It was my turn to host the duo from downunder, Wukky and Gloggy in my great home state of Nebraska. Wanting to make their trip here unforgettable, I took special pains to assure that everything would be perfect for their visit. Knowing how much Gloggy has been hoping to find his elusive mermaid, ....I made my own 'little mermaid of the corn' outfit to greet him in. I knew he and Wukky were both impressed the moment they saw me and Gloggy's eyes rolled back into his head and Wukky started to tremble and shake....
I flipflopped my way over to the edge of the cornfield and gave them both a huge bear hug. I then started to tell Gloggy and Wukky of the wonders of Nebraska. There was the Henry Doorly Zoo, one of the top zoos in the country with it's own indoor rainforest and desert dome. There was Chimney Rock, Ash Hollow, and archeological digs in western Nebraska where some of the largest woolly mammoth remains have been found. We could follow the Lewis and Clark trail, visit Arbor Lodge, ....home of Arbor Day. There were festivals, country fairs, and rodeos popping up in the hot summertime. We could take a dinner cruise and float down the Missouri River from Omaha, or we could take in a concert at the Qwest Center. So much to see and do,..... I could tell Wukky and Gloggy were excited at the prospects. I then leaned in and whispered, "I'll take you to see where the real action is though, what most people see when they visit"..... "it's the corn".....
..... "Just think, the rows go on for acres, and the acres go on for miles and miles....and miles", I told them...As I gave Wukky and Gloggy a guided tour thru the field of corn, I could see they were awe struck by their hushed tones.....
We soon stopped for lunch where I had prepared a huge feast for them of corn on the cob, corndogs, big bowls of cornflakes..... and popcorn to maximize their dietary fiber intake. I wouldn't hear of their feeble protests of , "No Vic, you really shouldn't have gone to so much trouble."... I assured them, that for a gourmet chef such as myself, it was no trouble at all....
The afternoon we continued our a-maizing trek thru numerous cornfields, stopping occassionally so that I could point out a particularly nice ear of corn. We examined ear silk, stalks, leaves, checked for corn borers and practised the art of detasseling. I know it was a bit reckless of me to do so, but I knew this was a trip of a lifetime for the two of them, and everyone really should experience corn up close and personal....
I am not sure exactly when it was that I realized they were no longer following behind me. I panicked for a moment thinking somewhere I had lost them in one of the rows. After some frantic searching I saw the tops of their heads bobbing above the corn... I tried to wave and yell to get their attention they were going the wrong direction.
I stood there in my pink spandex sparkley mermaid suit in the corn and realized they were leaving me.... A lone teardrop fell down my cheek and I sniffled.....
I knew then that they hated long good-byes and they were afraid of breaking down and showing such emotion in front of me... so they wanted to slip away quietly and spare me the heartache they surely must be feeling .....about leaving me,....Nebraska....and the corn....
I gave them the littlest wave of my mermaid fin ... and sighed.....they will be back again some day....I just know it....
No comments:
Post a Comment