Give Me Fireworks Or Give Me Death!
In downtown Columbus, there is a place called COSI (Center of Science Industry). Every year on July 3rd (Pre-Covid), at 10 p.m, fireworks are launched from a spot near COSI, in an event that is called Red, White, & Boom! My parent’s art studio, Kobolt, is about a mile away from COSI and every year, we have a party there and we watch the fireworks from the roof. In 2020 I wrote an installment called, “Kobolt's Red White & Boom Party!” I wrote that because as a result of Covid, Red, White and Boom was not happening and I was mad about it!
Now my friend Noah and I met in the Fall of 2019 and that obviously means that 2020 was the first Fourth of July that we knew each other. We were hanging out around that time with some of his friends and we started to reminisce about the fourth of Julys of our past. “Fireworks are my favorite!” Noah exclaimed. “They’re the only things I can see and enjoy!” I told him right then and there that he was invited to Kobolt’s next Red, White & Boom Party! This year Red, White & Boom was moved from the 3rd to the 1st.
Now my “sisters,” Marshall, and Aspen’s boyfriend, James were all planning to come into town for Kid’s graduation party and the 4th. August and Arden planned to fly into Cincinnati in the afternoon on the 1st and then they would come down to Kobolt with Marshall and James would come the next day. However, unfortunately, Arden misread the flight when she bought the tickets, and instead of arriving in Columbus in the afternoon they actually flew out of Denver then. Because the older two would not make it to Red, White & Boom, I was not mentally prepared for the younger two to come either.
People started arriving around 6:30. Most of the people who came were family friends, though it wasn't as many people as there have been in the past. I spend most of my night hanging out with Noah and Lori, though at about 8:15 Aspen, Kid, and her friend Caden showed up so I would occasionally pop over and see them.
At 9:30 Dad started taking people up to the roof on a scissor lift, and Noah, Lori, and I went up to find a spot that would be best for Noah. There were some technical difficulties with the fireworks so it didn't start until 10:15, but we had some drinks and were munching on the kettle corn that Lori made. Because we were having such a good time and he knows me very well Noah asked if I was going to do an installment about Red, White & Boom. I told him yes, and filled Lori in on how much I had missed the event over the last two years. Lori told me I should call the installment, “Give Me Fireworks Or Give Me Death!” and I thought that was really clever so I obviously did! Despite how fun the night was, however, I did have one problem.
Almost every year since 2015, something really dramatic has happened to my “sisters” and I on the 4th of July, and it always brings everyone down. Last year was in fact the first year that we were all together and nothing happened. During the firework show, I left Noah and Lori to go check on, Aspen, Kid, and Caden. When I returned, Lori said, “We appreciate you spending so much time with us!”
Noah put it a little more bluntly, “Mitch, if you need to go hang out with them it's totally fine by us!”
I declined their offer for a few reasons. 1. Goes without saying, but I obviously wanted to spend time with Noah and Lori. 2. I knew that the girls understood because Caden was their guest just as Noah and Lori were mine. 3. As I said earlier, I was not mentally prepared to see them that night. Not that I didn't want to, but ever since my trip to Norris Lake, I've been feeling a little down. And yes I did plan on telling them… but I had decided not to say anything over the weekend for fear of the return of our 4th of July curse.
To be continued…
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