Firecracker

I had no idea it would explode into such a huge ball of radiant colors. I picked it up at the local flea market only because it said it was lonely. Yes, lonely. It was sitting in a corner, surrounded by fake jewelry and wanna-be antiques.

Objects talk to me. I’ve had this gift since I was a child. My parents and everyone else thought this childhood fantasy would pass as I grew older, but with age, this gift has gotten stronger and bolder. So now I only keep it to myself and the lively objects I connect with.

This slender stick of a firecracker felt good in my worn-out pouch that I’ve used for years to carry my finds. This fella was my first find today. Typically, I would continue scouring the aisles and tents but today, something propelled me to cut my trip short and head back home. I felt excited.

I’m not into modern anything. I like rustic, aged, tarnished, and real. My bungalow is at the end of an alley in one of the oldest neighborhoods in town. This neighborhood has character and each house has a story to tell. My neighbors are down-to-earth and honest. They speak their mind and shake hands with their hearts. As I passed neighbors and proud houses, my excitement was increasing. When I reached home, shut the front door, sat on my wicker chair and placed the pouch on the table, I breathed a long and deep sigh of relief.

I slowly and carefully took the fella out of the pouch and held it right in front of my eyes. I’ve seen many firecrackers in my life but this one looked and felt different. After a few minutes of observing it, it began speaking to me. It thanked me for giving it attention. The poor fella had been mistreated, tossed around and mostly ignored. It had counted the days, months and years for someone to pay attention to it, light it up and let it transform into what it’s always meant to become. I immediately realized why I was excited today and I knew what I had to do.

I went to the back yard, placed the fella at the center of my small lawn and lit it up. It gave a huge bang and like fireworks, exploded into brilliant colors.

I felt good about freeing the fella and letting it become alive but also felt sad seeing it die.

Shawn