DAY 5 of Flash August Fiction is here. I’m in a goofy way today. I have a feeling this is going to be like The Cheeseguard, or The Resident, or maybe even Interview: Toliver Smythe, Retired Train Conductor. We are just about to find out. Thanks for being here. I’m Herschel Sterling, and I’m here to help.
Shutting Tom Out
He Wants to Be a Part of Things
537 WORDS IN ABOUT 20 MINUTES
“This is really hard to find.” Jamie says, as she rustles through a lot of junk in the junk drawer.
Tom responds, "Is something easy to find if it's lost?"
"That helps," she says sarcastically.
"Let me know if there's anything I can do." Tom replies.
"What about the part where you don't be a dik? What about that part?" She says.
"Sorry," he says. "If you tell me what you're looking for, maybe I can go look around too."
"You wouldn't know where to look," Jamie says.
"Well, apparently you also do not know where to look, so apparently we are in the same category of not knowing where to look." Tom bravely answers.
Jamie turns her head toward him and cuts his throat with her eyes.
"Fine," he says. "But maybe if you tell me what it is, it could be that I have seen it."
Jamie hurriedly rushes past him, out of the kitchen, and into the guest room. She is opening every drawer.
"You know where this is going, you are going to look for it for 20 minutes, then you're going to finally tell me, and I'm going to remember seeing it, and we're going to find it.
She ignores him, she is frustrated, and she keeps looking.
"I hate seeing you like this, that's all," Tom says to her. I want you to have a nice day. Why can't you just tell me?" He pleads with her.
She pushes her way past him in the guest room doorway and bolts up the stairs. He follows her up there.
"Stop following me," she says. "Why can't you mind your own business?"
Tom's face shows how that comment kind of worries him, his feelings are hurt. He sits down on the bed in their room, looking sad. She sees that he looks sad, and she tells him, "Look, it's not that big of a deal, just go do something, and I'll find what I'm looking for, and it will be OK, just stop bothering me right now."
Tom isn't sad anymore. He's annoyed at her attitude. He raises his head to her and tilts it to one side, squinting. "Ok, have it your way, not that you'll need me for anything, but I'll be in the kitchen doing the dishes."
Jamie looks at him and rolls her eyes. "OK, drama," she says.
Tom goes back downstairs to the kitchen, and not long after, Jamie follows him and ends up in the dining room. She is looking through the drawers and cabinets of the dish cabinet. Tom is just on the other side of the wall, doing dishes. He has settled down, and he's humming a tune. He begins singing. "All you have to do is tell me, and I can help you look, for whatever it is you're seeking, there's no need to be all shook."
Jamie says, "Aha!', She takes a chair over to the dish cabinet and stands on the chair to be able to see on top of it. "I found it!" she exclaims.
"Wow!" says Tom. Where was it? What is it!?"
"It was on top of the dish cabinet, I'll show you on your birthday tomorrow."
The End.
OK, it wasn’t that goofy, but there were some good lines. It kind of almost had an Abbott and Costello feel to it. Thanks for being here with me. Do you think Flash Fiction is fun? I’d ike to here about it.
Shutting Tom Out