A Night of Celebration

A young girl remembers her brother William during her kingdoms independence celebrations.

         Dust stirred in the twilight of Istbirden's streets, and Tom Barnes watched townsfolk amble towards the park. Little Sadie clutched her battered red and blue banner that draped her small frame. Adorned in her brother's Tricorn hat that tilted over blonde curls, she marched with a proud smile.

"Happy William's Day!" she shouted, glee infecting the sternest of hearts. No one corrected her pronunciation of "Wilem" anymore. The town understood.

"Fiery spirit, that one," a farmer said.

Tom stepped behind her parents with a smile. Flags snapped in the straight breeze. Bakers pressed doughy pies into open palms. The whole of Istbirden gathered and held its breath as twilight became dark. Then a shock of thunder split the night.

Rockets hissed skyward, bursting crimson and gold, booms rebounding off shuttered shops. "Wilem's Day" lit the night across the kingdom, their blood-soaked independence remembered in fiery streaks. Gunpowder bit nostrils, mingling with wood smoke and sweat. Sadie giggled at a soaring rocket, dancing figures in its smoky wake. Shapes formed in the sky, silly faces rolling eyes and wagging tongues.

"That one looks like William!" She waved and laughed at a stern looking face. "Hello William!" Her parents squeezed each other tighter and Tom felt a deep twinge.

Then Sadie hummed, high, quiet, seeking the key. She began to sing the Knight's Lament, her small voice turning sad words happy. She hunched as she sang alone, drawing closer to her mother. A rich voice joined hers, clear and low between the booms and her shoulders rose. As she and her choral companion started again, half the town joined them. Tom heard the plucking of strings weave between the myriad voices and let his own voice match her major key.

Happy William’s Day, Tom thought. A single droplet rolling down one cheek.

Word Count: 300