VIOLET is preparing bagged lunches, 3 of them

BARRY is sitting at a table

THEY are in a kitchen.  It is the evening of  July 3rd

FLYNN’s room is off to one side.

VIOLET

We could just let him go to the party.

BARRY

It’s a day for family.  This is the opportunity of a lifetime for him.  He doesn’t know what we’ve sacrificed – 

VIOLET

He’s a little young for that kind of pressure …

BARRY

– asking the Santini brothers to let him be in the show tomorrow.  Do you know how many Chinese New Years I had to do before my old man would let me do a 4th of July?  Some 10-year-old would set me off on the sidewalk on Mott street and if I didn’t BANG so loud that he could hear me all the way back in the apartment, I wouldn’t bother going home.

VIOLET

You’re going to ignite right now if you’re not careful and set us all off and we’ll be a mess for tomorrow.

BARRY

It’s just that he’s such a natural.  And we’re giving him the chance to debut 1,200 feet above the Hudson on the biggest day of the year, and he’d rather go out —

VIOLET

Hang out with his friends?  Like any teenager?

BARRY

It’s the most… it’s the only sacred night of the year. 

VIOLET

He wants to celebrate it.  But he wants to be with the other kids.

BARRY

All those nights I spent crammed into a tube, dressed in a toga with a bunch of other assholes just so some human delinquent could set me off in a parking lot.  And I’d do it every night just to see if I could get a little bit brighter, a little bit higher. 

VIOLET

You know how important parties seem when you’re that age.  He doesn’t want to miss anything.

BARRY

Do you think he’s just scared?

VIOLET

He’s certainly got the spark.  He gets that from you.  And he got an A+ in color…

BARRY

(Warmly)

He has your color.

VIOLET

And his gym teacher said he has a long, natural glide.  And his reports card was deafening.

BARRY

He’ll be terrific some day.  But maybe he’s not really ready the fourth…

VIOLET

It’s not that.  He’s just doing a peony.

BARRY

Some kid’ll be looking up for the first time during that peony.  We owe that kid a moment of awe.  And Flynn knows that.

VIOLET

Flynn can do a red peony.  He’s been doing them since he was little.  First in his kindergarten glass to burst, remember how proud you were?

BARRY

Sure, he set off 10 other kids and they were cleaning ash off the floor for days.  He was still glowing green by the time we got to the principal’s office.

VIOLET

Remember the principal?  “Where’d he learn green?  We don’t teach that until the second grade!  Even his teacher almost blew!  What are you going to do about this?”

BARRY

And I said “First, I’m going to shake his hand.  Then I’m going to take him home and start him on rubidium, he’ll be doing purple diadems in no time.”  He started so young…

VIOLET

Your pop really had a good influence on him.

BARRY

And he was really young when he first saw your sister Lauren burst.  And he just kept blossoming.  I mean, I was pretty good by the time I was his age, but he’s an artist. 

(Flynn has entered)

VIOLET

Hi honey.

FLYNN

If you guys don’t let me go to the party tomorrow, I’ll never do another July 4th with you guys.  Ever.

BARRY

You’re coming with us.  I promised the Santini Brothers, and they’re expecting you.  If you don’t come you might as well just go into mining, or quarry blasting or whatever.

VIOLET

It’s really important to your father (and I) that we all do this together.

FLYNN

I don’t care about the show or the Santini Brothers or the families or the kids down there or their stupid country.  It’s just a day on the calendar, just a bunch of light and loud noise, anyone can do it.

VIOLET

It means something to those people.

BARRY

And it means something to me.  To us.  It’s in our blood.  Before my pop came along, people heard us and said we sounded like thunder.  Now they hear thunder and say it sounds like us.

FLYNN

I can do the 4th next year.  All the elements are going to be there tomorrow.  And– 

BARRY

It’s gonna be a bunch of sparkplugs getting high on stinkbombs and huffing sparkler shavings.  I know it seems important.  But there’s nothing more important than this day, for this family. 

FLYNN

– I asked Dahlia to come with me and now we have our own finale planned.  Mom?

VIOLET

Sorry sweetie.  You’ll have all summer to see your friends.  Now go practice.  You’ve got to time your explosion just right.

FLYNN

Fine!  I’ll do the stupid peony tomorrow!

(FLYNN exits, slams door)

BARRY

I didn’t know that girl he likes was going to be there.

VIOLET

Is that the one he was doing crossettes with in the backyard the other day?

BARRY

They really nailed it.  Their stars broke apart at just the right moment, and her indigo and his orange looked great together. 

VIOLET

It was almost like when we met, the way they hung up in the air together.

BARRY

Thunder over Louisville, 1991.

VIOLET

Your weeping willow was up there forever.  I burst early just to get a better look, and you were still in full bloom when my ashes hit the ground.  I’d never seen anyone so bright.

BARRY

I thought you were red because of the strontium, I didn’t realize you were blushing.

VIOLET

And when we dipped into the magnesium so we could sneak back up there for the finale together, exploding at the exact same time…

BARRY

What a pure white you were.  Washed out the moon.

(Pause)

VIOLET

He really seems to like this girl.

BARRY

And we can all do the 4th together next year.

VIOLET

Are you sure?

(BARRY nods)

(Calling through the door)

Flynn?

(Opens door.  FLYNN is engaged in some form of “setting [him]self off”. As SHE enters, HE finishes by flinging a fistful of party snaps against the wall.)

OH!  Sorry!

(VIOLET exits quickly)

FLYNN

MOM!

BARRY

Well, you told him to practice.

VIOLET

(Composes herself)

Flynn, come out when you’re ready.  We want to talk to you about tomorrow.

FLYNN

(Enters, hands covered in soot)

I told you I’ll do it.

VIOLET

We’ve been thinking things over, and even though we can’t wait for you to join us in the show, you can go to the party tomorrow.

FLYNN

I can?

BARRY

I saw you two in the in backyard the other day.  You are so good at this.  Someday you’ll make thousands of people happy.  But tomorrow, go with the girl.

FLYNN

I didn’t know you saw.

VIOLET

We couldn’t help it.  You were so dazzling.

FLYNN

We were?  I mean, I think she’s the most luminous girl in the world, but I was dazzling too?

BARRY

You were.  You are. 

FLYNN

But it’s the 4th…

BARRY

You know I love the people down there.  I love that we know what’s in all the shells but every one is a surprise to them.  They talk about freedom in the language of flags and monuments.  But they can’t feel the freedom like we do, when we’re flying through the air packed with color and light.  So go high, go bright.

VIOLET

And next year we’ll all be together.

FLYNN

I wrote her a poem.  I’m real nervous.

VIOLET

Can we hear it?

FLYNN

Promise not to laugh?

BARRY

Of course we won’t laugh.

FLYNN

OK here goes.

(FLYNN clears his throat.  We hear a rapidly-escalating series of firework explosions, accompanied by bursts of colored light.  HE looks for a reaction.)

(VIOLET is clearly touched)

BARRY

You’re going to be brilliant, son.

END

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