| General Fiction posted September 16, 2016 |
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A story of love found and lost.
Pink Versus Blue
by Heather Knight
Sheldon had to leave home early in the mornings. It took him two hours to walk, or should I say crawl, all the way to school After all, the school was a meter away from his home.
Sheldon was an only child and his parents doted on him. Every morning his Mum washed his blue shell with rosemary oil soap and dried him tenderly with a cotton towel.
'Mum, I'm old enough to wash myself,' he complained. At four years of age, he felt quite grown up already.
'You can start doing your own grooming when you're five, sweetie,' she answered.
Sheldon's best friend was a pink-shelled snail called Shelly. His parents didn't approve and watched him hawk-eyed, but they didn't say anything as the school had a strict non-racist policy.
Shelly was really bright and had very good marks. After school, both friends went to Shelly's home to do their homework together. That was really very good for Sheldon because, to tell the truth, he was a flower short of a garden.
Shelly's parents were all for integration, so they were very happy their daughter was friends with a Blue Shell. Besides, Shelly was very shy and ever since she had started hanging out with Sheldon she had made a ton of friends at school.
One day, their English teacher, Mr Schama, told them they were going to read a snail version of a famous human play. He said it was about two people who were in love but could not marry because their parents were enemies.
'What's it called?' Sheldon asked.
'Romeo and Juliet,' the teacher answered.
The teacher told them they would read it, rehearse it and then act it in front of their parents.
When the teacher asked for volunteers for the play, Sheldon offered to play Romeo, but the teacher chose somebody else as he was afraid Sheldon wouldn't be able to remember his lines.
Sheldon was really upset, but tried not to show it. His father had taught him to act like a man. Or a male snail. Or whatever.
Shelly, however, was chosen to play Juliet. After all, she was Mr Schama's favourite student.
They rehearsed after class every day for a whole month. Sheldon always stayed to watch. He didn't understand why he felt so jealous of the guy who played Romeo, but he felt like killing him. It was that stupid, red-shelled snail called Alex. He was a know-it-all. And the girl snails thought he was very handsome.
The day of the performance, Shelly was petrified.
'What if I forget my lines? I'm so nervous!'
'You'll do very well, I promise,' Sheldon told her. 'Just look at me if you feel shy, I'll be sitting in the first row, okay?'
Most of the parents enjoyed the play very much. The little snails delivered their lines with conviction and gusto. Shelly was a perfect Juliet and Alex was an adequate Romeo.
Sheldon's parents, however, thought it was scandalous.
'We should complain about this English teacher. He's planting revolutionary ideas in the kids' minds. Talking about love between enemies. That's so ridiculous! Imagine a Green Shell marrying a Yellow Shell, for example!' his mother said.
'You're so right, my dear. One of the reasons our marriage is so successful is because we are both the same colour.'
Sheldon listened in silence. He hoped they wouldn't complain about Mr Schama. He was a lovely man, even if he hadn't let him act in the play.
Time went past and Shelly and Sheldon became teenagers. They were still inseparable, which worried Sheldon's parents.
'You should find a friend that is blue like you, Sheldon.'
'I don't need a new friend. I have Shelly. Anyway, why are you so worried? It's not as if I was planning to marry her or anything.'
At the mention of marriage between colours, Sheldon's parents gasped.
Sheldon didn't want to argue with them, so he left the house, slamming the door behind him.
He went to Shelly's house and knocked on the door, tears in his eyes.
Shelly's mum opened the door.
'What's wrong, dear? Come on in. Do you want some tea?'
'Yes, please, Mrs Seashell.'
'So tell me. Why are you crying?'
'My parents don't want me to be friends with Shelley.'
'Ah! That... Don't pay any attention to them.'
'But they want the best for me. By the way, where is Shelly?'
'Playing Drag-The-Ball with her friends. She'll be home in a moment.'
Mrs Seashell and Sheldon sipped tea companionably in the kitchen till they heard the door open.
Five minutes later, Shelly arrived in the kitchen.
'Hey, Sheldon! Have you come to study? It's Saturday!'
'I think I'll let you two talk,' Mrs Seashell said.
Even though she was in her late fifties, she was a lot faster than her daughter, so in about two minutes she was out of earshot.
'So?' Shelly asked.
'Nothing new. Just my parents and their stupid prejudices. I think they are afraid I might fall in love with you.'
Shelly bit her tongue. Yes, the snails in this story have tongues... She had been in love with Sheldon for the longest time, but she had never told him.
'Don't you worry,' she said. 'Come here.'
She put her arms around Sheldon (yes, they have arms too) and hugged him tight.
Sheldon felt a strange tingling in his stomach when Shelly hugged him and wondered what it was. Maybe he was hungry? Weird.
More time went past and Sheldon finally realized Shelly was more than a friend. He had dreamt of marrying a super model or an actress and Shelly wasn't very pretty, but she was tender, understanding and clever and that was more important.
One day, Shelly and Sheldon were hugging in the park when Mr Shellshocked, Sheldon's father, went past.
'What are you doing?' he shouted. 'Get away from my son!'
Shelly was shocked and didn't know what to do.
'I said go away, you idiot,' Mr Shellshocked repeated.
Shelly slid from the bench onto the floor and crawled towards the road.
Sheldon was so angry his face had turned beetroot red.
'What's wrong with you, Dad? I'm not a baby anymore. I decide what I do with my life!' You cannot tell me what to do. Not anymore.'
They kept on arguing for a while, till they heard a car coming. There were not many cars in their part of the world, so they turned around to look at it.
Just when the car was going past, they heard a tiny crunch. Sheldon screamed and his father gasped.
As an adult, Sheldon became an advocate for equality. And he never forgot Shelly.
Star-Crossed Lovers contest entry
Sheldon had to leave home early in the mornings. It took him two hours to walk, or should I say crawl, all the way to school After all, the school was a meter away from his home.
Sheldon was an only child and his parents doted on him. Every morning his Mum washed his blue shell with rosemary oil soap and dried him tenderly with a cotton towel.
'Mum, I'm old enough to wash myself,' he complained. At four years of age, he felt quite grown up already.
'You can start doing your own grooming when you're five, sweetie,' she answered.
Sheldon's best friend was a pink-shelled snail called Shelly. His parents didn't approve and watched him hawk-eyed, but they didn't say anything as the school had a strict non-racist policy.
Shelly was really bright and had very good marks. After school, both friends went to Shelly's home to do their homework together. That was really very good for Sheldon because, to tell the truth, he was a flower short of a garden.
Shelly's parents were all for integration, so they were very happy their daughter was friends with a Blue Shell. Besides, Shelly was very shy and ever since she had started hanging out with Sheldon she had made a ton of friends at school.
One day, their English teacher, Mr Schama, told them they were going to read a snail version of a famous human play. He said it was about two people who were in love but could not marry because their parents were enemies.
'What's it called?' Sheldon asked.
'Romeo and Juliet,' the teacher answered.
The teacher told them they would read it, rehearse it and then act it in front of their parents.
When the teacher asked for volunteers for the play, Sheldon offered to play Romeo, but the teacher chose somebody else as he was afraid Sheldon wouldn't be able to remember his lines.
Sheldon was really upset, but tried not to show it. His father had taught him to act like a man. Or a male snail. Or whatever.
Shelly, however, was chosen to play Juliet. After all, she was Mr Schama's favourite student.
They rehearsed after class every day for a whole month. Sheldon always stayed to watch. He didn't understand why he felt so jealous of the guy who played Romeo, but he felt like killing him. It was that stupid, red-shelled snail called Alex. He was a know-it-all. And the girl snails thought he was very handsome.
The day of the performance, Shelly was petrified.
'What if I forget my lines? I'm so nervous!'
'You'll do very well, I promise,' Sheldon told her. 'Just look at me if you feel shy, I'll be sitting in the first row, okay?'
Most of the parents enjoyed the play very much. The little snails delivered their lines with conviction and gusto. Shelly was a perfect Juliet and Alex was an adequate Romeo.
Sheldon's parents, however, thought it was scandalous.
'We should complain about this English teacher. He's planting revolutionary ideas in the kids' minds. Talking about love between enemies. That's so ridiculous! Imagine a Green Shell marrying a Yellow Shell, for example!' his mother said.
'You're so right, my dear. One of the reasons our marriage is so successful is because we are both the same colour.'
Sheldon listened in silence. He hoped they wouldn't complain about Mr Schama. He was a lovely man, even if he hadn't let him act in the play.
Time went past and Shelly and Sheldon became teenagers. They were still inseparable, which worried Sheldon's parents.
'You should find a friend that is blue like you, Sheldon.'
'I don't need a new friend. I have Shelly. Anyway, why are you so worried? It's not as if I was planning to marry her or anything.'
At the mention of marriage between colours, Sheldon's parents gasped.
Sheldon didn't want to argue with them, so he left the house, slamming the door behind him.
He went to Shelly's house and knocked on the door, tears in his eyes.
Shelly's mum opened the door.
'What's wrong, dear? Come on in. Do you want some tea?'
'Yes, please, Mrs Seashell.'
'So tell me. Why are you crying?'
'My parents don't want me to be friends with Shelley.'
'Ah! That... Don't pay any attention to them.'
'But they want the best for me. By the way, where is Shelly?'
'Playing Drag-The-Ball with her friends. She'll be home in a moment.'
Mrs Seashell and Sheldon sipped tea companionably in the kitchen till they heard the door open.
Five minutes later, Shelly arrived in the kitchen.
'Hey, Sheldon! Have you come to study? It's Saturday!'
'I think I'll let you two talk,' Mrs Seashell said.
Even though she was in her late fifties, she was a lot faster than her daughter, so in about two minutes she was out of earshot.
'So?' Shelly asked.
'Nothing new. Just my parents and their stupid prejudices. I think they are afraid I might fall in love with you.'
Shelly bit her tongue. Yes, the snails in this story have tongues... She had been in love with Sheldon for the longest time, but she had never told him.
'Don't you worry,' she said. 'Come here.'
She put her arms around Sheldon (yes, they have arms too) and hugged him tight.
Sheldon felt a strange tingling in his stomach when Shelly hugged him and wondered what it was. Maybe he was hungry? Weird.
More time went past and Sheldon finally realized Shelly was more than a friend. He had dreamt of marrying a super model or an actress and Shelly wasn't very pretty, but she was tender, understanding and clever and that was more important.
One day, Shelly and Sheldon were hugging in the park when Mr Shellshocked, Sheldon's father, went past.
'What are you doing?' he shouted. 'Get away from my son!'
Shelly was shocked and didn't know what to do.
'I said go away, you idiot,' Mr Shellshocked repeated.
Shelly slid from the bench onto the floor and crawled towards the road.
Sheldon was so angry his face had turned beetroot red.
'What's wrong with you, Dad? I'm not a baby anymore. I decide what I do with my life!' You cannot tell me what to do. Not anymore.'
They kept on arguing for a while, till they heard a car coming. There were not many cars in their part of the world, so they turned around to look at it.
Just when the car was going past, they heard a tiny crunch. Sheldon screamed and his father gasped.
As an adult, Sheldon became an advocate for equality. And he never forgot Shelly.
Sheldon was an only child and his parents doted on him. Every morning his Mum washed his blue shell with rosemary oil soap and dried him tenderly with a cotton towel.
'Mum, I'm old enough to wash myself,' he complained. At four years of age, he felt quite grown up already.
'You can start doing your own grooming when you're five, sweetie,' she answered.
Sheldon's best friend was a pink-shelled snail called Shelly. His parents didn't approve and watched him hawk-eyed, but they didn't say anything as the school had a strict non-racist policy.
Shelly was really bright and had very good marks. After school, both friends went to Shelly's home to do their homework together. That was really very good for Sheldon because, to tell the truth, he was a flower short of a garden.
Shelly's parents were all for integration, so they were very happy their daughter was friends with a Blue Shell. Besides, Shelly was very shy and ever since she had started hanging out with Sheldon she had made a ton of friends at school.
One day, their English teacher, Mr Schama, told them they were going to read a snail version of a famous human play. He said it was about two people who were in love but could not marry because their parents were enemies.
'What's it called?' Sheldon asked.
'Romeo and Juliet,' the teacher answered.
The teacher told them they would read it, rehearse it and then act it in front of their parents.
When the teacher asked for volunteers for the play, Sheldon offered to play Romeo, but the teacher chose somebody else as he was afraid Sheldon wouldn't be able to remember his lines.
Sheldon was really upset, but tried not to show it. His father had taught him to act like a man. Or a male snail. Or whatever.
Shelly, however, was chosen to play Juliet. After all, she was Mr Schama's favourite student.
They rehearsed after class every day for a whole month. Sheldon always stayed to watch. He didn't understand why he felt so jealous of the guy who played Romeo, but he felt like killing him. It was that stupid, red-shelled snail called Alex. He was a know-it-all. And the girl snails thought he was very handsome.
The day of the performance, Shelly was petrified.
'What if I forget my lines? I'm so nervous!'
'You'll do very well, I promise,' Sheldon told her. 'Just look at me if you feel shy, I'll be sitting in the first row, okay?'
Most of the parents enjoyed the play very much. The little snails delivered their lines with conviction and gusto. Shelly was a perfect Juliet and Alex was an adequate Romeo.
Sheldon's parents, however, thought it was scandalous.
'We should complain about this English teacher. He's planting revolutionary ideas in the kids' minds. Talking about love between enemies. That's so ridiculous! Imagine a Green Shell marrying a Yellow Shell, for example!' his mother said.
'You're so right, my dear. One of the reasons our marriage is so successful is because we are both the same colour.'
Sheldon listened in silence. He hoped they wouldn't complain about Mr Schama. He was a lovely man, even if he hadn't let him act in the play.
Time went past and Shelly and Sheldon became teenagers. They were still inseparable, which worried Sheldon's parents.
'You should find a friend that is blue like you, Sheldon.'
'I don't need a new friend. I have Shelly. Anyway, why are you so worried? It's not as if I was planning to marry her or anything.'
At the mention of marriage between colours, Sheldon's parents gasped.
Sheldon didn't want to argue with them, so he left the house, slamming the door behind him.
He went to Shelly's house and knocked on the door, tears in his eyes.
Shelly's mum opened the door.
'What's wrong, dear? Come on in. Do you want some tea?'
'Yes, please, Mrs Seashell.'
'So tell me. Why are you crying?'
'My parents don't want me to be friends with Shelley.'
'Ah! That... Don't pay any attention to them.'
'But they want the best for me. By the way, where is Shelly?'
'Playing Drag-The-Ball with her friends. She'll be home in a moment.'
Mrs Seashell and Sheldon sipped tea companionably in the kitchen till they heard the door open.
Five minutes later, Shelly arrived in the kitchen.
'Hey, Sheldon! Have you come to study? It's Saturday!'
'I think I'll let you two talk,' Mrs Seashell said.
Even though she was in her late fifties, she was a lot faster than her daughter, so in about two minutes she was out of earshot.
'So?' Shelly asked.
'Nothing new. Just my parents and their stupid prejudices. I think they are afraid I might fall in love with you.'
Shelly bit her tongue. Yes, the snails in this story have tongues... She had been in love with Sheldon for the longest time, but she had never told him.
'Don't you worry,' she said. 'Come here.'
She put her arms around Sheldon (yes, they have arms too) and hugged him tight.
Sheldon felt a strange tingling in his stomach when Shelly hugged him and wondered what it was. Maybe he was hungry? Weird.
More time went past and Sheldon finally realized Shelly was more than a friend. He had dreamt of marrying a super model or an actress and Shelly wasn't very pretty, but she was tender, understanding and clever and that was more important.
One day, Shelly and Sheldon were hugging in the park when Mr Shellshocked, Sheldon's father, went past.
'What are you doing?' he shouted. 'Get away from my son!'
Shelly was shocked and didn't know what to do.
'I said go away, you idiot,' Mr Shellshocked repeated.
Shelly slid from the bench onto the floor and crawled towards the road.
Sheldon was so angry his face had turned beetroot red.
'What's wrong with you, Dad? I'm not a baby anymore. I decide what I do with my life!' You cannot tell me what to do. Not anymore.'
They kept on arguing for a while, till they heard a car coming. There were not many cars in their part of the world, so they turned around to look at it.
Just when the car was going past, they heard a tiny crunch. Sheldon screamed and his father gasped.
As an adult, Sheldon became an advocate for equality. And he never forgot Shelly.
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