Assignment #2

My lovely wife graciously (read mistakenly) gave me the holidays free of due dates, so here is my next assignment. This one lent itself well to continuing the all dialogue story telling, as if you were at the next booth over trying really hard not to eavesdrop.

Write a short story (<300 words) in which a man finds out over the phone that his son/daughter has just brought home a trumpet and is signed up for lessons.  The child is under the age of 10.  Due 1/3.

“Hey, buddy, you taking care of Mom while I’m gone?”

“That’s good to hear.  Hey, I got you something while I’ve been here.  All the kids have been using them on the beaches.  But you have to promise me something, you can’t throw it around the house, OK?

“I’ll tell you after you promise…. After you promise… All right -- Have you ever heard of a Friz-Bang?”

(Holds the phone away from his ear, laughing)

“You only have to wait two more days… Yes, two WHOLE days.  I’ll be home before you know it.  Mom wants to talk again?  Love you too, son.”

“Yes, I did….  I know his birth day is next month.  That gives us 30 days to find something else… Well he already knows what it is...”

“It’s a kind of Frisbee… The Bang part is the cool part… Of course it makes noise, he’s ten…  At least it’s directed noise making…Look, it doesn’t even work unless you throw it right, otherwise it just sort of -- whistles…  No, it’s nothing like the Bomb football – wait, your right, it kinda is…  But this ear piercing screech changes depending on how you throw it…”

“How about this, I will take him to the beach and you can relax at home with the quiet and the book… I thought you didn’t even like the beach... The beach is MADE of sand, hon… Fine, what else do you want? …  OK, I promise to help him with his new school work.  So what is it...? OK…”

“So, Mom said you had something exciting to tell me about… Slow down…  That’s awesome, Bud – wait, the Band… Don’t you need a paper signed or something… no? …  So excited you just…  ya just signed right up… That’s – that’s great…  Dare I ask...?  Oh, the Trumpet… Two days ago... The Trumpet...  That’s just wonderful...

“Yep, I’ll help you every day, just like Mom said… you and me, bud… hey, I got an idea!... why don’t you learn a song to play for me when I get home… What song...?  Your favorite song! Are you ready kids? ... I can’t hear you! …  Ohh -- Who lives in a pineapple under the sea… Absorbent and yellow and porous is he… Don’t’ worry it’ll be great, ask Mom to help… She’ll love to! … Let me talk to your mother again… Be good, no more boogers in your sister’s hair.”

 “Hon, He doesn’t know that tone is sarcasm yet… Tell me you didn’t do the same thing… of course you didn’t, c’mon the trumpet... at least it’s not the sax.  Oh, and ‘Promise to help him with his new school work’… No you didn’t, you sounded much sweeter, I should have known… Squarepants… Yep two  whole days versus the next ten years, you still make out even if it is the weekend…  If nautical nonsense be something you wish… No, the response is Spongebob Squarepants…”

“I love you too -- Marry me… Every day, love…  See you soon… Kisses…Bye.”