Everything Zing: Summer

By Grant Stone

What could George have possibly done – something so disastrous that Miss Spring refused to have the matter even mentioned in her storyline? How will Senor Summer respond to Sister Spring’s plot manipulation, and how will he navigate the devastating twist of circumstances?

Book Three – Everything Zing: Summer holds those answers and so much more!

The June, July, and August rooms in the Hourglass Inn are all due to open. What will their interiors reveal, plus, who will be named as the inn’s honorary godmother? Watch Oscar’s omnibuds open in three new varieties and enjoy his remarkable landscape transformation for the summer season.

What will happen to Ozilline’s career at the Possibility Emporium? What does she reveal about romance in the Imagine Nation? Discover the story behind Claude, the Emporium’s new Vice President of Miscellaneous, as well as the real reason for Father Time’s apprehension. Find out why George might be saying goodbye to Chesterfield Academy in Reality and venturing down a different career path.

Señor Alfonzo Summerio is ready to take over Zing’s throne, and like his sisters, he plays by his own set of rules. Summer’s Opening Ceremony is wet and wild, and it’s only the beginning to the fantastic adventures ahead. The Zing Cup will whisk you away to exotic locations like the Lost City of Adallum, Gimparu Jungle, Fork in the Road Ranch, and Elfindale. Wait until you see the challenges set for the contests, the fascinating grand prize, and the incredibly
high stakes.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Grant Stone
• Release date: Jul 28, 2013
• ISBN: 9781301773282

Grant Stone

Grant Stone’s fiction has appeared in Shimmer , Andromeda Spaceways Inflight Magazine and Semaphore and is forthcoming in Strange Horizons and The Thackery T. Lambshead Cabinet of Curiosities.When not writing, he has been known to tinker in the engine room of the StarShipSofa and his fanzine, b0tHe lives in Auckland, New Zealand even though most of the opium and gambling dens are long gone.

Book preview

Everything Zing: Summer

By Grant Stone

Everything Zing: Summer

Published by Grant Stone at Smashwords

Copyright 2013 Grant Stone

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Smashwords Edition, License Note

This ebook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This ebook may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each recipient. If you’re reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then please return to Smashwords.com and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.

This book is available in print at most online retailers.

This novel is a work of fiction. Names, descriptions, entities, and incidents included in the story are products of the author’s imagination. Any resemblance to actual persons, events, and entities is entirely coincidental.

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Cover design by James R. Denton

Edited by Dr. William J. Denton

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Published in the United States of America

Fiction / Fantasy / General

Book 3:

Zing’s Wildest Race…

Becomes The Ultimate Wager

Table of Contents

Chapter 1: Summer Begins

Chapter 2: Talk of Trees

Chapter 3: Roboyts Inc.

Chapter 4: Dazzling Damita

Chapter 5: Inn Keeping

Chapter 6: Faced with a Face

Chapter 7: Raindrops and Moon Pie

Chapter 8: Beyond the Beach

Chapter 9: One and One Half Hourglass

Chapter 10: Pie in the Sky

Chapter 11: Moist Central

Chapter 12: Grunt Busters Return

Chapter 13: The Shadow of Tango

Chapter 14: Solstice Intermission

Chapter 15: Not a Manly Sport

Chapter 16: Etcetera

Chapter 17: Opening Ball

Chapter 18: Lost City of Adallum

Chapter 19: Christmas in July and Gimparu

Chapter 20: Fork in the Road and Elfindale

Chapter 21: By the Sea

Chapter 22: One Day

Chapter 1 - Summer Begins

According to George Everest, few things in life were more important than raising a family. Not just a wife and the expected 2.5 kids, as recent demographic surveys predict, and not necessarily the next royal family, but a dynasty of souls assembled by fate, drawn together by mutual trust and devotion.

George was the oldest of three children and had always felt close and even connected to his two adopted siblings, Ben and Hannah, but he still had much to learn about true kinship. Fortunately, some new friends in the land of Zing named Oscar, Ozilline, Landon, and Marnie, were teaching him how strong the bond of flesh and sand could become. By living under one roof in a beautiful mansion, soon to be opened as a bed and breakfast, they were all discovering a collage of both blessings and challenges.

Thanks in no part to George and his wife of four years, Olana, there were already five new heirs on the Everest family tree. Ben and his wife, Lauren, had been married six years and were blessed with three children: Hazel (age 3), Raine (age 2), and Brock (newborn). Charles Carrington III (as he insisted on being titled) and Hannah had recently celebrated their fifth wedding anniversary and had two kids: Ellis (age 4) and Meredith (age 2). George had always enjoyed being an uncle, but in recent months, he’d begun to realize how truly blessed he was to have children in his life.

The Everest lineage was quite an intriguing tapestry. George’s father, Everest Carvallo, was born to wealthy plantation owners in Costa Rica. Everest moved to New York City during his late teenage years, changed his name to what he considered the less-ethnic George Ellis Everest, and remained determined to live out the American dream. Everest (his true name and used in our story) graduated with honors from Cornell University and began climbing the Big Apple’s corporate ladder, resting presently as Hotel Director at one of New York’s most prestigious hotels.

George’s mother, Riviera Picotte, was a runway model, who later turned to fashion design, art, and high society. She was the only child of a simple farming couple from the south of France. Her father passed away when she was young, and her mother, Omelia, was a free-spirited gypsy originally from Hungary.

Everest and Riviera met on November 1, 1969, standing atop the Statue of Liberty in New York City’s harbor. Before the night was over, they’d conceived a child, who appeared the following summer on July 14 (two weeks earlier than expected), as their son, George Ellis Everest Junior, entered the world of Reality.

Because the two parents were both Puresands this outcome also caused quite a stir in the Imagine Nation. The consequence of breaking the one and only Earth rule was the complete loss of sand in their Earthly bodies for Everest and Riviera but a new mysterious hourglass for their child. Why would these two Puresands make such a choice? Perhaps they were unaware of the consequence, or perhaps a Puresand offspring was the last resort to rescue their souls.

Three decades later on Christmas Eve, 1999, George finally made the trip of his life time – landing in Grand Central Station, boarding the Train of Thought, and riding all the way to the Capital City of Zing. There, he claimed both his hourglass and a new identity, the first Puresand-Earthie. More importantly, he began his personal regenovation, becoming less grown-up and more childlike with every day he spent in the Imagine Nation.

This transformation was happening just in time as his stub on the Tree of Life was suddenly ready to bud and bloom. George had received the big news – he was going to be a father!

Olana was almost three months pregnant, not yet showing in her waist but certainly showing in her countenance. She beamed with that inner joy and indescribable wow that can only portray a mother-to-be. She’d been ready for children for several years, fighting the jealousy as her two sisters-in-law had both started their families sooner. She often reminded herself that this was one more instance that required patience, both with circumstances and her spouse.

Fortunately, the new millennium of 2000 brought a new attitude for George, and Olana’s maternal wait was over. As she described to Ozilline in one of their frequent tete-a-tetes outside an over-priced dress boutique in the Moulin Rouge shopping district, "George finally said the magic words… he’s ready… to have a baby." After such a statement, Olana needed no further cue or negotiation. She immediately stopped the necessary precautions and let destiny take over.

Olana still treasured the moment she found out she was pregnant. High above the Eiffel Innovatrium, taking a recess from The Oscar’s Brunch below, Lady Ellisandra Nature, Zing’s royal mother, had shared the wonderful news.

However, the revelation Olana cherished most was not her own but that of her husband. Standing in the spotlight of the Crown Opera House moments before Ozilline belted out the opening number for the annual spring concert, she made the statement that would change George’s life forever and even the score with the biggest and best surprise.

Perhaps taking the cue from his parents and their rapid romance, George and Olana were also engaged and married on the same evening. Ozilline was still in shock over the whole escapade, especially the fact that Olana didn’t get to wear a proper full-length wedding gown. Oscar and Marnie thought the story was quite entertaining, especially the details of this same wedding-prom dress that could never be resold and was now shoved in a box in Olana’s parents’ attic.

Avoiding his parents’ expectations for an elite wedding extravaganza by asking the woman he loved to marry him on the same night they got engaged was a daring move on George’s part. Fortunately, Olana loved her groom and his sly idea enough to forsake any preconceived notions of a traditional courtship. Likewise, and several years later, informing George that he would be a father and then introducing him to his daughter-to-be, Marnie, in the same breath was equally outrageous… and wonderful.

In their high-rise apartment nestled in the core of Manhattan, George and Olana prepared as best they could for their new arrival. They both wished they could welcome their firstborn into a 4-bedroom/3-bathroom ranch-style home in the suburbs, but they knew finances would never allow such a move in the next six months… or probably even several years. Their already cozy home would soon become even more so, as they concluded the office/guest hide-a-bed-sofa/storage space would need to be transformed into the baby’s room.

By announcing Olana’s pregnancy before the multitudes in Zing, the news had spread like wildfire. Those not at the concert soon heard either through the grapevine or via the plethora of TV, print, and radio stories. The headline that Marnie was George and Olana’s child-to-be was still the talk of the town.

It was unusual for two Puresands to appear in consecutive generations, but as Mirabella Spring had stated while pleading her case for Mission Marnie to her family at the Calendar Court, Every child is the result of two parents and therefore two bloodlines. In this case, it isn’t George’s side of the equation we’re looking at. The Noble side (Olana’s maiden name) was the one due for a little magic.

The happy news spread in the world of Reality as well, but not quite so quickly. After the real George was rescued from Pride and returned to Zing, he awoke on Earth relieved and thrilled to truly be himself again. To celebrate both the conclusion of his agonizing ordeal in the Imagine Nation’s ultimate pit and the start of their family, George and Olana treated themselves to a Memorial Day weekend trip. The destination was Michigan’s unspoiled Upper Peninsula, where Olana was born and raised. Since this was the first grandbaby for her parents, Nick and Francis Noble, the weekend was laced with revelry and anticipation. Olana’s younger and only sister, Iris, had returned from university on the west coast and couldn’t be prouder to soon being able to add auntie to her title.

The end of May also meant the end of both second semester and the school year at Chesterfield Academy – and a mound of report cards to be completed – but George didn’t mind. Even though it meant pulling a near all-nighter to get his work done on time it was worth escaping for the weekend and sharing the exciting news with his in-laws.

In fact, no amount of classroom shenanigans or teacher lounge politics could get George down. All the typical grime of day-to-day existence seemed to casually slide off his shoulders, no weight at all. Of course, the real substance and responsibility of bringing a child into the world would hit soon enough, but for now, he was snug in the notion of fatherhood.

Also coasting along as carefree as could be was Señor Alfonzo Summerio. Unlike Miss Spring’s grandiose Opening Ceremony on March 1st complete with waltzing waters, flying dachshunds, and twitterfleas for one and all, summer rolled softly into Zing. The transition started the first two days of June, but as the 3rd was a Saturday, any further work would have to wait until Monday. Puresands knew from prior years’ experience that it could take up to two weeks before summer was in full swing.

Enjoying the sunny afternoon in Zing, the two Earthies commented on how true that was to Reality…

It’s difficult to know exactly when spring ends and summer begins, George said, starting to paint a final red stripe on his seahorse creation back. Not like Zing, where the seasons officially change in one day.

I remember springtime up north always meant flowerbeds full of tulips in the neighborhood, Olana said, adding a bright orange fin to her otherwise purple puffy fish. Then, the weather turns warmer, the grass wants cutting, the garden needs planting… and somewhere in between summer sneaks in.

This painting project had become an afternoon tradition for George, Olana, and their daughter-to-be. Originally given to Marnie as part of her Earthday-to-Birthday preparation from Mirabella Spring, all three found it enjoyable to create all sorts of bizarre and fantastic sea creatures.

Their canvas was the enormous 50 x 50-foot in-ground trampoline they’d purchased from the Possibility Emporium with their winnings from the Freeze Ball tournament the previous winter. The only element more awesome than the size of the trampoline was its location – right in the middle of the large pond in their backyard.

I’d guess we’re about a fourth done, Marnie said. She tried not to jiggle the tarp as she stood and stretched her legs. Her dachshund, Spartacus, took a break from his nap, rolled over, shook furiously, and propelled himself upwards with his large floppy ears and big brown tail.

I think it looks really nice, Olana said, pausing to once again marvel at the flying wiener dog. Who knew I had such artistic capabilities?

Voila! George said, adding the perfect flare to his seahorse’s tail. Yes indeed, another round of masterpieces for the Everest clan.

Landon knew he was welcome to join in the painting process, but he had greater interest in jumping. Luckily, the trampoline was huge enough, and magically designed, for him to bop and bob on one side and not disturb the actual artists on the other, as was the case today.

Spartacus was up to full speed now, swooping and soaring in giant circles around his master. Then suddenly, the dog shot off towards the far edge of the pond, where a tiny tree had recently been planted. As per Oscar’s green thumb, the current seedling would someday sprout massive limbs that reached upwards, like smiles towards the heavens. Another gift to Marnie, this dreaming tree variety known as a laughing willow, represented its owner’s hopes and wishes in the world of Reality.

There goes that silly little dog barking up a storm around that sprig, George said. "Have any of you actually seen these so-called dream snatchers that Spartacus is supposedly scaring away?"

They’re invisible… but pretty dangerous, Marnie said, before running and hopping across the trampoline.

There goes our silly little girl, too, Olana chuckled.

Kersplash!

Into the pond she goes! George cheered.

KaBoom!

With Landon’s cannonball a bounce-and-a-half behind! Olana yelled.

One more tie-dyed starfish and I might join them, George said. He dipped his brush in the silver-coated can of paint and started outlining a big star.

Señor Summerio’s official welcome party was still days away, but no one cared – not with warm temperatures and a perfectly sweet breeze. It was another sublime afternoon, ideal for being outside, soaking up the sunshine, and feeling good all over.

I thought of something else you missed, Olana said, etching the silhouette of a yellow and blue spotted jellyfish. "Mirabella called it White Wednesday… and she turned all the apple trees back to white bulbs and hosted an afternoon tea and fashion show."

By missed Olana referred to the growing list of springtime events that George had not been able to experience due to his sentence in ParIdise (aka Pride). However, White Wednesday would be added right under Manicure Monday, Yoga: You and Your Doxie, Synchronized Swimwear, and Pilates, Pedicures and Popsicles – George’s mental tally of affairs he wasn’t at all sad about missing… or someday excluding from his memoirs.

Unfortunately, most of the memories from his first spring in Zing were the graphically disturbing images from Pride. It didn’t take much prompting to recall the blood oozing over his pant legs as he’d climbed the steps, the kids gashed in thorn bushes, the duplicate Landon being brutally destroyed in a freak circus act, or the other horrendous experiences he’d endured.

One of the few story lines George did enjoy reliving from the prior season was Marnie’s Earthday. Witnessing a Puresand receive her hourglass, complete with the necessary lightning bolt to connect the two worlds, was breathtaking. Later discovering that she was his daughter was mind boggling. George still had no idea how much behind-the-scenes work the royal family had done to twist fate on Marnie’s behalf, but he wanted to capture every element of his firstborn’s arrival.

Tell me again, did you cuss Filthezar out… or simply nail him in the chops? George asked.

No, I don’t think so, Olana said with a smirk. At least I hope not with my young bud, Marnie, right there. Olana wasn’t sure where that innate strength had come from, but it still felt great remembering how she’d protected her unborn daughter high above in the Tree of Life.

I still can’t believe you knew where to climb… no directions or signs? George asked.

Only my instinct, Olana answered.

But the Tree of Life is huge – massive – enormous!

And I’m a woman – a mother – now partnered with the Divine, Olana said

She then cut George off before he started bragging about how he, too, had climbed the almighty Tree and shown Lord Filthezar a thing or two. Everyone had heard how George’s duplicate had done such a feat, meanwhile disobeying Father Time’s command to climb down.

"I don’t know how I knew where to go or what to do, Olana said. I simply did."

And you had no idea Marnie was ours until that moment? George asked.

Not until I pulled back those fragile petals and saw her tiny face, Olana answered.

That is so amazing – I’m jealous, George said.

"I’m sure it will all even out when I have to actually deliver her," Olana said.

Well, you certainly evened the score with your revelation, George said. He’d complimented her several times on her perfect plan and still chuckled at the memory. You got me so good… the new dad-to-be jumpy and giddy in front of a full auditorium!

Olana smiled. She hadn’t paid much attention to the crowd’s response, but she knew she’d never forget the look of complete delight and surprise on her husband’s face. Do you think I’ll get fat here in the Imagine Nation, too? she asked. I’ve never seen anyone pregnant in Zing, so I assume not.

I wonder if Marnie will start to get smaller as her Birthday approaches, George asked. Do you think she can hear us when we talk on Earth?

No, no, and I don’ know, Landon said, bouncing his way into the conversation. Olana and Marnie will stay just like they are right now. I don’t personally remember hearing anything my parents said while I was in the womb, but knowing Marnie she might actually be paying attention.

So you’re at it again? Marnie asked and made a joke that she would soon be raising two parents, not vice versa. She hopped and flopped to rid herself of the remaining moisture and then said, "I’ve got a question for you. When are you going to tell Everest and Riviera that they’re getting me as a granddaughter?"

Olana stood up and helped Marnie re-tie her swimsuit strap. We thought next weekend at Hazel’s fourth Birthday party would be the best chance to tell the entire Everest clan, she said.

"I can’t wait to see the look on their faces when we tell them we like the name Marnie," George said.

Landon did a somersault and bounced on his bottom before dropping the bomb. Don’t get your hopes up – it won’t register, he said. Everest and Riviera didn’t recognize me, so they surely won’t remember a name.

Maybe we should wait on announcing the gender of the baby, too, Olana said, patting Marnie’s shoulders. That way we’ll get more items in neutral shades… less pink and more yellow.

Good point! Marnie shouted. I know I don’t have any control over it, but please no frilly lacey outfits!

As everyone laughed at the thought of their resident tomboy in anything so delicate, George and Olana both pondered how unusual it was to be having such a conversation with their unborn child. As the wind carried this same discourse to Father Time’s attention, it confirmed his own daughter’s mission statement. Mirabella was right; George and Olana were completely captivated by the events unfolding in their family.

Chapter 2 - Talk of Trees

While the rest of the Capital City seemed in no rush to erase spring and embrace summer, the Hourglass Inn’s gardener extraordinaire, Oscar, wasted no time. Alfonzo Summer was famous for his balanced approach to life and leadership, including both his afternoon siesta and weekends off regime, but Oscar was busy with no break in sight. That morning after rolling up his sleeves and starting into a working man’s breakfast, he’d informed the group, Summer’s relax and enjoy policy is fine and dandy for the rest of town, but I want our residence to be up to snuff as soon as possibly possible.

Oscar had been known to whip up some pretty interesting creations in his greenhouse. Every now and then Ozilline boosted moral with a compliment about the diamond-patterned poinsettias he’d made for the royals’ New Year’s Eve party. Whenever she did, Marnie chimed in about how much she loved the bold cluster of tulips in her private garden surrounding her dreaming tree. Zing’s daily newspaper, The Zoracle, had also concluded its Greatest Grasses and Greenery issue praising Oscar’s work at the mansion, calling him the landscaper for the new millennium, creating the most unique hybrids ever.

The beginning of each month also meant a new stem on the omnibud, Oscar’s fantastic creation that bloomed as a different floral variety every month. After five transitions, everyone was caught up in the anticipation, wondering what might pop out next.

Originally, there were only four terra cotta pots as gifts under the Christmas tree, but as part of Ozilline’s décor plan for the inn’s open house on February 1, Oscar had birthed and bloomed plenty of additional omnibuds. There were now closer to four dozen pots situated throughout the home.

When June 1st revealed bunches of long-stemmed white daisies with a delicate fresh scent, Ozilline raced through the house, opening every window to allow the smell of summer to circulate. It was a pleasant surprise that her impromptu spurt was accompanied by her vocal anthem, "June is busting out all over!" as she’d turned otherwise oddly pensive and somber.

Following her heroic sortie to ParIdise, Ozzy had been acclaimed by both the guys she’d rescued as well as the swarm of media wrestling for the exclusive story. Morice Storm won the coverage accolade, but her interview had ended on a mysteriously glum note as Ozilline announced that her career at the Possibility Emporium was on hiatus. Her friends liked having her around the mansion more, but they could tell she missed being the retail queen of cuisine.

In addition to repolishing his rock garden, pruning his rose bushes, and coaching his morning glory vines, Oscar had one other item near the top of his to-do list.

Here he comes again, George muttered, while the others prepared to take another dip in the pond.

I’ll join you in a minute, Olana told Landon and Marnie. This was not the first time she’d seen Oscar roll towards them, wheelbarrow full of mud and a symbolic sprout. George, if you want to plant your tree in the middle of the Eureka Room where your parents’ was you should say so. No one would mind.

I can’t do something so presumptuous, George huffed. Besides, that room is still a disaster zone after Nature and Spring blasted through the floorboards… and then that thing slithered all over.

The way he hissed that thing made them both cringe. Olana had only watched the Middura on the Wide-Eyed Wonder screen in Father Time’s study. George had actually gazed into the monstrous reptile’s eyes. He tried desperately not to brood over the serpent squeezing her endless tongue around his waist and dragging him off to the Self Center, as the notion still made him dizzy.

It was a shame that the Eureka Room was not being enjoyed by the mansion’s residents. Centrally located on the second floor, the chamber was richly decorated with a selection of tasteful leather pieces and headquarters for hundreds of books and games and several telescopes. Above the fireplace hung the eminent portrait of Mother Nature, and above it all was Señor Summer’s contribution to the inn, a glorious glass ceiling. As charming as the room would be during summer, no one had any interest in breaking through the fluorescent yellow caution tape across the doorway.

I don’t know why I’m so lackadaisical about my dreaming tree, George said. It’s been sitting in that pot by the front door for over a month now.

"Over two months, Olana corrected. Perhaps it would be more appropriate to leave that spot in the middle of the Eureka Room, but you know Oscar’s dying to get that seedling in the ground."

The Hourglass Inn was originally scheduled to open November 1, 1949, and one of the more unusual design elements was the intertwined union of the intended innkeepers’ dreaming trees in the center of the Eureka Room. The fact that Everest’s walnut and Riviera’s magnolia trees were now decayed scrap wood was a sobering reminder that beneath the glitzy surface of their present Earth lives was a sand-less existence.

You’re right. I’ll ask Oscar where he suggests and be done with it, George said, shrugging off the melancholy. He tightened the paint cap and saluted Oscar, who had left the wheelbarrow at the water’s edge and now walked on the wooden dock that lead out to the trampoline.

Today’s the day, right? Oscar asked.

Yes, I’m ready to help you plant that walnut twig-ling wherever you think best, George said.

Before you go, how is Ozilline doing? Olana asked.

Oscar took off his sunglasses for cleaning, gave a slight snort, and said, Better. Then stifling a smirk, he said, Although those mice are still taking over her kitchen.

Oh gross, you’re kidding, Olana grunted. Landon and Marnie said you guys ambushed them last night.

I’m afraid the temperature increase has awoken yet another of the many gifts leftover from you-know-who, Oscar said.

He meant Leap, the Other Season and former resident of the abandoned mansion. Their nighttime assaults on the rats had been successful, but there was still a peculiar variety of sunshine shrews that only came out in daylight.

As if I don’t have enough to do, Oscar said. Now I’ve got Ozilline yelping at me!

Those rats all head straight to the kitchen, Olana said.

Ah, yes, food Mecca, Ozilline’s new permanent spot, George said, rolling his eyes.

The previous two evenings he and Olana had been quarantined to their studio so Oscar and his army (Marnie, Landon, three dogs, and one cat) could rid the house of rodents. Furthermore, since her departure from the Possibility Emporium, Ozilline had become fully employed all-day, every-day in her own galley.

So what’s the remedy… other than luring Ozzy out of her safety zone? Olana asked.

As admittedly entertaining as it is to watch her shoosh and shimmy from on top of the countertop, I’ve got to get rid of those pests, Oscar said. Honestly, it’s been ages since I’ve seen our Ozilline in such a funk, but there is one thing guaranteed to get her out of both the house and the dumps – the beauty parlor.

Right, she mentioned something at breakfast, Olana said.

Why did Marnie get so fidgety? George wanted to know.

Once a year Ozilline drags Marnie for a mandatory de-frizzing treatment, Oscar said, as his smile emerged. You should go along. You’d definitely get a kick out of meeting Zing’s hairstylist supreme, Damita. Oscar scratched his head and then with some hesitation added, "Just remember you can trust Damita with anything you want her to know."

Olana gave double thumbs-up and wished them both happy planting. She put down her paintbrush, stretched out in the sunshine and enjoyed the intermission, as she suspected the next saga would begin soon enough.

The two guys chatted about the insignificant as they strolled on the dock back to the pond’s edge. Oscar asked if the water was warm enough for everyone’s tastes.

The kids said it was just right, George replied.

I might need to drain the water or at least go snorkeling to make sure there isn’t any trouble beneath the surface, Oscar said.

How in the world do you drain a pond? George wondered but didn’t ask.

It’s probably safe enough for now to keep Horace on patrol whenever we’re swimming, Oscar concluded. Horace was Leap’s former pet Great Dane (previously named Peeves) and a welcome addition to the family.

Oscar grabbed the wheelbarrow’s handles and said, There’s a nice clearing on the front yard’s west side or in the back between the gazebo and the porch.

Backyard is fine with me, George said.

Good choice, Oscar said. Your walnut variety should attract plenty of squirrels and chipmunks, so it might be fun to pitch our hammock nearby.

With garden beds of tulips and irises, fields of hyacinths and crocuses, and groves of fruit trees flowering, no one knew how Oscar would top his spring plan. As they casually walked up the hillside, George got a preview of what would be in store as soon as the springtime remains were cleared away.

You’ve never seen – or smelled – anything sweeter than walking down that cobblestone path when those fruit trees are ripe, Oscar said. Oranges, cherries, apples, pears, peaches, and more all lined up. Have you ever tasted fresh figs?

Well, freshly picked… and then shipped, George replied.

The flower beds are all filled with begonias, lilies and dahlias in shades of blue, purple, and pink, Oscar said, pointing to the numerous garden spots. I’m going to transplant the rest of my dancing pine and waltzing spruce trees as well. I think they’d make a nice border along the east side. I’ve also been tinkering with a hybrid wallflower… plan to try it along the gazebo’s pillars.

Wow, sounds really nice, George said, trying to visualize.

Marnie wants red velvet gladiolas with a border of yellow dandelions and orange-striped finetigers to circle her laughing willow, Oscar continued, as he waved in her direction.

"Aren’t dandelions considered weeds?" George asked.

"Not the ones in my landscape, Oscar said. Which reminds me – I need to ask Landon if he wants to transplant his maple tree up from his former cottage at Lake Englenook."

George smiled as Oscar’s statement triggered another pleasant memory – his very first day in Zing. It was no surprise that Landon had chosen his dreaming tree from the maple family after his love affair with everything edible at Maybelle’s Maple Lodge.

That small patch near the rock garden is for vegetables, Oscar pointed out. They grow and re-grow so quickly, I don’t need to devote much space to a season full of fresh lettuce, spinach, beans, tomatoes, carrots, and corn.

Sounds tasty, George said.

That nostalgic ivy starting on both sides of the house will continue to creep, and those urns all along the porch and steps will get a fresh dose of juniper and jasmine, Oscar added. Wait ‘til you see my climbing tea rose sculptures along the patio wall.

I’m tired just listening, George murmured. Would you like some help?

It’s still in my green house, but Ozilline wants an arch covered in honeysuckle, wild ganderberries, and grapevine to go directly outside the kitchen nook, so we can enjoy the inevitable flock of crooning-doves, sunset-larks, and silver-tongue warblers.

When he said, That’s only the backyard, George broke in with a request not to spoil the surprise while Oscar caught his breath.

I guess I do get a little eager, don’t I? Oscar chucked.

George laughed too, as Oscar was normally the most eager-less in the bunch.

Alright, let’s plant your tree before Ozilline starts clamoring for her mouse-kateer again, Oscar said.

When they reached the ideal spot, Oscar handed George the shovel and told him it was traditional to dig one’s own hole.

How deep does it need to be? George asked, heaving into the soil.

Two or three more good scoops should be plenty, Oscar answered. Then, we’ll add some mega-moisturizing-mulch around the base.

And that’s it? George said.

That’s it for today, Oscar said as he gingerly pulled the stalk and roots out of the clay pot. This tree won’t respond until you re-connect with Reality. Tomorrow morning when you awake in Zing… that’ll be the true test of your dreaming tree.

What should I expect? George asked.

I’m curious myself, as this is the first time an adult Puresand has ever planted a tree, Oscar said. Normally it’s given by Mirabella within the first year of life and then grows very quickly to full grandeur by adolescence. Hopefully it maintains its vitality and beauty through adulthood, but as the individual grows older sometimes the dreams start to fade… and the tree begins to degenerate.

So nearly thirty years of my hopes and aspirations will be represented by this twig in the ground? George asked with sweat mounting on his brow. What will that look like?

You tell me, Oscar said. What’s the reading on your personal dream monitor right now back in Reality?

Better… definitely improving, George replied thoughtfully. Teaching is going well, but I’m not sure it’s enough. Now that school is out I’d really like to spend some time thinking… maybe even writing. I can’t put my finger on it, but it feels like I’m being called to some greater purpose.

"Teaching is the highest calling, Oscar said. The sand is certainly stirring in your system, and that magic within is longing to express itself… as you said, for the greater good."

Fatherhood has certainly boosted my moral, too, George added with a smile.

I don’t think you’ll have anything to be worried or embarrassed about in regards to your dreaming tree, Oscar said.

"I