Crowd

Frank and I had been on two dates when I invited him to the Denver Chalk Fest. It’s an annual event in downtown Denver, a weekend when hundreds of artists create temporary chalk murals in the street. My dad had been participating several years and I thought it would be a fun, informal way for Frank to meet my parents.

When the chalk fest began, it was always held over Father’s Day weekend and it seemed to be the hottest weekend in the summer. (It has since moved to the first weekend in June…) Summer, chalk on hot pavement, and crowds of people pushing against each other to see the artwork may have made the days seem hotter than they were. I remember my mom and I were sitting in camp chairs, drinking cold Arnold Palmer’s, sweltering. My mom saw Frank before I did and she loved to tell how she first spotted his gigantic smile as he made his way through the crowds. I first spotted a man in nice jeans and a long-sleeved dress shirt. I wondered if he was crazy, but now I realize that’s who Frank is: A man who dresses up for an occasion.

He arrived late in the afternoon, just when my dad most needed a cold beer. He took a break and we gathered at The Market for beers with my parents and their best friends. Looking back, it sounds like a lot of close people early in the relationship, but it was a great, informal way for Frank to meet the important adults in my life.

Now, six years later, Frank is my dad’s assistant and they spend the weekend chalking together.

Linked with Lisa-Jo Baker’s Five Minute Friday, a time to write for five minutes without editing.