The Sparrow's 'Wing'

The enormous spotlights that illuminated the tranquil Live Oak Gardens and its one thousand over-sized sculptures shut down acre by rolling acre. The waning crescent moon and the starry night sky bathed the grounds in a soft, glistening ashen hue. The smell of honeysuckle, sweet peonies, and gardenia infused the high humidity of the breeze that lifted off the ocean a mile away.

“Are they gone yet?” His eyes glanced left to right and back again.

“I think so.” Only the corner of her well carved alabaster lips moved. “Ah…chew! Ah…chew!” She bent forward clenching her nose and mouth.

“Bless you my dear.” He said still standing motionless.

“Oh, this darn rhododendron always makes me sneeze.” She furiously brushed away the thick branch, tipped with a round puff of pink blossoms, from her nose.

“I think the coast is clear.” He jumped down from his chiseled soapstone plinth. “Let me help you, my love.” He extended his right hand toward her, still clutching his anvil in his left and helped her down from her scallop shell.

“Hermes, it’s time! Wake up!” Hephaestus yelled across the immaculately manicured lawn.

Hermes woke suddenly as the sprinkler system engaged and sprayed a chilled mist on his patina. He made a loud screeching sound when he moved his bronze silhouette.

“Geez, Hephaestus you don’t have to yell. I know what time it is. They have me practically welded to a sundial for goodness sake.”

“The sun isn’t shining, genius,” said Hephaestus in cynical tone.

“Oh, yeah,” Hermes chuckled and turned to Aphrodite. “Mmm…mmm…mmm, girl you’re lookin’ good tonight.”

She would have blushed if she could. She smiled instead.

“Watch it, Hermes,” he snarled. His face nearly cracked as he distorted it in anger. “That’s my wife you’re talking too.”

“What did you expect marrying the goddess of love and beauty? You should have married Medusa then no one would ever be looking at your wife.” Hermes smirked then spoke again. “She would have turned you to stone if you ever made her mad though.”

“We’re already stone, Einstein,” he said facetiously.

Hermes stretched his arms and shook out his legs like a sprinter getting ready for a 25K race.

“Well, time for a long night of work. See you at the wing, beautiful.” He winked at Aphrodite then turned to Hephaestus, “Later sucker!” He soared out of sight leaving only a golden beam of flaming bronze and the outline of his winged sandals lingering behind him in the darkness.

“The wing, what wing?” She asked. He deliberately didn’t answer her.

“Gosh, I hate that guy. He’s always ogling you and flirting.”

“Oh honey, don’t let him get to you. He has a hard job waking everyone with the swish of his cheesy, little magic wand. This park has over 7,000 acres,” Aphrodite said gently petting the tiny marble dove perched on her shoulder.

“He is a messenger god, that’s his job. He was built for speed and still he complains,” remarked Hephaestus.

“Let’s go to Myrtle Grove. You know it’s my favorite place,” she said.

“We will, I promise, but first we have somewhere to be. After you my dear,” he bowed and waved his hand in a romantic gesture.

They walked hand in exquisitely sculpted hand for several minutes.

“Where are we going?” Aphrodite asked. “I haven’t been to this part of the grounds before.”

“They are still working on it.”

Flowers and small plants were splayed along the edge of the red brick walkway. Freshly dug holes showed their future resting places. As they rounded the tall trees of The Myrtle Grove, Hephaestus lifted the bright orange fence closing in the newly constructed area.

“What is this place?” She asked.

Suddenly, her eyes stared in amazement as fuchsia, azure, emerald and violet lights shimmered up into the atmosphere. The source of the radiance was coming from the pink granite statue of Hyperion, Titan god of light. He was standing in a large circular pond surrounded by every statuette that inhabited the gardens.

“It’s a new installation,” Hephaestus said pulling Aphrodite closer to the crowd.

“Glad to see you made it,” said the goddess Isis as she turned and approached Aphrodite handing her a luscious bouquet of white lilies.

“Ouch! Watch where you’re going with those wings Isis. I almost dropped it,” grumbled Atlas.

“Don’t mind him,” whispered Isis. “He’s just grumpy because he has the weight of the world on his shoulders. I’d be grumpy to if I had to carry a three ton sphere on my back everyday.”

“Wine here, get your wine here!” Dionysus yelled as he poured the jade Ganesh a goblet from the infinite supply of his decanter. “It helps to be the god of wine. I make a fortune at these events.”

“Honey,” Hephaestus turned to Aphrodite. “Welcome to our new home, The Sparrow’s Wing!” The crowd cheered. She stared closer at the pond. Two gilded golden platforms were flanked by thirty-four glimmering Kordofanian sparrows and eight winged cherubim each spouting water from the center of the pond.

“That one looks like its peeing!” Hermes yelled from somewhere in the crowd.

The night sky was slowly turning lighter now. A ram’s horn blew in the distance. It was the signal that the first employees of the day had entered the front gate.

“Go everyone, now!” Hyperion announced in a deep piercing voice. “Get back to your stations.” Everyone scattered back to their nooks hidden in the maze of the gardens.

Hephaestus and Aphrodite climbed onto their newly built plinths and then froze back to solid stone just as the first landscape gardeners entered the area.

“Glad you guys moved these sculptures yesterday on my day off. They have to be two thousand pounds each,” said the gardener.

“We didn’t. The crane isn’t scheduled until tomorrow.”

The Midnight Garden

The enormous spotlights that illuminated the tranquil Huntington Gardens and its one hundred and six over-sized sculptures shut down acre by rolling acre. The waning crescent moon and the starry night sky bathed the grounds in a soft, glistening ashen hue. The smell of honeysuckle, sweet peonies, and gardenia infused the high humidity of the breeze that lifted off the ocean a mile away.
“Are they gone yet?” His eyes glanced left to right and back again.
“I think so.” Only the corner of her well carved cream alabaster lips moved. “Ah…chew! Ah…chew!” She bent forward clenching her nose or mouth.
“Bless you my dear.” He said still standing motionless.
“I hate this stupid rhododendron.” She furiously brushed away the thick branch, tipped with a round puff of pink blossoms, from her nose.
“I think the coast is clear.” He jumped down from his chiseled soapstone plinth. “Let me help you, my love.” He extended his right hand toward her, still clutching his anvil in his left and helped her down from her scallop shell.
“Hermes, it’s time! Wake up!” Hephaestus yelled across the immaculately manicured lawn.
Hermes woke suddenly as the sprinkler system engaged and sprayed a chilled mist on his patina. He made a loud screeching sound when he moved his bronze silhouette.
“Geez, Hephaestus you don’t have to yell. I know what time it is. They have me practically welded to a sundial for goodness sake.”
“The sun isn’t shining, genius,” said Hephaestus in cynical tone.
“Oh, yeah,” Hermes chuckled and turned to Aphrodite. “Mmm…mmm…mmm, damn girl you’re lookin’ good tonight.”
She would have blushed if she could.
“Watch it, Hermes,” he snarled. His face nearly cracked as he distorted it in anger. “That’s my wife you’re talking too.”
“What did you expect marrying the goddess of love and beauty? You should have married Medusa then no one would ever be looking at your wife. She would have turned you to stone if you pissed her off though.”
“We’re already stone, Einstein,” he was being facetious.
Hermes stretched his arms and shook out his legs like a sprinter getting ready for a 25K race.
“Well, time for a long night of work. See you at the ceremony, beautiful.” Hermes said then turned to Hephaestus, “Later, sucker!” He soared out of sight leaving only a golden beam of flaming bronze and the outline of his winged sandals lingering behind him in the darkness.
“What ceremony?” She asked. He deliberately didn’t answer her. The surprise would be ruined.
“Gosh, I hate that guy. He’s always ogling you and flirting.”
“Oh honey, don’t let him get to you. He has a hard job waking everyone with the swish of his cheesy, little magic wand. This park has over 7,000 acres,” Aphrodite said gently petting the tiny alabaster dove perched on her shoulder.
“He is built for speed and still he complains,” remarked Hephaestus.
“Let’s go to Myrtle Grove. You know it’s my favorite place,” she said.
“We will, I promise, but first we have somewhere to be. After you my dear,” he bowed and waved his hand in a romantic gesture.
They walked hand in exquisitely sculpted hand for several minutes.
“Where are we going? I haven’t been to this part of the grounds before.”
“They are still planting it.”
Flowers and small plants were splayed along the edge of the brick walkway. Freshly dug holes showed their future resting places. As they rounded the tall trees of Live Oak Alley, he lifted the bright orange fence closing in the newly constructed area.
“What is this place?” She looked amazed as crimson, azure, emerald and violet lights shimmered in the atmosphere. The source of the radiance was coming from the pink granite statue of Hyperion, Titan god of light. He was standing in a large circular pond surrounded by every figure that inhabited the gardens.
“It a new installation,” Hephaestus said pulling Aphrodite closer to the crowd.
“Glad to see you made it,” said Isis as she turned and approached Aphrodite handing her a luscious bouquet of white lilies.
“Ouch! Watch where you’re going with those wings Isis. I almost dropped it,” grumbled Atlas.
“Don’t mind him,” whispered Isis. “He’s just grumpy because he has the weight of the world on his shoulders. I’d be grumpy to if I had to carry a three ton sphere on my back everyday.”
“Wine here, get your wine here!” Dionysus yelled as he poured the jade Ganesh a goblet from the infinite supply of his decanter. “It helps to be the god of wine. It makes me a fortune at these events.”
“Honey,” Hephaestus turned to Aphrodite. “Welcome to our new home.” The crowd cheered. She stared closer at the pond. Two gilded golden platforms flanked by eight cherubs spouting water rose out from the center of the water.
“That one looks like its peeing!” Hermes yelled from somewhere in the crowd.
The night sky was slowly turning lighter now. A ram’s horn blew in the distance. It was the signal that the first employees of the day had entered the front gate.
“Go everyone!” Hyperion announced in a deep piercing voice. “Get back to your stations.” Everyone scattered back to their nooks hidden in the maze of the garden.
Hephaestus and Aphrodite climbed onto their newly built plinths and then froze back to solid stone just as the first landscape gardeners entered the area.
“Glad you guys moved these sculptures yesterday on my day off. They have to be two thousand pounds each,” said the gardener.
“We didn’t. The crane isn’t scheduled until tomorrow.”