Midnight BBQ

It all started one night when I was about to go to bed. It was a cool spring evening so I opened my window, as many of the neighbors did, to enjoy the cool breeze refreshing the room, and the sweet melody of the whippoorwill that lived in our Sweet-gum tree. I was sleeping like a baby full of milk and a dry diaper, when around midnight I was awakened by a shrill sound that filled the neighborhood, dogs began to bark, and some even howled as though they were in pain. When I was awake enough to determine what the noise was, I realized that it was the neighbors two toy poodles, left outside for the night, probably because they did not want to endure the nauseating sound inside their home. It was a shrill, YIPPPP, YIPPPPP, YIPPPPP.... I had finally had enough, I could take it no more...

In the midst of the nerve rending sound of these miniature monsters that had deprived me of my sleep, and I am sure the sleep of all the neighborhood as well, The owners of these noise makers were probably asleep with their own earplugs in. Suddenly there was the sound of two loud blast that filled the air with a resounding echo, and two last Yelps, then silence....

The moon was full, and the neighborhood well lit by its glorious light, and one by one neighbors began to turn on their porch lights, and came outside to see what had just happened. It was then that the owners of the yipping poodles came out of their back doors to see a man balanced on the top of the privacy fence wielding a large rifle across his chest, with a satisfying look of accomplishment on his face.... The two little monsters lay limp in the back yard, not making a sound...

Then one man down the street climbed up on a ladder to see what was going on, and began to clap... Then one by one they all joined in, the applause was deafening. They all began to walk down to my yard, and shake my hand, some even hugged me as though we were long lost friends reunited. One lady brought a big picture of lemonade, while others brought some chips and cokes, I started my grill, and put on whatever I could find in the fridge, Wow what a good time we all had introducing ourselves and laughing, some even crying with such joy that made us forget the awful reason that we were even there.

Hey, don’t wait until there is a yipping dog disturbing your sleep, get to know your neighbors now while you still have charcoal in the Bar-bie...

MFL 2/28/00