Thursday, October 13, 2011

Peace at last!



Written for Short Story Slam 12



Peace at last! I thought he’d never fall asleep. Listen; bliss. All I can hear is the ticking of the clock, and the rustling of autumn leaves in the world beyond his cosy little room. ‘Yes’ I said to her, ‘you go out and enjoy yourself this evening; you deserve it and it’s time for our first attempt at father-son bonding’. Little did I realise what I’d let myself in for.


I need to start clearing up the bombsite that used to be our lounge. I had no idea how loose the curtain track had become and I had no idea how tight his grip was on the fabric when I tried carrying him away from the window. I’m never going to have time to get out the ladder and my tools and reattach the rail before she gets home . I know I said I’d feed him, after all, how difficult could it be? I’m sure it wasn’t my fault the first jar of baby food exploded in the microwave, it must have been faulty. Then to demonstrate how tasty the Heinz cauliflower and broccoli cheese was, I let him watch me eat a little myself. Mistake . When I got back from throwing up in the bathroom he was tucking into the cat litter, and for some reason he found it tastier than the gloopy slime in the little jar. He was probably right . The kitchen looks like a disaster area and if she sees all that baby food splattered across the ceiling she’ll be furious. Actually, pale green looks quite good, I’ll bear that in mind when we redecorate .

 Tabby the cat is probably still hiding behind the sofa. Can’t say I blame her. At one stage I nearly joined her. He’s got a lovely little wind up toy cat, I like playing with it myself, but he seems to think that torturing Tabby is far more fun . Actually, whilst watching him it did occur to me that he has a natural aptitude for riding - one day he might even become a jockey. 


I’m not too good with things horticultural, but I’m hoping that if I poke the snapped-off part of her precious orchid back into the dirt in the flowerpot, it might re-grow its roots. After all, the wriggly worm he snapped in half in the garden earlier today managed to survive. It was funny actually ; both halves went off in different directions! I bet they won’t arrange a get-together in our garden! 

He looks so sweet and innocent lying there. I wonder if he’s dreaming? We are going to the coast tomorrow. What was it Winston Churchill said, something about fighting them on the beaches? He’s probably plotting something right now. I had no idea how hard looking after a child single-handedly could be ; I’m worn out. 

 It’s really comfortable here. I think I deserve a little rest before I start downstairs. I can hardly keep my eyes open. I’ll just er, er, mmmmmmmmmmm.



17 comments:

  1. it's comfortable because it's so peaceful, no worries.

    http://zongrik.wordpress.com/2011/10/13/son/

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  2. Been there! Truthfully written

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  3. Very very funny. I really enjoyed this!

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  4. Keith, Thought that I would return the favor and I am so glad that I did! Thanks for the good laugh!!! Great story, well told too. I enjoyed my visit tremendously. Peace and blessings, Terri

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  5. I love this story! It's funny to see a grown man completely wiped out by a tiny baby.

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  6. touching story,

    a pet and a man, cute imagery.

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  7. Yup, this sounds too true! Love the bit about the cat and the toy.
    Nice blog layout you have here too.
    Jamie.

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  8. Ah, the joys of fatherhood, those special moments... warm and tender reflections.
    Thanks for popping in at my blog and leaving a comment.

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  9. Perfect description of the way fathers manage to babysit their children. It's a very nice story. I was smiling the entire time. Too bad the orchid will not bloom. They aren't able to be reviatlized like that ... but ... nice try.
    Never eat baby food. Who makes them? Robots ...!!!! I always made my own baby food. If I won't eat them how could I have given it to my children.
    This was a fun read. Thanks for coming by mine.
    Toodles,
    Isadora

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  10. "actually, the pale green looks quite good, I'll try to remember that when we redecorate."

    hilarious. very unique brand of humor. keep this.

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  11. also, thanks for stopping by my blog!!!

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  12. Hey! Hey! I smiled (and giggled) all the way through this. You captured the essence of fatherhood in a high, fun and wholesome degree! Magic read!

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  13. This was wonderful... quite witty and very real :-) An entertaining take on the prompt!

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  14. Didn't know the best way to get in touch with you... just wanted to let you know that I selected your "Peace at Last" story for this week's tribute piece at Bluebell Books. Swing by the main blog page to see your award!! Congrats :-)

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  15. Oh wonderfully written, I just loved this ... and the award is very well deserved :o)

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