Floating

 

PHOTO BY ANNEMARIE DONKIN, TOPANGA MESSENGER 2012© Michael Anapol (a.k.a. The Beleaguered Husband) and Kathie Gibboney.

The holiday excitement of the early morning fills the air. The Beleaguered Husband has already tried on several different outfits, each more colorful than the last. The little girl had her attire ready and laid out the night before so we let her sleep just a bit longer. Due to recent weight loss, (just try opening a business) I can fit into a green sparkly mermaid dress, so I’m good to go. I’m not quite sure where our son is, but he must be around here somewhere. We scurry about the house. “Do you have the sunscreen? What about money? Shall we take a thermos? Oh look it’s time to go!”

It’s Topanga Days weekend and we are on our way to the Memorial Day Parade. This time we’re going to be in it! Pine Tree Circle is a-buzz with activity. Floats are lining up, music is in the air, a carnival festivity abounds. Girls in tutus skate by, Boy Scouts wave flags, people with painted faces smile. Heidi, aptly, carries a goat.

Suddenly the Rhodes’ arrive with our float—our float—that we all worked on the night before and, yes, it takes a village to build a float. The teens are trying to set up the DJ equipment and there’s Emily B. all grown up, and Kayla and Leslie Carlson as a grandmother (doesn’t look it) and everything just goes so fast and then it’s time to hop on board and we drive out onto the Boulevard and wave.

All along the road we smile and throw candy and give the “shaka” sign and see faces cheering in the crowd. There are friends and teachers and children and a whole community waving us on. Different people join us coming and going, hopping on and off the float and Noble looks like a young Viking and now Dawn is driving and some Creeker guy is aboard for awhile and the DJ equipment stops working and we’re out of candy and then we’re there … Topanga Days.

Later, in the afternoon sun while listening to music on the ball field, I fall asleep. There on the earth of Topanga, my flower crown askew, under cover of colored umbrellas, surrounded by friends, with the sound of drumming and Portman’s voice in the background, I dream of Topanga Days.