Easter Sunday in Cloverdale, 2010

Hello All,
It is Easter Sunday in Cloverdale. Much of the village will be in the community’s churches for morning worship. Normally our extended family would attend our Mormon Sacrament Meeting held in Cloverdale’s Seventh Day Adventist Church but today all Mormon’s in the Confederacy will be staying home to watch the Church’s General Conference over Cloverdale Weekend Television. CWT is kind enough to broadcast the entire A.M. service. We must watch the P.M. service over the internet, which is why we are happy the village finally has high speed connections thanks to our recent switch over from dial analog service to digital service and push button phones! Cloverdale, our little village nestled between somewhere and nowhere finally joins the modern world of communications.

A Cloverdale Easter is just not Easter without a stop at Humbugs Handmade Chocolates and Fantastic Sweets near the Village Square on the High Street. They have the finest selection of sweets in the Shire. Humbug’s candy is guaranteed to have the highest quality. Of course you pay more for your sweets at Humbugs but when one considers the importance of Easter one realizes that such a special occasion requires only the best.

Yesterday I stopped at Humbugs for my Easter shopping while walking home from the train station. My journey on the Coastal Express from the Other World to the Confederacy and Cloverdale was pleasant; a satisfying start to a week away from school and camp for our Spring Vacation. I was nearly comatose from the gentle rocking of the train and the sound of the metal wheels on the tracks by the time the train reached Cloverdale's station. The conductor was kind to awaken me or I would have slept through the stop.

I sat my suitcases outside the front door of Humbugs and stepped through to the delightful smell of chocolate. The shop was crowded with Easter shoppers, each filling their baskets with various assortments of chocolate and confectionary fantasies. Children were gathered at the far end of the store completely enthralled by an impromptu magic show given by the shop’s owner, Nelson Tweed. Mr. Tweed wore a pair of rabbit ears, as did everyone else working in the shop. It was the shop's Easter tradition.

Mr. Tweed

At the other end of the shop one found samples of Humbug's newest confectionery creations. I was tempted to wait for a sample of the new caramel cream with peppermint egg but was too tired from my journey. I took a shopping basket from he doorway and proceeded to gather the necessary items required to make an unforgettable Cloverdale Easter. The magic show was a distraction, causing me to nearly forgot my Cadbury’s double yoke chocolate eggs, a big mistake which would have required another trip to the shop later that day had it not been for the watchful eye of Mrs. Tweed at the cash register. She knew Cadbury’s eggs were my one weakness (among many) and made a gentle reminder before she pushed the ‘total‘ button for the sale.

Mrs. Tweed

I gathered my purchases and walked for the door. A very kind Humbug employee opened the door and held my purchases while I rearranged the contents of one suitcase to make room for the package. A gust of wind nearly separated his rabbit ears from his head.

I walked the remaining three blocks down High Street before making the turn at the canal. It was good to be in the village again, even though the sky was dark with clouds and the wind was blowing in the smell of a cold rain. My joy just couldn't be dampened.

Today’s Easter Egg Hunt will start once the bunny (me) has time to sneak outside and down to the village green to find enough dry spots to hide the eggs. It has rained off and on throughout the morning making my job difficult, but not impossible with a bit of creativity.

There were other families on safari when I arrived so I waited until their eggs were collected before laying mine. I found something unusual sitting motionless a park bench near the south end of the green - a very tired Easter Bunny. I heard snoring coming from behind his mouth and whiskers. The snoring gave away his identity. It was Old Buster Perkins, Cloverdale’s Santa for hire at Christmas and Easter Bunny for hire at Easter. He was taking a well needed break before his next engagement.

I had a brilliant idea. I could use this sleeping giant rabbit for my own designs. I layed plastic eggs, each containing a small amount of coinage, in a line from his feet to the nearby green entrance. The children would be arriving soon and wouldn’t they be surprised to find the Easter Bunny waiting for them at end of their hunt!? I started feeling guilty while I waited for the children to arrive. I was using his services without payment. I decided to rescue him and offer a nice financial reward after he was awoken by the children.

I’ll end this note now. The cars are starting to arrive and I must have camera ready.

Simply,
Victor