Clubhouse Mysteries: Stars and Sparks on Stage

ZIGGY’S BATHROOM, HOT AND STEAMY FROM THE torrent of water that poured into his shower, was filled with mist and music. Ziggy’s enthusiastically loud singing voice echoed through the room. He sang as much as he could remember of “On Top of Old Smoky” while he lathered himself with his favorite shower gel. It smelled like grapes. While he rinsed off, he sang several verses of “My Darling Clementine.”
“IN A CAVERN, IN A CANYON,
EXCAVATING FOR A MINE,
LIVED A MINER, FORTY-NINER
AND HIS DAUGHTER CLEMENTINE.
OH MY DARLING, OH MY DARLING, OH MY DARLING CLEMENTINE! YOU ARE LOST AND GONE FOREVER, DREADFUL SORRY, CLEMENTINE!”
As he toweled himself dry, he wondered who Clementine was and what had happened to her, marveling how the words to songs sometimes didn’t make much sense. He got himself dressed for school, choosing a bright red T-shirt and purple cut-off shorts. He continued to sing, this time trying out his favorite Jamaican folk song. He always sang his own crazy version of the popular words.
“DAY-O, DAY-O,
DAYLIGHT COME AND ME WANNA GO
HOME.
DAY-O, DAY-O,
DAYLIGHT COME AND ME WANNA GO
HOME.
COME MR. SILLY MAN, PEEL ME A
BANANA.
DAYLIGHT COME AND ME WANNA GO
HOME.
COME MR. SILLY MAN, PEEL ME A
BANANA.
DAYLIGHT COME AND ME WANNA GO
HOME.”
Still humming, he hurried down the stairs to the kitchen, taking two steps at a time and almost bumping into his mother.
“What be the hurry, my singin’ son?” she asked as she hugged him. Ziggy and his family had moved from Jamaica to Ohio when he was a little boy.
“The tryouts for the school talent show are after school today, Mum!” Ziggy told her as he packed his lunch box with three pickles, three bananas, three soft taco shells, and a small jar of orange marmalade. “The Black Dinosaurs are going to enter the competition. First prize is two hundred dollars!”
“And what would the Black Dinosaurs be doin’ with that much money?” she asked. She said nothing about his strange choices for lunch-she had long ago given up trying to understand what Ziggy liked to eat. Today it would be banana-pickle tacos covered with marmalade.
“We’re gonna fix up the clubhouse! We’re gonna buy a card table and some lawn chairs that aren’t broken. Maybe get some paint for the walls. Carpet! Cable TV! A video game player! A computer with Internet access!” His mother rolled her eyes. “Okay, okay. You know I get carried away, Mum. But we do want to get some stuff to make it just a little bit nicer. The Black Dinosaurs deserve the best! Plus we’ll have a little left over to buy CDs and stuff.”
The Black Dinosaurs was the name of the club Ziggy and his friends Rashawn, Rico, and Jerome had started during one summer vacation. They had built a clubhouse in Ziggy’s backyard, and they had meetings when they felt like it—usually on Saturdays during the school year. Sometimes they met just to goof off and eat pizza, and sometimes they tried to solve neighborhood mysteries.
“Don’t you think you should win the competition before you start spending the money?” Ziggy’s mother asked with a chuckle.
“Oh, we’ll win, Mum,” Ziggy said with confidence. “We’ll win for sure. Didn’t you just hear me singing?” He ate a cold piece of pizza and drank a cup of warm chicken soup for his breakfast.
His mother laughed out loud. “Yes, son, I heard you singing. Loud and clear. Have a great day at school, and good luck at the tryouts.”
Ziggy waved good-bye and headed out the door, bursting into song once again. He headed down the street, his arms swinging beside him in rhythm with the music.
“SHE’LL BE COMING ‘ROUND THE MOUNTAIN WHEN SHE COMES. SHE’LL BE COMING ‘ROUND THE MOUNTAIN WHEN SHE COMES.
SHE’LL BE COMING ‘ROUND THE MOUNTAIN,
SHE’LL BE COMING ‘ROUND THE MOUNTAIN,
SHE’LL BE COMING ‘ROUND THE MOUNTAIN WHEN SHE COMES.”
Ziggy was so caught up in his singing that he didn’t notice when Rico, Jerome, and Rashawn tiptoed behind him. They put their hands to their mouths, stifling their giggles as they followed Ziggy, imitating his every move. Ziggy continued to sing at the top of his lungs.
“SHE’LL BE WEARING RED PAJAMAS WHEN SHE COMES.
SHE’LL BE WEARING RED PAJAMAS WHEN SHE COMES.
SHE’LL BE WEARING RED PAJAMAS,
SHE’LL BE WEARING RED PAJAMAS,
SHE’LL BE WEARING RED PAJAMAS WHEN SHE COMES.”