Autumn Equinox
( @adventurepunks )
“Alrite th’ lot o’ yeh, out, out out!” John shooed his brood with a dramatic swing of the front door.
“Wrong shoes, Jimi, wear yeh crocs please aye. Crocs! Dun ferget yeh bag me darlin’. Dames? Lanterns, Dames!”
Just three hours ago they were all crammed together in their little kitchen in Camden, rolling dough and pressing paste into moulds to make snowskin mooncakes for the Moon Festival at Chiswick House Gardens. They left the place in a mess for poor Talia to clean up because they were running late and Jimi still had flour all over his nose!
“Atch, come ‘ere lad. Look at th’ state o’ yeh,” John grabbed his son and wiped that floury face up with his handkerchief, tutting and giving Alexis a pointed look because she was the one who was leaving flour prints everywhere, her brothers included!
“Alrite, is a bit o’ a crowd, yeh monkeys. Follow yeh big brovah ‘n if yeh git lost in th’ dark, wait fer me at th’ dragon lantern up front, alrite?”
There were families everywhere looking at the colourful lanterns on display and admiring the full moon whilst picnicking.
The weekend prior had been dedicated to making paper lanterns for the procession, and John was feeling about his pockets for his Zippo to light the candles for his kids, “Atch, where did I puts tha’ soddin’ fing...”
Aha!
“Dere, ‘ere we go, alrite. Alexis, where’s yeh lantern? JIMI DUN RUN! WALK!”
“Soz Da!” Said Jimi who was almost about to sprint off with his Snorlax lantern when Da yelled for him to slow down. Fine, fine but he marched on the spot because he couldn’t wait to run off and join the rest of the kids so that he could SHOW OFF.
“COR ‘URRY UP CECE, ‘URRY UP DAMES LOOK TH’ LINE IS GITTIN’ LONGER!”
“Patience, Jimi. Patience is a virtue-” John put his palm onto Jimi’s crown and pressed it down as if it were a large pause button just to keep the spritely boy there whilst he lit up their lanterns.
“Alrite, alrite. Dun lose sight o’ each ova please, or Da will be cross wif yeh.”
NOW they can go, and NOW he can have a breather.