Honesty Creative Challenge #289

After 91 years the elderly gentleman was on his death bed. His wife of 70 years was holding his hand. Finally she blurts out, “Henry, I have to tell you this to ease my conscience. It was during the Great War in 1943, you were away and I was lonely. I was weak and had an affair, twice…”

The old man said “OH! I don’t blame you and I forgive you.”

He let out a long breath and never took another.

As she reached over to close his eyes she said “…once with the baseball team and once with the football team.”


Tim D. Culey
03-01-14

Void

Many years ago I was saddled with the grocery shopping and my list included "Tampax." I was fairly sure what they were but wasn't sure if that was a generic name for the product or a brand name and/or if it made any difference.

 

Having experienced the wrath of one who shouts, “THAT is not what I wanted” and being unable to locate said items and NOT wanting to go home without them, I asked the clerk at the checkout counter where I might find them.

 

Much to my astonishment, she gets on the speaker system and says, “Billy, bring a box of Tampax to check out #4.” If that wasn’t bad enough, “Billy” gets on the speaker system and says, “Do you want the kind you push in with your thumb or drive in with a hammer?”

 

 The temperature in the store now has dropped to absolute zero  usually found only in the void of space where all motion ceases.  Everyone in the store apparently is waiting for her response.

 

When one was not forthcoming, “Billy” gets on the speakers again with, “You DID say thumb tacks, right?”

 

 

It’s been 35 years now … “Billy” is probably a grandfather, but I’m not willing to take that chance.

Waiting

We spend our entire lives waiting

We wait for somebody to notice our diaper needs replacing

We wait for someone to come give us a bust in the mouth

We wait until nobody is looking to give asparagus to the dog

We wait for our teachers to realize we are geniuses

We wait forever for that important and special first date

We wait forever for her to finally be ready

We wait and sweat in agony sitting with her parents

We wait until the day we finally  get that driver’s license

We wait with hand out for our very first paycheck

We wait until all our bills are paid before we can spend it

We wait until the perfect companion comes along

We wait on bended knee for her to say “Yes!”

We wait and pace and worry in the maternity ward

We wait until we finally hold the perfect child in our arms

We wait and pace and worry when the child is out past curfew

We wait and worry that we will never be grandparents

We wait on the grandkids hand and foot and love every minute

We wait for visits that seem so rare and so short

We wait for them to find time to see us again

We wait in agony to join a spouse who has gone on ahead

We wait and weep and stare into the darkness

We wait to die.


Tim D. Culey © 2014

Imagine

 

Imagine there is a place where children play

Where they can laugh and giggle the whole day

Imagine that they can feel safe and sound

Knowing that those that care are all around

 

Imagine when the weather turns freezing cold

There will be a warm blanket into which you can fold

If you feel cranky, there is always somebody to hug

Before you know it you will sleeping like a bug in rug.

 

Imagine a fellow with grey whiskers and hair

Who wants to be with you forever there

It’s a long way to Cleveland from Louisiana

But he will travel forever. He is your Grandpa.

 

 

 

      FINNIAN CULEY JAN 2014 7 Mos.