Contemporary story
On

Fireworks

She started in the bathroom. She put the shaving brush, the disposable razor, the toothbrush and the dental floss in a large black bin bag. Then she moved to the bedroom. She picked up the laundry basket and deposited its entire contents into the bag. She opened a drawer and cleared out the underwear. By now her movements were becoming more frantic. She went to the wardrobe and filled another three bags with suits, shirts, ties, jeans, jogging pants, sweaters and shoes. She pulled out the boxes from under the bed and removed the junk that had collected there. Downstairs, she rifled through the CD's, and after that the books; the graphic novels, thrillers, travel companions, computer guides and poetry anthologies. Then, without coming up for air, she moved on to the photo albums and the letters and the framed pictures and the small porcelain gifts. All of it she bagged and binned, ready for tomorrow's collection. Finally, she went out to the shed. There she found the toolbox and assorted DIY equipment, and trashed the lot. She searched the shelves and drawers for any other items to dispose of, and in the bottom of a cupboard, beneath the gardening gloves, she discovered them.

It was her 40th birthday, and he had bought her fireworks to celebrate. It was one of his annual dinner party jokes that they should put her on a bonfire instead of Guy Fawkes. But she never set them off because he had been called away to a conference in Swindon and she was left to party on her own. So now, five months later, they had resurfaced. She looked at them for a minute, feeling some kind of sadness. Then she threw them in the dustbin along with the power tools. Back in the house, she poured herself a brandy and sank down exhausted on the sofa.

It was starting to get dark. After she had polished off another glass, she started thinking about the fireworks again. She went outside and retrieved the box from the bin. She returned to the kitchen to examine the contents more carefully. There was all the usual stuff, a catherine wheel, a couple of fountains, a jack-in-the-box and two or three rockets. As she lifted them out, a note fell to the floor. On it, he had written,

To my love rocket You fill my sky with light Love, R

 

She put the fireworks back in the box and went out into the garden.

←2

She set up the catherine wheel on the back gatepost. She twisted his note into a long thin strip and put a match to it. It burned slowly, just like a real taper. She lit the fuse and within seconds the catherine wheel started to spin. Sparks flew off into the darkness. Soon, a child appeared at the fence.

'What are you doing? she asked.

'Celebrating.'

Then she lit the jack-in-the-box and it bounced and fizzed across the lawn. The little girl got scared and moved back. After a while, she was joined by more inquisitive visitors, as some of the neighbours gathered at the fence.

'Where did you get fireworks at this time of year?'

'What's all this in aid of?'

But she ignored them and continued to empty the box.

Eventually, she was down to the last rocket. She had saved the biggest till last and this was her grand finale. She stuck the tail in the ground and lit the touch paper with the remnants of his screwed up inscription. She stood well back and waited. The fuse paper glowed, fizzled and then went out. The neighbours sighed. She tried again. Nothing. She went into the kitchen and found a box of household matches. She returned and put a match to the fuse. Nothing still. She tore off a strip of card from the fireworks box and used that as a taper. The cardboard produced a healthy flame and this time the fuse sparked back into life. The rocket screamed and shot straight up into the air. The neighbours gasped and applauded and the little girl ran into her house. Then, with one almighty bang, a spectacular display of light filled the sky. Multicoloured balls of fire scattered in all directions and then exploded as they dropped back to earth. Wave after wave of incandescent fury danced across the garden. Then, with one last whimper, it was all over and darkness returned again.

The neighbours wandered back to their evening rituals. She bundled up the empty firework cases and laid them out with all the rest of his stuff. It was cold now and a frost was beginning to settle on the lawn. She buttoned up her coat and went back inside.

Options

Introducing your ereader mobile app!

Manybooks

Get The Best Reading Experience

App linkApp link

Rate this story:

Average: 5 (1 vote)

Comments

Submitted by admin on Mon, 08/04/2003 - 12:57

Permalink

Its good that its short, because I wouldnt have enjoyed it so much if it were longer. Im guessing the reason for the husbands absence is Divorce rather than death; since otherwise her reaction is somewhat strange.

Submitted by admin on Thu, 10/16/2003 - 17:46

Permalink

I think that this story has strong feelings, but at the same time it leaves the reader with many doubhts. The story doesnt really specify if the man was her husband, dad, uncle or any relation. We just know for a fact that the man lived there and gave her fireworks... Although we dont know what happened to him, the story has simbolism that indicates that the most predictable clue is that the man died. I think "Fireworks" is a story that needs a better ending, but I liked it because its simple and you can relly imagine the setting.

Submitted by admin on Mon, 10/20/2003 - 16:50

Permalink

Ok, first of all, i really think that last guy needs to learn how to spell before ripping into someone elses piece, that aside..... I loved this story. The very fact that it leaves you guessing and making your own conclusions is its charm. It is as though you have come in to a soap opera episode 10 minutes late and left 10 minutes early. So leave it alone!!!!! Paz, Sydney Australia

Submitted by admin on Tue, 12/16/2003 - 22:41

Permalink

Rosa2978 I really like the story, because it gives you how a person could react when they lost a love one. It make you see that if you have lost someone you move on after all the sadness and maybe anger. The story doesnt give you what really went on the womans head, for me I guess she finally got clourse.

Submitted by admin on Thu, 04/01/2004 - 05:00

Permalink

The man who left was very obviously a person close to the woman - see the note he wrote. Its not necessary to know the reason for his going - the point is how she ends up dealing with that going. I found the story good, it flowed well and was plausible. The ending fits as we see that she has begun to confront his going by exploding the fireworks. That very action has released some of the feelings she may have bottled up till then.

Submitted by admin on Tue, 10/26/2004 - 11:32

Permalink

I reckon he left her for a younger woman. It was to be her 40th birthday after all and you hear of it all the time. Id conclude that their divorce papers have just come though, and thats what has set her off five months after he left.

Submitted by admin on Tue, 03/29/2005 - 10:16

Permalink

Good beginning, but I was left wondering where the story had disappeared to. I feel the author could have built more into this to give it a proper middle and ending - it felt rushed and a little confused. NIce desriptions though.

Submitted by admin on Sun, 06/05/2005 - 14:45

Permalink

This is a very plausible vignette about a woman whose lover/friend has left her, or she has left him because of unfaithfulness or inadequacy. I cannot fathom how anyone would think that he had died. She hints that all is not well in their relationship when she says that on the night of her birthday he is called away to a conference and she is left to party alone. What a likely one! Or maybe she left HIM! Her reaction to light the firewoks anyway is kind of cathartic, like another writer comments.

Submitted by admin on Thu, 09/29/2005 - 09:24

Permalink

i really liked it. great atmosphere, buti dont know why. loved the "incandescent fury" dancing. that and the post-climactic whimper made me suspect it was about infidelity rather than bereavement - not that that really matters.

Submitted by admin on Fri, 09/30/2005 - 00:13

Permalink

I thought the story was great. For me the details of why the partner was no longer there was not important. Everyone goes through a time when one is left and there is nothing else but to move on.... I loved how it captured the feeling and the moment when someone gets up and says its time to let go...

Submitted by admin on Fri, 12/02/2005 - 13:46

Permalink

I enjoyed this story although,I am surprised at how many people assusmed her "spouse" died. To me he definately left her (divorce?) because she refers to his note ...
To my love rocket
You fill my sky with light
Love, R
as ...remanents of his screwed up inscription. Showing definate anger towards him. Very good pace throughout. Thank you!

Submitted by admin on Tue, 01/03/2006 - 14:02

Permalink

I think your story is quite good. Youve got good discription. The only thing i would say is that you dont really know who the guy is and why she is doing what she is doing.

Submitted by admin on Sun, 06/20/2010 - 05:10

Permalink

intersted story. let you speculate about what was their matter of seperation: whether it was a divorce or a death??? But theres something that makes her with an incandescent fury about her partner......
anthony c.

Add new comment

About text formats

Plain text

  • No HTML tags allowed.
  • Lines and paragraphs break automatically.
  • Web page addresses and email addresses turn into links automatically.