LITTLE GREEN OCTOPUS
ANGELA
SCREAMED, “LOOK OUT SUSAN THERE’S A GREEN OCTOPUS” AS SHE
CAME SPLASHING OUT OF THE WATER OF THE GULF OF MEXICO.
INSTEAD OF RUNNING, SUSAN WADED OVER TO WHERE ANGELA HAD
BEEN AND WAS STARING DOWN INTO THE KNEE DEEP WATER HOPING
TO FIND THE OCTOPUS.
“WHERE
IS IT, ANGELA?” SUSAN SHOUTED, “I CAN’T FIND IT.”
JOHNNIE VERY CAUTIOUSLY WADED OVER TO SUSAN AND TOOK HER
BY THE ARM AND SAID,
“COME
ON SUSAN WE HAVE TO GO FIND A HOTEL.”
“BUT I
DON’T WANT TO GO, I WANT TO SEE THE OCTOPUS” SUSAN CRIED.
A LONG
TIME AGO I TOOK MY WIFE, JOHNNIE AND OUR TWO DAUGHTERS,
SUSAN AND ANGELA TO GALVESTON TO SEE THE OCEAN. THIS
WOULD BE THE FIRST TIME ANY OF THEM HAD SEEN THE OCEAN.
WHEN
WE GOT TO THE ISLAND I DROVE UP ON THE SEA WALL SO THEY
COULD GET A LOOK AT THE WATER. THE FIRST RAMP I CAME TO
THAT LET YOU DRIVE DOWN TO THE BEACH, I WENT DOWN AND
STOPPED AT THE EDGE OF THE WATER. JUST AS SOON AS I GOT
STOPPED ALL THREE OF THEM JUMPED OUT OF THE CAR, KICKED
OFF THEIR SHOES AND RAN FOR THE WATER.
THEY
WADED OUT TO KNEE DEEP AND WERE SPLASHING AROUND HAVING A
GOOD TIME. THE BOTTOM WAS SANDY, THE WATER WAS CLEAR AND
THE WAVES WERE SMALL. I WAS SITTING ON THE HOOD OF THE
CAR WATCHING THEIR REACTIONS TO THE WATER WHEN ANGELA CAME
CHARGING OUT OF THE WATER SHOUTING SHE HAD SEEN A GREEN
OCTOPUS. WELL THAT STOPPED THE WADING IN THE OCEAN FOR
THE TIME BEING.
WE
DROVE BACK UP ON THE SEA WALL AND STARTED LOOKING FOR A
HOTEL. WE WANTED TO STAY IN ONE ON THE SEA WALL SO WE
COULD SEE THE OCEAN FROM OUR ROOM.
AFTER
DRIVING UP AND DOWN THE SEA WALL BOULEVARD A COUPLE OF
TIMES WE FOUND WHAT WE WANTED. HOTEL GALVEZ WAS JUST
ACROSS THE BOULEVARD FROM THE WATER. WE GOT A SECOND
FLOOR ROOM WITH A BALCONY OVER LOOKING THE OCEAN. IT HAD
TWO DOUBLE BEDS AND A SMALL KITCHENETTE. IT WAS PERFECT
FOR US. WE COULD EAT BREAKFAST AND LUNCH IN OUR ROOM AND
SAVE A LITTLE MONEY.
THE
NEXT MORNING, AFTER BREAKFAST, WE WENT WALKING ALONG THE
SEA WALL TO VISIT ALL THE LITTLE SHOPS THAT SELL SOUVENIRS
AND SEA SHELLS. OF COURSE JOHNNIE AND BOTH GIRLS HAD TO
HAVE A SOUVENIR. WE ATE LUNCH AT A LITTLE CORNER CAFÉ
ACROSS FROM THE HOTEL. THEN WE DROVE TO A GROCERY STORE
AND BOUGHT MILK AND CEREAL SO WE COULD EAT BREAKFAST IN
OUR ROOM THE REST OF THE WEEK.
WE
WENT BACK TO THE BEACH EACH AFTERNOON TO PLAY IN THE WATER
BUT ANGELA WOULDN’T GO BACK IN. SHE SAT ON THE SAND AND
BUILT SAND CASTLES. SUSAN SPENT A LOT OF TIME STARING
INTO THE WATER LOOKING FOR THAT OCTOPUS AND EVEN JOHNNIE
DIDN’T WANT TO GO OUT OVER WAIST DEEP. WE FINALLY DECIDED
WHAT ANGELA SAW WAS A PIECE OF GREEN SEA WEED. BUT WE
COULDN’T CONVINCE HER OF THAT.
ONE
AFTERNOON IT STARTED RAINING WHILE WE WERE STILL IN OUR
ROOM EATING LUNCH. WE OPENED THE BIG DOUBLE DOORS THAT
LED OUT ON THE BALCONY AND WERE WATCHING THE RAIN. AS WE
STOOD THERE WE SAW THREE WATER SPOUTS OUT IN THE GULF
CHASING EACH OTHER. THAT IS A SIGHT I WILL NEVER FORGET.
JOHNNIE AND I WERE SITTING OUT ON THE BALCONY AND SUSAN
AND ANGELA WERE BOUNCING UP AND DOWN ON THEIR BED. ALL OF
A SUDDEN, SUSAN LET OUT A YELL AND STARTED CRYING.
JOHNNIE JUMPED UP AND RAN BACK INSIDE AND ASKED SUSAN WHAT
WAS THE MATTER?
“ANGELA KICKED MY TOOTH OUT” SHE CRIED.
WELL
THE TOOTH FAIRY HAD TO MAKE A VISIT THAT NIGHT.
WE DID
SPLURGE ONE NIGHT AND EAT AT HILLS SEA FOOD RESTAURANT.
BUT THAT’S A WHOLE NOTHER STORY FOR A DIFFERENT TIME.
MUSIC
. . .
SPLISH SPLASH