“You can have it for a week.”
That’s what they told us and we were more than happy with that. Hiring through a local business and not some city mob we got a great weekend price made even better thanks to the fact that bouncy castle business was booming.
So we watched on with excitement as the air pump inflated the giant giraffe that rose so high its head could be seen by every passerby. I flagged with the owner that COVID cases in other states were on the rise.
“She’ll be right mate,” came the woman’s reply, quick as a flash. “We’ve closed our borders remember?”
“Of course,” I agreed.
At that stage there was nobody going out and nobody coming in. What could possibly go wrong?
That weekend we celebrated in style a joint birthday party for our daughter Boo (11) and niece Tilly (7). Eighteen candle flames flickering and then extinguished in two blows. Throughout the afternoon as the party merrily continued on flattery disguised as praise gushed forth from friends and family.
“Where did you get the bouncy castle?”
“We were thinking of hiring a castle for our next party…”
Nobody was the least bit concerned about a little thing like COVID…
And then in a flash, which some of us predicted, our state was in lockdown. March became April, then May, and still this giraffe towered over us. The kids loved being forced to stay home since the bouncy castle was still a novelty. As winter came and went, bringing with it the occasional windy or rainy day, it became more and more difficult to blow up and bounce on the giraffe after it got wet, that poor giant far preferred the drier days.
Eventually, the company returned to pick up a mouldy, bedraggled castle. We still laugh, my wife and I, when we think back on the deal of a lifetime. We had almost six months' worth of fun.
Not bad considering what they said….
“You can have it for a week.”
Tim Law is from somewhere near the Murray River in Southern Australia. Father of three teens, he loves writing stories and poetry when he is not working at the local library. You can find his musings and views on life HERE.
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