Wednesday, March 18, 2009

Both of Us


Story Based on Jeff's Portrait of Words


John and I wrote this story together. I wrote a line then he wrote a line and so on. We did not discuss where the story should go. But somehow this is the story we ended up with.

Sandra had to go to the dentist whether she liked it or not but she really hoped the penguin wouldn't come as well. It could cause her to get teeth worked on that were in perfect shape by influencing the Doctor. The very thought filled her with as much fear as the bus ride downtown.

Nevertheless she got on the 012 bus and then she found that a young man on the bus disturbed her. He had the look of a tough teen and wore a silly hat and , of all things, a necklace. The seats were occupied and the only available one was next to that strange young man, so she sat with her arms folded keeping herself as far away from him as possible. But she couldn't help looking at him and suddenly on the back of his seat was her penguin and a miniature lama. Her expression of shock made the young man look at her with a question on his face, and then to turn around to see what she was looking at.
" You can see my lama", he said.
"Yes, but are you able to see my penguin?" she asked.
"Of course" he said."They seem to be getting along"
His strangeness now was disappearing with the shared experience of seeing things, and she felt she could talk to him. She was wondering if he was cursed by a gypsy or perhaps, he was a gypsy.
"I am wondering if you find the lama a help or hinderance in your occupation , which is?" she asked.
" Lady you sure are nosy. I didn't ask you about your penguin. did I?"
With that retort she sat silently waiting for her stop.
At the stop which was in front of Bristol Bob's Beautiful Bowlatorium he followed her out of the bus. Sandy paused catching her breath, before she had to climb the steps to her dentist office above the bowling alley. " Are you following me" she said to the young man.
"No I am following the llama and a penguin. Your penguin has a bucket of rusty screws and I'm afraid he will dump them somewhere he shouldn't. Your not paying any attention to him."
"What makes you think I have any control over the penguin?"
He looked at her with a strange smile and said " I thought you were a gypsy but your one of the cursed aren't you."
"I am one of the cursed, but are you a gypsy?"
"Of course! But I thought you knew that because you could see the lama", he said.
" I need to get to my dentist, but I would like to talk to you more about llamas and penguins," she said as she began the climb to the dreaded dentist.
She looked back only long enough to see the penguin dumping the screws on his head while the lama tried to push it aside. Then she sprinted up the stairs.

8 comments:

Louisiana said...

hello Betty,
i got to say i like the idea of this story. both of you writing in turns make for a fun read. i wonder how many of us would know who's line are whose? or if you wrote the daily post for dr. John once and not told anyone, if we could tell it was written by you.

it is beautiful how you guys are still having fun. your relationship and its health comes through always. thank you for the inspiration.

much love. xo

Cherie said...

What a fun story! Amazing how you got in all the elements and still managed to get the girl to the dentist. I see possibilities for another one of Dr. John's serials with this one. :)

Melli said...

What a TWIST that Sandy could see his llama! Of course, I knew he was a gypsy... just look at that FACE! It's the face of a gypsy! ... so... if the penguin BELONGS to a gypsy... (one who is supposed to keep him in line, apparently)... WHERE is the gypsy the penguin belongs to? And how much wood COULD a wood chuck chuck if a wood chuck could chuck wood?

Anonymous said...

Well, I've just read this over at John's site, of course. I'm now wondering which one of you wrote which parts .. but I guess I'll never know!

Anyway. This story has to be more than just the sum of its parts, as most composite things are!

It made me laugh. :)

Roan said...

Those darned penguins, you just can't trust them! That was a fun read. I like your collaborative result.

Alice (in BC Canada) said...

[clap, clap, clap} Well done. I read both these Portraits of Words, and love them both. It must be such fun to have someone to write with like you two have done here. Bravo!!

Raven said...

Both well done! Brava!

Akelamalu said...

I had a sense of Deja Vous reading this and could have sworn I'd commented. Then I realised I'd read it at John's and commented there! LOL

What fun!