Jesse James and the Dragon's Egg

Perambulation

After the near miss with Mrs. Hoppes, it was obvious to the kids that they needed a better hiding place. So, the next day, they went about trying to find the massive ovoid a new home.

There was an old unused air conditioner return in the kitchen. Boarded over years ago, the square of plywood covering the hole was loose and removed easily enough. The space proved perfect for the egg.

Until it began gently tapping against the plywood.

"I've got it!" Inspiration struck Jesse and, with it, a new, foolproof plan.

Jesse's house had a spare bedroom. It used to serve as an office for his father, but since his father died, the room had gradually come to be used as a giant closet. Stacked from surface to roof with crates of unused knick-knacks and various and sundry brick-a-brack, all the things in the house that no longer had a home, or a use, found their way here. It seemed to Jesse like the perfect place to hide an egg.

The children rolled the egg into the room, stowing it away in a box of old clothes. It was a perfect spot. There was no way the little thing was going to go rolling out of there. No way.

~

"Jesse hurry! It's almost time!" Jesse's little brother, Jake, leaned over the back of the couch. He craned his neck to see what his older brother was doing.

"Can you please just pause it for me?" Jesse called back. He was watching the microwave where a bag of un-popped popcorn lay, turning with slow, maddening indifference.

"I can't find the remote!" Jake yelled back to him.

Jesse saw his little brother digging in the couch for the lost remote as the first "pop!" sounded from the microwave. "Check under the corner piece!"

That single pop turned into a buttery symphony and the sharp salty aroma of hot buttered popcorn filled the room.

"Ah!" Jake called out from the family room.

"Did you find it?"

"No, but that popcorn smells so good!"

"Keep looking!" It didn't matter though, the popcorn was done, and there was plenty of time. Jesse pulled open the bag, pouring the still steaming contents into a large bowl. He grabbed his soda and sprinted into the family room. His mother immediately and neatly intercepted him.

"And where do you think you are going, mister?"

"Mason Rocket's almost on!"

Mason Rocket was hands down the kid's favorite TV show. It chronicled the adventures of a mild-mannered, everyday kid named Joe Murphy, who was also the world-renowned super-spy Mason Rocket. Ordinarily Brad, John and Lamar would be right here with Jake and Jesse, gorging themselves on snacks and sodas and excitedly waiting for the first strains of "Mason Rocket: Spy Extraordinaire" to begin. Today, however, Jesse and Jake watched alone. John had a dentist appointment, Brad was running errands with his mom, and Lamar was at football camp all week.

"Oh, I don't think so, young man." She gave him one of her best disapproving looks. "I have now told you three times today to empty that trash and you are going to do it right now." Jesse's mother had an interesting if infuriating capacity for determining that everything else in the house had to be done at exactly the times when Jesse most wanted to do something else.

"But, Mom!"

"Don't you 'but, Mom' me."

"But I'll miss Mason Rocket!"

"Jesse, you can DVR the show."

"But we can't find the remote!"

"Mister..." That was the wind up, and had it not been for Jake, the pitch would have gone badly for Jesse.