thenotsomightyom

What snack would you eat right now?

A short story about a woman who is on a tight schedule of working,planning and researching recipes ,shopping,cooking , and cleaning .Alone in the kitchen,she has her favourite snack.

It’s my time,I’m alone in the kitchen and I’m hungry and I can have what I want.

I have been meticulous in planning and cooking calorie controlled,vitamin filled, and well presented meals for my husband and two children.

I religiously go out and buy the best ingredients from local suppliers.I will not online shop,I cook from scratch.I use my phone app if I’m stumped for ideas.Rarely will a bag of crisps or sweets pass my children’s sweet lips.Never mind biscuits that are not home made.

But today, as I say, I’m alone.The children are away with their dad for a long weekend.I can have what I want. I’ve cleaned the house from top to bottom and now it’s me time…

So what do I plump for….Cheese on Toast,made with white pan bread and white cheddar and my trusty bottle of Lea Perrins! I’m in Heaven!

Come up with a crazy business idea.

A non-profit,feel good making self-driving vehicle with selected “experts” to give advice on important decisions and to help with any chores around the house that anyone needed help with.

The Help Mobile stopped outside the small ,neatly painted wooden house with the small veranda. The path up to the house had weeds coming up through the paving slabs.

As Raz and Pellow hopped out of the vehicle ,the weeds were the first indication that all was not well.

When,on invitation by the sole occupant of the house;a frail old lady;they entered,they knew immediately what to do.Their job card on their work mobile had been quite specific,a leaking tap,help with chores and finally the path.

When they had finished ,they asked the lady to sign to say all the jobs had been completed to her satisfaction ,which she did with a smile and a nominal gratuity which was agreed on booking and was voluntary. It was what you could afford.

Raz was a lawyer, and Pellow was a plumber. There were all sorts of skills available from The Help Mobile. Anything from Chiropodists to Car Mechanics and Help was so quick in coming.It never took longer than three days for a booking to be completed.

Raz, though , worked with a number of clients and cases over a period of time. Legal issues could take months ,even years. He might visit the same site over a number of weeks or months and would get to know his clients,whereas Pellow tended to make a visit and then move on. His forte was fixing leaks,and once fixed, they rarely happened again.

It was all coordinated from Head Office,probably using an Artificial Intelligence System.

It worked well,even today ,where Raz’s lawyerly “listening skills” had helped with the lady’s concern with a dispute she was having with a neighbour.They chatted about the problem while Raz completed the pile of ironing the lady had struggled with due to her arthritic hands.

Both Raz and Pellow had started as volunteers because they felt it was something valuable to do. They had both been selected as permanent employees due to their flexibility and ability. It was lucrative enough for them to be happy with their life choice.

The Help Mobile helped them also. The Help Mobile took all the boring administration tasks,like payroll and insurance , away from them.

When they used to work for themselves, these mundane tasks would eat into valuable home and leisure time. Now , The Help Mobile allowed them to concentrate on what they were both good at and not work unreasonable hours.It was a win,win situation.

Every day was different. The Help Mobile had established it’s reputation,it was very often the first organisation people would call when they had a problem. There was no shortage of help needed,so the diary was always full.

Describe an item you were incredibly attached to as a youth. What became of it?

A short story by Geraldine Banks

©GeraldineBanks2024

I was only three years old when my grandfather died.I wasn’t even able to form my letters.

My mother kept my grandfathers bequest safe in her jewellery box until I was eight.

On my eighth birthday she gave me grandad’s golden nib that he had left me in his will.

My mother’s present to me on that special day was an expensive fountain pen and a beautiful inkwell and writing set for me to use.

She showed me how to fit the shiny,beautiful nib to my fountain pen and proudly explained the meaning of the hall marks on the gold nib as well as how to use the ink well and blotting paper.

It was quite a momentous day,and, subsequently, I passed many happy hours forming my letters and writing sentences and paragraphs. Sometimes, I would just copy my favourite children’s books for fun.

When I was about sixteen ,my mother grew increasingly worried about me.My writing and copying habit was so prolific that,yes, she could see I could write beautiful script,but my school work had suffered.

I had fallen behind with maths and science, and as our family were important in the Medical Profession, in the area, and it was hoped I would follow that path.My mother sat me down in the hope that we could address my obsession with using my Golden Nib.

My science marks did not improve.Infact, they got worse ,and my mother was in tears the day that she found out I had failed to get into medical school. I looked at her blankly.

“That bloody pen! You’ve wasted too much time copying, and now,now look where you are!” She screamed at me. I looked at her aghast as she ran out of the living room and upstairs to my bedroom.There she took all my writing equipment and threw it in my bin,brought it downstairs and threw it all in the waste bin outside.

“This has got to stop!” She cried,no more copying script,do something more useful with your life!”

“OK mum”. I said ,defeated and hunched shouldered,I left her and went back upstairs to my room. I sat down on my bed and felt in my pocket for my golden nib. It felt good between my fingers.

“It’s alright, Grandad ,phase two,no more copying,but I am going to write some very beautiful books.Thanks Grandad”.

The End