30 Minus 2 Days of Writing Challenge
Day 2: It Was No Accident
One Saturday night, Gerald the Elephant plopped his grey wrinkly butt down on his couch and began binge-watching a television show that his friend, Persephone, recommended. It was a story of a lovely lady who had three very lovely girls and had married an architect who had three boys of his own. All six children were born of immaculate conception, obviously, because in none of the episodes was the topic of ex-husbands or ex-wives brought up.
Gerald stayed up all night and all the next day and all the next night watching all 117 episodes never leaving the couch except to refill his peanut bowl and go to the toilet. A toilet was another thing you never saw on this show, by the way. You saw the bathroom lots, as the kids were always fighting over it - that’s right, 6 kids, 1 bathroom - but you never saw the toilet.
Gerald’s phone rang just as he was watching the credits roll on the last episode, tears streaming down his face over all the plucky drama he had consumed.
“Hello?”
“Well?”
“Persephone! Oh, Persephone!”
“I know!”
“When those kids went on the TV show to win their parents an anniversary gift, I just lost it!” Gerald grabbed another tissue, honked his trunk, and threw it on the mountain that had built up over the weekend.
“I can’t go into the zoo today,” said Gerald. “I’m exhausted.”
“I figured as much,” said Persephone, clicking her beak.
“You did this on purpose, didn’t you.”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about, Gerry.”
He could always tell when Persephone was lying. She’d preen her feathers whenever she fibbed and he could hear the squeaking from it over the phone.
“Wendy always comes on Mondays with her Mom and she always gives me her cotton candy and now you’re going to get it all.”
“It’s not my fault you marathon watched it.”
“You’re an enabler. And you’re squeaking.”
“You’ll feel better after you’ve had some sleep.”
“Maybe,” he said.
“Hey, have you ever seen The Partridge Family?” asked Persephone.
“How many episodes are there?”
“Not that many,” she said.
The sound of ruffling feathers and a small squeak came over the line.
“I gotta go.”
The 30 Minus 2 Day Writing Challenge is hosted by We Work for Cheese.
