Humor Fiction posted July 10, 2020 |
a flash fiction surprise
Counting on Uncle Charlie
by Mary Furlong
The Syllabic Poetry Club was celebrating Tom's thirtieth birthday.
"I wrote a poem for you," said Martha. "It's a spiritual 5,7,5.
"Mine's a 5,7,7," said Mike. It's about you and the flag and how you stand for it and stuff. You can't fit all that into a 5,7,5".
"Two syllables, right or wrong," said Tom. "Only in America."
"Mine is complicated," said Jenny. "It's 1,2,4,6,8,6,4,2,1. The 1s are the same word." She blushed. "It's kind of romantic."
Martha patted her hand. "Love is all around us, dear. That's my belief."
"Ain't that the truth!" Mike pounded the table with his fist. "Pardon my grammar, but I wish I'd said that, Martha." He slapped the table again in a take-charge way. "Anyhow, let's get on with it. Happy birthday, Tom."
Jenny frowned, worried. "We can't sing. It spreads the virus. And Tom, no candles. You can't blow on things."
"You guys," put in Tom. "You're the best. I love the poems. I wish I could answer in kind. But turning thirty -- well, it made me kind of blue."
"It's a milestone," agreed Mike. "And that's a fact."
"Anyway," Tom went on. "I want to share the gift I got from Uncle Charlie. It's kind of a mystery gift. Maybe you guys can figure it out."
He dumped some coins onto the table. "They came in a box. There's a note with them," he said. "Thirty Pieces of Silver. Follow the rules and you won't be betrayed."
"How Biblical," said Martha.
"Ten quarters, ten dimes, and ten nickels," counted Jenny. "That's thirty."
"Any of them nickels wooden ones?" put in Mike. "LOL."
"There's more." Tom waved the note to get their attention. "The rules say 7,7,7,7,1,1. See what that looks like and you'll know what you have."
He pushed the coins into place:
0000000
0000000
0000000
0000000
0
0
"Now, what do I have?"
"Maybe it's a poem," said Jenny. "It has the look of one."
"I'm pretty sure it's a flag," offered Mike. "You know. 'to have and to hold.' Right there, you've got your 5.
"Just lovely, Mike," said Martha. "But I think it's a proverb or maybe a psalm.
I believe I will
See the good things of the Lord
In the land of the living.
That's 5,7,7. A 5,7,7 psalm."
"Could it be a contest?" wondered Jenny. "If it is, what's the prize?"
Tom laughed. "Uncle Charlie offer a prize? Not on your life. I love my uncle, but he's a notorious cheapskate."
He stopped, his eyes wide. "That's it. That's the answer. Uncle Charlie's idea of a birthday gift."
He made a sweeping bow and waved jazz hands. "What do I have, Ladies and gents? I have four bucks."
"Four bucks? " said Mike, clearly disappointed. "What kind of a birthday gift is that?"
"It's an Uncle Charley gift," said Tom. "Anyone else would at least give me twenty."
Surprise Me writing prompt entry
The Syllabic Poetry Club was celebrating Tom's thirtieth birthday.
"I wrote a poem for you," said Martha. "It's a spiritual 5,7,5.
"Mine's a 5,7,7," said Mike. It's about you and the flag and how you stand for it and stuff. You can't fit all that into a 5,7,5".
"Two syllables, right or wrong," said Tom. "Only in America."
"Mine is complicated," said Jenny. "It's 1,2,4,6,8,6,4,2,1. The 1s are the same word." She blushed. "It's kind of romantic."
Martha patted her hand. "Love is all around us, dear. That's my belief."
"Ain't that the truth!" Mike pounded the table with his fist. "Pardon my grammar, but I wish I'd said that, Martha." He slapped the table again in a take-charge way. "Anyhow, let's get on with it. Happy birthday, Tom."
Jenny frowned, worried. "We can't sing. It spreads the virus. And Tom, no candles. You can't blow on things."
"You guys," put in Tom. "You're the best. I love the poems. I wish I could answer in kind. But turning thirty -- well, it made me kind of blue."
"It's a milestone," agreed Mike. "And that's a fact."
"Anyway," Tom went on. "I want to share the gift I got from Uncle Charlie. It's kind of a mystery gift. Maybe you guys can figure it out."
He dumped some coins onto the table. "They came in a box. There's a note with them," he said. "Thirty Pieces of Silver. Follow the rules and you won't be betrayed."
"How Biblical," said Martha.
"Ten quarters, ten dimes, and ten nickels," counted Jenny. "That's thirty."
"Any of them nickels wooden ones?" put in Mike. "LOL."
"There's more." Tom waved the note to get their attention. "The rules say 7,7,7,7,1,1. See what that looks like and you'll know what you have."
He pushed the coins into place:
0000000
0000000
0000000
0000000
0
0
"Now, what do I have?"
"Maybe it's a poem," said Jenny. "It has the look of one."
"I'm pretty sure it's a flag," offered Mike. "You know. 'to have and to hold.' Right there, you've got your 5.
"Just lovely, Mike," said Martha. "But I think it's a proverb or maybe a psalm.
I believe I will
See the good things of the Lord
In the land of the living.
That's 5,7,7. A 5,7,7 psalm."
"Could it be a contest?" wondered Jenny. "If it is, what's the prize?"
Tom laughed. "Uncle Charlie offer a prize? Not on your life. I love my uncle, but he's a notorious cheapskate."
He stopped, his eyes wide. "That's it. That's the answer. Uncle Charlie's idea of a birthday gift."
He made a sweeping bow and waved jazz hands. "What do I have, Ladies and gents? I have four bucks."
"Four bucks? " said Mike, clearly disappointed. "What kind of a birthday gift is that?"
"It's an Uncle Charley gift," said Tom. "Anyone else would at least give me twenty."
"I wrote a poem for you," said Martha. "It's a spiritual 5,7,5.
"Mine's a 5,7,7," said Mike. It's about you and the flag and how you stand for it and stuff. You can't fit all that into a 5,7,5".
"Two syllables, right or wrong," said Tom. "Only in America."
"Mine is complicated," said Jenny. "It's 1,2,4,6,8,6,4,2,1. The 1s are the same word." She blushed. "It's kind of romantic."
Martha patted her hand. "Love is all around us, dear. That's my belief."
"Ain't that the truth!" Mike pounded the table with his fist. "Pardon my grammar, but I wish I'd said that, Martha." He slapped the table again in a take-charge way. "Anyhow, let's get on with it. Happy birthday, Tom."
Jenny frowned, worried. "We can't sing. It spreads the virus. And Tom, no candles. You can't blow on things."
"You guys," put in Tom. "You're the best. I love the poems. I wish I could answer in kind. But turning thirty -- well, it made me kind of blue."
"It's a milestone," agreed Mike. "And that's a fact."
"Anyway," Tom went on. "I want to share the gift I got from Uncle Charlie. It's kind of a mystery gift. Maybe you guys can figure it out."
He dumped some coins onto the table. "They came in a box. There's a note with them," he said. "Thirty Pieces of Silver. Follow the rules and you won't be betrayed."
"How Biblical," said Martha.
"Ten quarters, ten dimes, and ten nickels," counted Jenny. "That's thirty."
"Any of them nickels wooden ones?" put in Mike. "LOL."
"There's more." Tom waved the note to get their attention. "The rules say 7,7,7,7,1,1. See what that looks like and you'll know what you have."
He pushed the coins into place:
0000000
0000000
0000000
0000000
0
0
"Now, what do I have?"
"Maybe it's a poem," said Jenny. "It has the look of one."
"I'm pretty sure it's a flag," offered Mike. "You know. 'to have and to hold.' Right there, you've got your 5.
"Just lovely, Mike," said Martha. "But I think it's a proverb or maybe a psalm.
I believe I will
See the good things of the Lord
In the land of the living.
That's 5,7,7. A 5,7,7 psalm."
"Could it be a contest?" wondered Jenny. "If it is, what's the prize?"
Tom laughed. "Uncle Charlie offer a prize? Not on your life. I love my uncle, but he's a notorious cheapskate."
He stopped, his eyes wide. "That's it. That's the answer. Uncle Charlie's idea of a birthday gift."
He made a sweeping bow and waved jazz hands. "What do I have, Ladies and gents? I have four bucks."
"Four bucks? " said Mike, clearly disappointed. "What kind of a birthday gift is that?"
"It's an Uncle Charley gift," said Tom. "Anyone else would at least give me twenty."
Writing Prompt This is a flash fiction contest. Write a story that has a surprise ending. Since it is flash, the word count must be between 200 and 600 words. The ending can be funny, sad, shocking, etc. But the reader has to be surprised. |
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