door while still talking on the phone.

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But what’s this? There is a new neighbor in the village. Many people have so many questions about who these people would be. They moved in earlier in the day and spent the rest of it setting up the house. However, we kind of neighbor would they be? Would they keep the peace or bring in more chaos? The residents of Brit-Wales would have to see in the morning.

Yep, just another Friday night in Brit-Wales. Everyone is out doing something.

Keeping the Night Alive