DIRECTOR OF THE FULL MOON

 Jerry, nice guy, and that little Schnauser was a snugglebug.

 

When Janette had traveled to Farley's Bookstore, there was another adventure in the sky.

 

The Challenger. A real teacher, Christa McAuliffe, had been trained as a lay astronaut, and would be leaving her earthly home and flying to the moon. In fact, she had brought notebooks of her students and would autograph each one during the space flight.

 

How triumphant she looked - almost like a beauty queen - with her jaunty walk - while stuffed into that cumbersome space suit.

 

Who wouldn't be inspired? Christa McAuliffe - never forget that name.

 

In fact, years later, though she was long dead and buried in Arlington Memorial Cemetery - her husband Larry had remarried and had kids of his own, her step-grandchildren.

 

And Janette, with her love of writing, had written several poems about the departed astronaut. She had called one of Christa's students, Everret, a precocious little fellow, though entirely made up, like so many other children: Oliver Twist, Hans and the Silver Skates and all of Doctor Doolittle's friends. 

 

The night of the Full Moon - or the Wolf Moon - Janette slept on her red couch in the living room. It doubled as a napping couch and seemed to wrap her into its red fists - and as she began to snore lightly, she imagined the Wolf Moon filled her entire living room and began to snuggle up to her. 

 

As a child when she and her family would drive from their home in Shaker Heights, Ohio, she asked, "Daddy, why is the moon following us everywhere?"

 

Dad turned down the radio and said, "It's not, Sweet Girl." He explained that the moon was so big, so gigantic, that it would take months and months for it to keep up with them. 

 

Would little Janette be able to learn everything she needed to? 

 

I will try my best. 

 

What she wanted to do was talk to neighbor Nancy. Did she appreciate the moon? Did her daughter Carol appreciate the moon? Did Nancy's husband, deceased Charley - pronounced "Cholly" in these parts of the suburbs - would he have appreciated the moon. 

 

And why should Janette care. Why on earth should she care?

 

Piano music poured from the Bose Radio in the living room. 

 

"John Serge, your evening host bringing you the most and the best of music right here in Radioland, WRTI-FM."

 

Please, please, she thought. Please say something about the moon.

 

She fell asleep and dreamt about Zeus, the king of gods, and how he disguised himself and made love to a maiden, who happened to be Janette.

 

Her fate was sealed. Love grew bigger and bigger. She became a baker, who could bake anything, adding a little yeast and water and flour and a bakery was founded in the very same Doylestown, PA, right next to Farley's Bookstore. 

 

END OF THIS PART