Write on Edge Prompt for RemembeRED
One person’s Humpty Dumpty is another person’s omelet. In 400 words or less, write about a time when something was irrecoverably broken and the ensuing scramble.
Remember, memoir is non-fiction. It engages the reader in a moment of the author’s life. Use descriptive language and dialogue to build your post. Link back here on Tuesday.
Have fun!
Saturday Morning Scramble
The basement apartment was dark, and chilly early on Saturday mornings, so my 3-year-old brother and I would keep our footed pajamas on until after Saturday cartoons were over. My parents were young, and didn't have a lot of money to buy material things with. We always had hot meals on the table, warm clothes to wear, and a place to live that felt like home, but extras were few. The television was an extra. It had been weeks since we were able to watch cartoons because the television had been in the shop.
Saturday arrived with no fanfare, but the television that had been missing in action was now sitting prominently on its stand again!
"Look Dave, the TV is back," I said with a muffled squeal.
"I want to watch Speed Racer," he said with excitement.
"No, I want to see Tom and Jerry!"
"You watch them all the time," he pouted.
"They're not on all the time," I retorted.
After a few loud screams, muffled by our own hands, my brother and I settled in to watch cartoons. I turned the channel to Tom and Jerry, and sat back down to watch it. He walked over and stood in front of the screen so I could not see the show, then turned the channel to Speed Racer and pulled the knob off of the television.
"You BRAT, put that back on there now!" I yelled at him.
"Make me," he said defiantly.
During our struggle to put it back on and get the channel we wanted to watch up and running, the television fell face first onto the floor. The explosion was enough to wake our mother, who shuffled us off to our bedroom so that she could sweep up the glass that was scattered from one end of the room to the other.
"What do you think she's going to do to us?" he asked.
"I don't know but it won't be good," I answered.
We waited for our punishment with apprehension, but it never came… or did it? It was almost a year before we had an opportunity to argue over television shows again, it took that long for us to get another one.
Good parenting! That's all I'm gonna say. ♥
ReplyDeleteYeah, I think she was so mad at us, she didn't want to say ANYTHING to us!
DeleteOh man, I can only imagine what your mother was thinking on the inside! Great story. :)
ReplyDeleteThanks Elizabeth, I think the real memories are scarier to share hehehhe.
Deletesounds like kids being kids... and doing something they shouldn't have.... good story, K.
ReplyDeleteThanks you d~ yes, we were all of 3 and 5 years old. Most of the time though, we were really good kids :-)
DeleteI have tow boys. Ow who fight all the timecaboutcwhat tovatch and I can imagine this happening! Well written moment.
ReplyDeleteThank you Sandra, it's funny the things we remember, and when.
DeleteGood one! The fireman in me thinks the blessing is that no one was crushed under that TV. Maybe she was mad and thankful at the same time.
ReplyDeleteI hadn't thought of it that way Tim, but that IS entirely possible. It was a huge explosion to us when we were of small stature!
DeleteYou reminded me of how happy I am not to feel like I'm "in trouble" when I do stupid things. My mistakes are my own mistakes now- and I have to pay for them. However, it's the WORST feeling in the world to know you're about to be IN TROUBLE on top of it all!
ReplyDeleteTrue enough Julia! ... and the wait... ohhhh my heck!
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