Firework Scare

Dominic Konja

Writing 150

Rinke

March 11, 2012

Firework Scare

It was a hot July day before the Independence Day. Being about nine years old the simple things in life seem to be much more complicated than they really are. Not only was I a confused nine year old to start off with, but I had access to things I probably should not have and an instigating brother who tempted me to do wild things. I remember it clearly; my mom was leaving my brother and I alone with a garage full of seemingly harmless fireworks. Everyone knows, if you put the wrong things in the wrong hands bad things are bound to happen. I still see the damage caused by that day to this day.

            My mom was in a rush to go to the grocery store and urged my brother and I to not mess with the fireworks that were in the house. Of course, being immature kids we were tempted and eventually started shooting many of them off. Bottle rockets, fountains, and sparklers were the main types of fireworks used. I remember it like it was yesterday. We had shot off a bottle rocket and it flew and exploded into a tree. Because there were no immediate affects we assumed that everything was fine. Little did we know that what was about to happen could have potentially burned down the whole house. Bordering the side of my neighbor’s house and my house is a row of twenty fairly large trees.

            When the bottle rocket exploded in the tree apparently it started a minor spark in the tree. The minor spark led to an expansion of flames. Eventually the whole tree was on fire and I had no idea. I had left my house to go to my next-door neighbor’s house. I heard the words “DOMINIC, GET HERE NOW!” and I immediately knew there was a problem. Once I saw the huge tree on fire I was in panic mode. Being two kids alone at home we did not know how to handle the situation. I was asking repetitively whether I should call the police of not. My brother replied with a no each time. He eventually somehow put out the fire with our garden hose. It was remarkable but the result was two burnt down trees that made our backyard fairly ugly.

            If I could go back I would have had made sure I listened to my mother. I will never forget the anger my mother had that day she came back from the grocery store. I still cannot believe that my brother and I had burnt down two nice trees. Every time I see them to this day I can’t help but to think how stupid and pointless our firework moment was. I would make sure to have convinced my brother that it was a bad choice overall and that we should respect our mother’s word.

            We all make mistakes. It is only human. I grew up fairly happy my whole life and this is just one of the little things I would have changed because of how pointless and potentially dangerous it was. If we had the brains we have now when we were kids there would be much less mistakes and problems occurring.