Part 1:
South Florida’s balmy embrace felt great, like a warm hug from a fuzzy-sweater grandmother.
Back home, winter's chill still lingered in the early days of April.
In Miami, however, palm trees waved from brilliant skies.
Moist air bounced to steamy serenades.
Life was carefree.
Rick had booked the hotel and convinced Mom and Dad to let me go.
Dale blinked us down for five days of escape.
My brother gladly took a vacation from Hyung’s Carpets, trading showroom samples and stain-resistant fibers for lazy ocean waves.
Back home, winter's chill still lingered in the early days of April.
In Miami, however, palm trees waved from brilliant skies.
Moist air bounced to steamy serenades.
Life was carefree.
Rick had booked the hotel and convinced Mom and Dad to let me go.
Dale blinked us down for five days of escape.
My brother gladly took a vacation from Hyung’s Carpets, trading showroom samples and stain-resistant fibers for lazy ocean waves.
Sweat dripped from my forehead as we strolled to lunch on that third day of the trip.
The hot pavement burned the pads on Dale’s paws. We walked in the scrub brush beside the road.
Suddenly a strange voice, raspy and rough, stopped us mid-step.
“Hurry up, hurry up, it’s gettin’ closer!”
We detected no one.
Tall weeds rustled as something shot from the brush, round and hard and straight for my face.
I moved just in time – but twisted my gaze into the sun!
Dark spots bounced before me as I rued my lost sunglasses.
Momentarily blinded, I could only crouch and wait.
“What was that?” I asked.
No answer.
“Rick? Dale? Are you there?”
My vision cleared to the sight of Dale chasing an orange ball … that was actively trying to evade him.
The hot pavement burned the pads on Dale’s paws. We walked in the scrub brush beside the road.
Suddenly a strange voice, raspy and rough, stopped us mid-step.
“Hurry up, hurry up, it’s gettin’ closer!”
We detected no one.
Tall weeds rustled as something shot from the brush, round and hard and straight for my face.
I moved just in time – but twisted my gaze into the sun!
Dark spots bounced before me as I rued my lost sunglasses.
Momentarily blinded, I could only crouch and wait.
“What was that?” I asked.
No answer.
“Rick? Dale? Are you there?”
My vision cleared to the sight of Dale chasing an orange ball … that was actively trying to evade him.
The ball spun side to side, quickly changing directions, yet still couldn’t elude the nimble lion.
Dale scooped it up with his mouth and trotted back to us.
“It’s got me!” said the raspy voice. “Get out of here! Go!”
Two more orange balls burst from the high grass and launched at Dale.
Dale scooped it up with his mouth and trotted back to us.
“It’s got me!” said the raspy voice. “Get out of here! Go!”
Two more orange balls burst from the high grass and launched at Dale.
One merely skimmed his mane, while the other smacked hard into his backside.
He spit out the ball with an “Owww!” as voices exploded everywhere:
“Hang on!”
“Save yourselves!”
“Aim for its head!”
The orbs moved with precision, making tighter turns than any remote-controlled objects ever could.
I soon realized these were more than balls.
They were Florida’s most famous edible exports.
We were being attacked by oranges.
He spit out the ball with an “Owww!” as voices exploded everywhere:
“Hang on!”
“Save yourselves!”
“Aim for its head!”
The orbs moved with precision, making tighter turns than any remote-controlled objects ever could.
I soon realized these were more than balls.
They were Florida’s most famous edible exports.
We were being attacked by oranges.