Your Seventeenth Literary Gift of 25 Gifts to Christmas. Today we’ll look at my second series, Secret Supers. My campaign to give you 25 literary gifts by Christmas continues. This blog will give you a short excerpt from my Secret Supers novel.
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My past gifts to you are here:
- 25 Days to Christmas – 25 Literary Gifts for You
- Your Second Literary Gift! – 24 Gifts to Christmas.
- Your Third Literary Gift! – 22 Gifts Until Christmas
- Your Fourth Literary Gift! – 21 Gifts Until Christmas
- Your Fifth Literary Gift! – 20 Gifts Until Christmas
- Your Sixth Literary Gift! – 19 Gifts Until Christmas
- Your Seventh Literary Gift! – 18 Gifts Until Christmas
- Your Eighth Literary Gift! – 17 Gifts Until Christmas
- Your Ninth Literary Gift – A New Book! – Is it Christmas?
- Your Tenth Literary Gift – More from My New Book!
- Your Eleventh Literary Gift – My Non-fiction Book
- Your Twelfth Literary Gift of My 25 Gifts to You
- Your Thirteenth Literary Gift of My 25 Gifts to You
- Your Fourteenth Literary Gift of 25 Gifts
- Your Fifteenth Literary Gift of 25 Gifts
- Your Sixteenth Literary Gift of 25 Gifts
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Your Seventeenth Gift: From Secret Supers
When the Secret Supers met at Jeremy’s home after school the next Monday, Jeremy said, “I’ve found four or five card tricks that’ll be great for Dan to do.”
“I thought of something too,” said Aubrey.
What’s that? Kayla thoughtcast.
“Dan can do the floating woman trick with Kayla. Jeremy can make her float, and Dan can use my old hula hoop to prove she’s not held up by wires.”
Why don’t you do the trick?
“You’re a lot better looking than I am. Whoever heard of a big burly girl working with a magician?”
“You’re not bad looking, Aubrey,” Jeremy said.
“Thanks, Jeremy, but I prefer weight lifting to being on stage.”
“How about weight lifting on stage?” asked Dan.
“Sounds weird. How would we work that into a magic act?”
“After we do the levitation trick, we go outside and you can pick up a car, with Jeremy’s help.”
That would be pretty spectacular. People would think the levitation trick was the grand finale and then you’d top it with the car. Kayla thoughtcast.
“It’d have to be a pretty small car. I can only lift about a thousand pounds. I tried again today, and that seems to be my limit.”
“Yeah, but my telekinesis seems to be getting more powerful as I use it. I picked up one end of our family’s car the other day.”
“Wow, Jeremy! Let’s try to lift it together, right now.” Aubrey got up and marched up the stairs, followed by her friends. Jeremy floated behind them, excited to try it.
Planning the Magic Show
Jeremy sat in his wheelchair in front of the elevator. He’d left it there when he floated downstairs.
“Mom’s making dinner, but I don’t want her suddenly seeing me floating around.”
“I’ll let you know if she comes looking for you,” Dan assured him.
“Thanks, Dan. Well, here goes.” The back end of the car came up about six inches.
“That’s great, Jeremy! Let’s see if I can hold up my end of the bargain.” Aubrey squatted by the front bumper, grabbed it firmly in her hands, and slowly straightened her legs.
“You did it,” shouted Jeremy.
“Yeah.” She gasped. “But only for a short time.” She put it back down. “Whew! That was my limit.”
“That’s good,” said Jeremy. “You want to give the impression of it being very difficult.”
Now, what we need is a script.
“What do you mean, Kayla?”
These magic shows are carefully planned for drama and anticipation. We’ve got to plan and practice every word.
“Who can write a script like that?” wondered Dan.
I can. It’s just like an English assignment: ‘Write your own magic show, like Penn and Teller.’ I’ve watched them on YouTube.
“Suppertime!” Jeremy’s Mom called from the door to the garage.
“Great! I’ve worked up an appetite,” said Aubrey.
“It’s chili and cornbread today,” said Dan. “My mouth is already watering.”
Show Time
The four friends worked on their script and show until Saturday came. Kayla’s mom made a black magician’s robe for Dan and sparkling tights for Kayla. Aubrey wore black tights trimmed with glitter. Jeremy would be the emcee and had a top hat and coat like a circus ringmaster.
People packed the City Hall meeting room. Right in front was Rich Vandemere with his dad and Betty Jones.
“Hi, Mrs. Jones, Rich. You must be Mr. Vandemere?” Jeremy greeted them from his wheelchair.
“Yeah, that’s me,” said the big man gruffly. “Call me Bob.”
“Thanks for coming out and supporting our fund-raiser.”
“It’s the least we could do,” said Mrs. Jones. “We don’t want to see you out of school any more than you do.”
“Uh, Mrs. Jones, are you friends with Rich and Mr.Vandemere?” asked Aubrey, who walked up next to Jeremy
She laughed. “We’re married. Rich is our son. I just kept my name from my first marriage. I was grief-stricken when my husband George died. Then I met Bob. I kept my first husband’s name in memorium.”
“O-o-o-h. I didn’t know,” said Aubrey, turning red.
“Have a good show!” she wished them.
The Show Begins
Seven o’clock came. Jeremy went behind the curtains they’d fixed at the back of the room. Dan, Kayla, and Aubrey were there.
“Ready?” he asked.
We’re all ready and excited!
“Break a leg!” said Aubrey. “That’s the traditional show business wish.”
“I can’t say that to you, Aubrey.” Jeremy looked at her artificial legs, covered by the black tights.
“I’m sure I could break them if I put my mind to it!”
“Get going already, Jeremy. I’m all antsy,” Dan said.
Jeremy cut the lights to the room. He’d rigged a remote lighting control next to his wheelchair joystick. He touched a button and one spotlight lit the stage and then turned on his lapel mike.
“Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to the Maryville Middle School charity magic show!” he announced, bowing from his wheelchair and doffing his top hat. “Prepare to be dazzled by displays of legerdemain never before seen or performed!
Behind the curtain, Aubrey whispered to Kayla, “What’s legerdemain?”
It’s just a fancy term for magic. Jeremy’s showing off.
Card Tricks
“From the depths of deepest, darkest Africa, I present to you, the soon-to-be world-famous magician, Daniel Elanga!”
With calm aplomb, Dan strode to the middle of the stage. “Greetings, friends! It’s traditional to begin a magic show with card tricks.” He produced a deck from his pocket, started to shuffle it, and fumbled it all over the floor. The audience broke into laughter.
“However, I am terrible with cards.” More laughter ensued. Dan tapped his dark glasses with his white cane. “Blind, you know. But I’m great at reading minds. Now, everyone knows how magicians do these mentalist tricks. They have plants in the audience and marked cards and substitute decks. So I’ll break all the rules. First, I’ll have my assistant, Kayla Verdera, present an unopened deck of cards.” Kayla walked out with her walker, flourishing a plastic sealed deck.
“Kayla, please give that deck to one of the audience members. I promise not to look.” The audience twittered with nervous laughter.
Jeremy assumed they weren’t used to blind people joking about their blindness.
The Cards Revealed
Kayla gave the deck to a startled Mrs. Jones. Jeremy wheeled up to her. “Thank you, ma’am. Would you give us your name?”
“Betty Jones.”
“Have you ever seen this deck before?”
“No, I haven’t”
“Please open the deck and fan out the cards.”
Betty did so and showed them to the audience.
“Do they look perfectly normal to you?”
“Sure.”
“Let me look. I’m more familiar with cards,” said Mr. Vandemere. He peered at them and felt them carefully. “They don’t seem to be marked. They’re just a new deck.”
“Now, Mrs. Jones, please pick a card and don’t show anyone.”
“I’ll pick one too,” said Mr.Vandemere. “You pick one too, Rich.”
That’s not how the script is supposed to go!
“Great idea,” said Dan. “I’ll tell you what each of you has.”
“This I gotta see,” said Mr.Vandemere. He switched cards with Rich, and then again with his wife.
Dan, they all switched cards!
“Now, I must open my inner eye to see.” Dan paused dramatically, his hands on his temples.
”I see the three cards. But they’ve been switched.” The audience gasped. “Very clever of you.”
“Rich Vandemere, please stand.”
He’s improvising!
“You have your Dad’s original card, right?”
“Right.”
“It’s the seven of spades, isn’t it?”
“I’ll be—”
“Please show the audience.”
Rich held up the card, the seven of spades. The audience applauded.
Your Seventeenth Literary Gift Concludes
“Bob Vandemere, please stand.”
He stood, looming taller than them all.
“You have your wife’s original card?”
“Yeah.”
“Isn’t it the jack of hearts?”
“I don’t believe it.” Mr.Vandemere held up the jack of hearts for the audience to see.
Louder applause filled the room.
“Finally, Mrs. Betty Jones, please stand up. You have your son’s card, I believe?”
“Yes.”
“Please confirm it’s the ten of clubs.” Betty gasped and held the ten of clubs aloft. The crowd cheered, giving Dan a standing ovation.
Your Sixteenth Literary Gift – What do you think?
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