People blanketed the field as they all waited to see the morning glow and mass ascension. The green of the grass became invisible under the sea of blue, brown, and red patches as the crowds wandered about. Safely off the field, Jeff sat in one of the folding camp chairs, watching the people scurry around the billowing fabric like ants. The colors of their jackets muted by the vibrant yellows, oranges, and reds seen on so many of the balloons. The phewooo sound of the propane burners drowned out the sounds of thousands of people talking as the giant pillows of nylon in every imaginable color and pattern started to inflate.
He jumped when a voice behind him said, “Pretty isn’t it? I love this time of year when all the balloons show up.”
“Yeah, it’s nice,” Jeff replied, his eyes still on the kaleidoscope of colors inflating in front of him.
“I’m Alex Mullen, I work for one of the local radio stations in town. During the Fiesta, we play interviews from participants and visitors to the event. Do you mind if I ask you a few questions?”
Jeff couldn’t see the man standing behind him, but the voice intrigued him so he said, “Hi, Alex. Have a seat, and watch the display with me.” He gestured to the extra camp chairs around him, and watched as the man grabbed the chair to Jeff’s left. He swung a backpack off his back and pulled out a few items. Jeff had only gotten a glimpse of the man’s face before his shoulder-length blond hair fell forward when he reached out to set a recording device on the small table in front of them. Then he set up a wireless microphone.
That was all it took to spark Jeff’s interest as he introduced himself. “I’m Jeff. This is my first year here with my sister and brother-in-law’s balloon.”
Alex was still setting up his recording device, but he cocked his head a little toward Jeff and said, “Nice to meet you, Jeff.” After Alex finished setting up his devices, he sat back down and pulled out a small note pad and pen.
***
Follow the link below for more authors and stories on #manlovesunday:
Nice one!
ReplyDelete