Sequel: Fallen Embers ›
The Fire
New Year's Eve
The 31st arrived with everyone excited about the night Sabrina had planned for them. About noon Sabrina went to get the extended passenger van that served as a main vehicle for the Hopeful Farm. The white van had the farm logo which was a black horse's head which was posted on the side and back of the van, with the words Hopeful Farm, Rock Stream NY underneath it. The woman pulled the van in front of a garage, jumped out and retrieved 2 huge coolers and a small TV and placed them in the cargo area. She jumped back in and pulled the van up to the back door so everyone could put their garment bags and overnight bags in the cargo also.
"I call shotgun" yelled Tre as Joey, Stella, and Ramona piled into the back bench seat. Adie sat between Frankito's booster seat and Jake in the middle bench seat. Britt sat behind Sabrina with Mike next to her and Billie on the end. Tre climbed into the passenger side and finally after rearranging the luggage, Sabrina swung into the drivers seat.
"Are we there yet?" Tre asked in a childish voice which made the kids in the back giggle uncontrollably.
"Yea, are we there yet?" Joey piped up mimicking his Uncle Tre.
Sabrina rolled her eyes at her 33 year old going on 12 husband. "Noooo, and if that question is asked again, I won't made a planned stop to pick up soda and chips for your room kiddos. And as for you husband, if I hear that from you again, you will get a far worse punishment."
"Punishment?" Tre asked with a cocky grin. "I'm in distress oh Mistress I confess..."
"Frank... I'm warning you..." Sabrina glared at her husband.
"Uh-oh.... Tre's in trouble, Tre's in trouble..." Billie snorted, "Sabrina used his real name."
Tre turned around to glare at the lead singer and promptly gave him the finger. That made Billie laugh even harder since Tre didn't dare speak up again since he didn't want punishment from Sabrina, at least not what she had in mind.
Sabrina stopped at the gate leading to the main road. "Dear God, we aren't even out of the driveway and onto black top and you boys are driving me insane." She said with a sigh. "We have a 40 minute trip or so." Sabrina reached across Tre's lap and snapped open the glove compartment. She fumbled inside for a minute before pulling out what she was looking for. "Got to LOVE duct tape," Sabrina said with an evil grin as she passed it back to Britt. "Use it when needed" she told the younger blonde.
Tre, Mike, and Billie all pasted innocent looks on to their faces as Britt held the roll of tape in the air and screamed "BEHOLD THE POWER OF THE TAPE!" That made the young kids laugh uncontrollably again which made Sabrina snort with laughter herself as she swung the van onto the main road to head into Watkins Glen.
Upon arriving in town, Sabrina guided the van into a parking lot and drove toward her bank's ATM machine. "God Dammit" she mumbled to herself when she realized that the van was much higher than the ATM machine. With a warning look at her husband as she pulled her wallet out of her jacket pocket, Sabrina deftly plucked out a card and nearly climbed out the window to reach the ATM machine. Tre watched as her ass was in the air and as he went to smack it a voice from outside the van drifted in.
"Frank, I'm warning you, don't you dare."
Billie started laughing again as Tre once again got shot down by Sabrina. "She has you pegged my man."
"I don't know how she knew what I was going to do," Tre complained.
"Geez Tre, I put myself in your shoes, and I would have tried to smack my ass too." Sabrina said with a groan as she scrambled back into the van. She quickly placed the money, card, and receipt back into her wallet, and put the van back into drive and drove back onto the main drag. "I figured we would stop at Wright's for soda, chips, and booze for the before and after party," Sabrina explained with a smile and an evil twinkle in her eye. "I'm taking a ride to the liquor store. I'm looking for a beer and a little bit more..." she started to sing.
The adults in the van cracked up laughing at Sabrina singing The Network song. The older woman snorted at the laughter. Tre stuck a finger in his mouth and licked an imaginary line in the air. "Sabrina 1, Green Day zero" Within minutes the van arrived at the stores and everyone piled out to make their purchases. Within 15 minutes the van was back on the road headed down Route 14 South toward Elmira, with 2 coolers filled with liquid and ice; one with soda for the under 21 crowd and one with beer, wine, and liquor.
As they drove through the small towns on the way to Elmira, Sabrina pointed out local landmarks, such as the Royal Treat ice cream place in Millport. Mike was interested in the drive and was asking questions. "Now is Elmira near the airport?" he asked the woman driving.
"Actually, we are going the opposite direction from the airport. Elmira is east of the airport." Sabrina answered while manoeuvring the van through the construction of the new Interstate 86 at the existing Route 17 in Horseheads. "God, I'll be happy when they finish up this mess. Like 2008 it should be finished." The woman muttered while get jostled around by the uneven road.
Within 10 minutes from getting past the construction zone, Sabrina pulled into the Riverside Holiday Inn. She pulled the van under the canopy and deftly shifted into park and turned off the motor. "All out, we'll check in and then pull around back to unload."
Everyone piled out of the van and went inside the hotel. The front desk clerk looked up with shook at the celebrities who were walking into the lobby. Tre bounded up to the desk and grabbed the startled woman's hand. "Behave Frank" Sabrina muttered which got Billie Joe laughing all over again. Tre mumbled something about damn women and making him behave under his breath which added to Billie's laughter. Adie came up beside her husband and smacked him on the arm and told him to behave. Now that got Tre laughing and he stuck out his tongue to the singer.
Sabrina moved to the front of the desk and spoke up. "Hi, ignore the children disguised as adults. There are 4 rooms for us for tonight's party. Two rooms are under 'Wright' and the other rooms are under 'Armstrong' and 'Pritchard'. I am taking care of the bill for all the rooms though. We also need 3 keys for the kid's room which has the extra bed." she said as she pulled out her black American Express card.
"No Sabrina, we are paying for our own rooms," Mike stated.
"Ummm, no you aren't," Sabrina replied. "Where I come from you treat your guests that you invite. I invited you to New York and there fore that makes you all my guests. End of discussion. My momma raised me right," and she ended her speech by sticking out her own tongue to the tall bass player who just shook his head at the woman.
"Okay, just one favor, please miss," Sabrina asked of the clerk. "Please don't tell the band that we are here. I want to surprise them," she giggled. The clerk nodded her head and watched at the group left the lobby to climb back into the van. Sabrina started the motor and quickly pulled into the parking lot and guided the van toward a back entrance to the hotel.
"I call shotgun" yelled Tre as Joey, Stella, and Ramona piled into the back bench seat. Adie sat between Frankito's booster seat and Jake in the middle bench seat. Britt sat behind Sabrina with Mike next to her and Billie on the end. Tre climbed into the passenger side and finally after rearranging the luggage, Sabrina swung into the drivers seat.
"Are we there yet?" Tre asked in a childish voice which made the kids in the back giggle uncontrollably.
"Yea, are we there yet?" Joey piped up mimicking his Uncle Tre.
Sabrina rolled her eyes at her 33 year old going on 12 husband. "Noooo, and if that question is asked again, I won't made a planned stop to pick up soda and chips for your room kiddos. And as for you husband, if I hear that from you again, you will get a far worse punishment."
"Punishment?" Tre asked with a cocky grin. "I'm in distress oh Mistress I confess..."
"Frank... I'm warning you..." Sabrina glared at her husband.
"Uh-oh.... Tre's in trouble, Tre's in trouble..." Billie snorted, "Sabrina used his real name."
Tre turned around to glare at the lead singer and promptly gave him the finger. That made Billie laugh even harder since Tre didn't dare speak up again since he didn't want punishment from Sabrina, at least not what she had in mind.
Sabrina stopped at the gate leading to the main road. "Dear God, we aren't even out of the driveway and onto black top and you boys are driving me insane." She said with a sigh. "We have a 40 minute trip or so." Sabrina reached across Tre's lap and snapped open the glove compartment. She fumbled inside for a minute before pulling out what she was looking for. "Got to LOVE duct tape," Sabrina said with an evil grin as she passed it back to Britt. "Use it when needed" she told the younger blonde.
Tre, Mike, and Billie all pasted innocent looks on to their faces as Britt held the roll of tape in the air and screamed "BEHOLD THE POWER OF THE TAPE!" That made the young kids laugh uncontrollably again which made Sabrina snort with laughter herself as she swung the van onto the main road to head into Watkins Glen.
Upon arriving in town, Sabrina guided the van into a parking lot and drove toward her bank's ATM machine. "God Dammit" she mumbled to herself when she realized that the van was much higher than the ATM machine. With a warning look at her husband as she pulled her wallet out of her jacket pocket, Sabrina deftly plucked out a card and nearly climbed out the window to reach the ATM machine. Tre watched as her ass was in the air and as he went to smack it a voice from outside the van drifted in.
"Frank, I'm warning you, don't you dare."
Billie started laughing again as Tre once again got shot down by Sabrina. "She has you pegged my man."
"I don't know how she knew what I was going to do," Tre complained.
"Geez Tre, I put myself in your shoes, and I would have tried to smack my ass too." Sabrina said with a groan as she scrambled back into the van. She quickly placed the money, card, and receipt back into her wallet, and put the van back into drive and drove back onto the main drag. "I figured we would stop at Wright's for soda, chips, and booze for the before and after party," Sabrina explained with a smile and an evil twinkle in her eye. "I'm taking a ride to the liquor store. I'm looking for a beer and a little bit more..." she started to sing.
The adults in the van cracked up laughing at Sabrina singing The Network song. The older woman snorted at the laughter. Tre stuck a finger in his mouth and licked an imaginary line in the air. "Sabrina 1, Green Day zero" Within minutes the van arrived at the stores and everyone piled out to make their purchases. Within 15 minutes the van was back on the road headed down Route 14 South toward Elmira, with 2 coolers filled with liquid and ice; one with soda for the under 21 crowd and one with beer, wine, and liquor.
As they drove through the small towns on the way to Elmira, Sabrina pointed out local landmarks, such as the Royal Treat ice cream place in Millport. Mike was interested in the drive and was asking questions. "Now is Elmira near the airport?" he asked the woman driving.
"Actually, we are going the opposite direction from the airport. Elmira is east of the airport." Sabrina answered while manoeuvring the van through the construction of the new Interstate 86 at the existing Route 17 in Horseheads. "God, I'll be happy when they finish up this mess. Like 2008 it should be finished." The woman muttered while get jostled around by the uneven road.
Within 10 minutes from getting past the construction zone, Sabrina pulled into the Riverside Holiday Inn. She pulled the van under the canopy and deftly shifted into park and turned off the motor. "All out, we'll check in and then pull around back to unload."
Everyone piled out of the van and went inside the hotel. The front desk clerk looked up with shook at the celebrities who were walking into the lobby. Tre bounded up to the desk and grabbed the startled woman's hand. "Behave Frank" Sabrina muttered which got Billie Joe laughing all over again. Tre mumbled something about damn women and making him behave under his breath which added to Billie's laughter. Adie came up beside her husband and smacked him on the arm and told him to behave. Now that got Tre laughing and he stuck out his tongue to the singer.
Sabrina moved to the front of the desk and spoke up. "Hi, ignore the children disguised as adults. There are 4 rooms for us for tonight's party. Two rooms are under 'Wright' and the other rooms are under 'Armstrong' and 'Pritchard'. I am taking care of the bill for all the rooms though. We also need 3 keys for the kid's room which has the extra bed." she said as she pulled out her black American Express card.
"No Sabrina, we are paying for our own rooms," Mike stated.
"Ummm, no you aren't," Sabrina replied. "Where I come from you treat your guests that you invite. I invited you to New York and there fore that makes you all my guests. End of discussion. My momma raised me right," and she ended her speech by sticking out her own tongue to the tall bass player who just shook his head at the woman.
"Okay, just one favor, please miss," Sabrina asked of the clerk. "Please don't tell the band that we are here. I want to surprise them," she giggled. The clerk nodded her head and watched at the group left the lobby to climb back into the van. Sabrina started the motor and quickly pulled into the parking lot and guided the van toward a back entrance to the hotel.