Summary:  Adam gets into a sticky mess at Halloween.  This is a fun story written for an October 2015 photo challenge.  The posted picture was the challenge – what were Hoss and Joe looking at?

Rating K   Word count = 1000

Ponderosa Tiger

“Hop Sing!  Hop Sing!”  I flew into the house letting the door slam against the credenza.  I didn’t care, this was an emergency!  “Hop Sing!!”  Where is he?  He always appears before we even call.  Where is he when I really need him?!

Pa appeared around the corner from his desk. “Adam, what’s wrong?  Calm down and…”  Pa never finished his sentence.  I saw his look.  I will never forget it.  My appearance must be worse than I thought.

“Adam, what happened to you?”

“Not now, Pa.  I need Hop Sing.  Where the hell is he?”

I ran into the kitchen.  Hop Sing was just coming in the back door.  I grabbed him, making him spill his basket of beans.  He cursed at me in Chinese then yelled in English.

“What you do?!  You pick up beans! Why you make mess?! Mr. Adam clean up….”

He looked up at me.  He had that wide-eyed look too. Same as Pa’s.

“Mr. Adam, what happen you?  What this?  You okay?”

“Hop Sing, I need your help.  You’ve got to get this off.  I can’t look like this tomorrow.  Please help me. Say you can fix it!”

Forgetting the beans on the floor, he grabbed my arm and dragged me into the living room by the fire – the brightest light.  He looked at my face, turning my head from side to side with his hand.  Next, he swiped a finger down my cheek.  He licked his finger, smacking his tongue as he rolled his eyes upward in thought.  Finally, he leaned in real close and sniffed.  I rolled my eyes and looked at Pa.  Pa was no help.  I could see he was doing his best trying not to laugh (and failing miserably).

My patience was wearing thin.  “Well?  Can you get it off?”

“Hop Sing know what to do, but take time.”

“How much time?”  I asked, panicked and suspicious.

“Not before tomorrow.”  Hop Sing ducked as I swung my arms up in frustration, and he disappeared into the kitchen.

“Pa!  Do something.  I can’t go to town like this tomorrow.  This is a disaster!”  I ran my hands through my hair and sank into the blue chair.

Getting control of his mirth, Pa laid a gentle hand on my shoulder.  “Son, let’s calm down.  While we wait for Hop Sing, why don’t you tell me what happened.”

I sighed loudly then looked up into Pa’s face.  His amusement at my situation still danced in his eyes.

“Alright.  As you know, I was at the orphanage this morning with Joe and Hoss.  We got all the leaves and twigs cleaned up after the storm.  After all the work, Mrs. Miller invited us to stay for the Halloween Party.  Joe and Hoss had other plans but I said I would stay, and offered to help where needed.  One of the activities was to paint a picture of a pumpkin.  Mrs. Miller asked me to carry a pail of orange paint out to the table to fill up some smaller jars.  Before I got to the table some boys came running across the room not looking where they were going.  I hollered for them to watch out but it was too late.  Me, the pail, and the four boys all went tumbling.  The paint went everywhere.  Sadie Watkins was there and came over to help.  She took me back to the kitchen to try to get the paint off my face.  All she did was smear it around.  I thanked her for her help and shot out the back door to get home as fast as I could, hoping Hop Sing could help.

“Pa, I have got to get cleaned up.  I can’t look like this tomorrow, and there is no one who can take my place.  What is taking Hop Sing so long?!”

Just then, I heard the sound of horses pounding into the yard.  Loud boot steps on the porch told me one thing.  My brothers were home.  I jumped from the chair and started to run for the kitchen, but I didn’t make it. I froze just as the door burst open.  I was caught in the middle of the room with nowhere to hide.

“Hey Pa, Adam!  Guess what we heard…”  They froze.  They’d seen me.  Their expressions would be forever carved in my memory.  Hoss’ face was stopped in mid word as he tried to make sense of my appearance.  Joe had cocked his head and had a sickly green look on his face.

“A-Adam?”  Joe’s voiced squeaked.  Suddenly, the room was filled with his high-pitched cackle, as he pointed at me and threw himself onto Hoss’ back.  Hoss, while laughing with tears streaming down his cheeks, just looked at me and pointed to the mirror by the long clock.

I crept over to the mirror, afraid to look, and could not believe what I saw.  Staring back at me was a jack-o-lantern’s face, orange all over with my dark eyes glaring out, my black eyebrows angled down toward my orange nose, and a snarled smirk on my lips.  The rest of me looked like a tiger as the orange paint had run in streaks down my black shirt in stripes.

“Oh Lord.  Pa!”  I spun around to find my father laughing as hard as my brothers.  Hop Sing had come out too, laughing and shaking his head at my appearance. “I am supposed to substitute for Abigail Jones at school tomorrow.  How am I going to do that looking like this?”  I raised my hands to indicate my appearance.

“I don’t know son,” Pa said through fits of laughter.  “But at least you have your Halloween costume all set for tonight.”

That sent everyone, except for yours truly, into louder gales of laughter that I’m sure could be heard clear to Virginia City.  I stood with my feet spread apart, knees locked, and arms crossed over my chest, and glared at each person, hoping for this Halloween nightmare to end.

The End

Tags:  Adam Cartwright, Family