BEFORE they were married, Mom and Dad traveled to Wisconsin to spend the fourth of July at Norm and Ann's campground. Norm and his son Brian were friends and hunting buddies of Dad. Ann, Norm's wife, was a fiery woman of passion and excellent cook who adored Dad.
Dad wanted Mom to experience the joy of the outdoors in Wisconsin, meet the proprietors, and share his experiences with her since he had been immersed in western Wisconsin culture during his formative years. Dad felt it important to have an opportunity judge her reaction to his adopted people, their way of life, and their sense morality since his own value system was greatly influenced by it. A July 4 three day weekend was an opportune time.
He also had ulterior motives.
After spending the day in Eau Claire, they traveled back to camp. Mom spotted the roadside fireworks retailer and asked Dad to stop for, among other pyrotechnics, sparklers. She loved them as a child and wanted to recreate that fun. Dad's mind hit upon a plan.
Giving her reason to stay in the car by using some rational now lost to time, but one that must have been very crafty since she wanted to spend every moment she could with him and so heartily resisted him, Dad went inside to make the purchase. Upon his return he informed Mom that they were out of sparklers. This immediately made her suspicious. She pressed him.
"Are you sure? How can they be out of sparklers?" she asked.
Dad had to think fast.
"Well this close to the fourth I bet they have sold out of most of their inventory," he stammered.
Mom is not ignorant nor inexperienced, but she wisely decided to drop the matter. Dad, relieved, could not have woven the figurative tangled web of lies.
They arrived at camp by night fall and built a fire for comfort and cooking. A fire can be a calming and relaxing hypnotic. It was that night. At the right time, Dad retrieved the fireworks (sparklers included) and the engagement ring he had brought along.
He then announced, while taking a knee, that he did in fact have "sparkles" for her. She focused on him like a laser coming out of her hypnotic state. She knew it! But why had he lied about such a small matter? She was evaluating him as much as he was evaluating her for marriage suitability, lying is on the big ten list of thou shalt nots, and here he had lied over something small and petty. Was that his character? Could he lie so easily, so masterfully? And if so, over something so small, what about something of importance?
He then presented her the diamond engagement ring and asked her to marry him. In an instant, all of those questions were satisfied.
Sometime later, when Dad set about lighting off the fireworks, he lit several sparklers for her to hold. For some reason she was only politely interested in them preferring instead to spend her time admiring her new diamond ring.
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