Assortment 3: Assortment, #3

By D. Reed Whittaker

Another collection of short stories, generally as contest entrants at writing (dot) com. Some are short, and some are long (2,000+ words). As with the other 'Assortments', there is no theme. I think you will like most of them. Enjoy.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Intercede LLC
• Release date: Aug 4, 2018
• ISBN: 9781386570479

D. Reed Whittaker

Retired engineer creating worlds I'd like to live in and people I'd like to know. It's been fun meeting/creating MarieAnne, Steve, Bill, Maggie, Sylvia, Smitty, Linda, Billy, Suzy, Ken, Molly, Dad, John Henry, Melody, Sally, and George. I think you'll like meeting them, too. 

Book preview

Ezra

Introduction

Ezra is a partial re-telling of the story of how a Buddy Lee doll helped three lonely, unhappy boys deal with their sadness. It started as a mechanism whereby a father, sent to war, communicated with his young son. That father never returned, but the doll still worked its ‘magic’. That magic was transferred to the grandson, and then to the great-grandson. Each had a different sadness, but each had a friend in Ezra. What follows is a single evening in the great-grandson’s life.

Evening

It is a warm mid-summer’s eve. The sun had set but left a pink-gray sky. A breeze rustles the leaves of a massive sycamore tree in the front yard of a farm in the southwest corner of Nebraska, near the Kansas border. A small boy sits on the top step of the porch holding a Buddy Lee doll. He is talking to the doll. A woman in her mid-twenties watches behind the screen door. She calls to the boy, Billy, may I join you?

The boy jerks his head around. He smiles. Oh yes. Aunt Molly, please do. Please do.

Molly opens the screen door and sits beside the boy. Is that Ezra?

The boy looks at the doll, perplexed, then back at the woman. Ezra is not a that. Ezra is my friend. The smile has disappeared.

I know, she says, sliding closer to the boy. I’m sorry. Would you introduce us?

Introduce? asks Billy.

I’ve never met Ezra. Heard a lot about him, but this is the first time I’ve had a chance to talk to him.

Billy shakes his head. I don’t think you can talk to Ezra.

Oh, why not?

You’re not a Clements.

A Clements?

Like Uncle Ken, and Grand, and... and... me. I’m a Clements.

She hugs the boy. You sure are.

The boy smiles, then beams, nodding. Yes, I’m a Clements. He looks down at the doll, then back to Molly. Was Gran a Clements?

I’m sure she was. Do you miss her?

Billy pulls the doll to him, closing his eyes. Yes, I miss her. I miss her all the time. He turns to face Molly. Why did she have to go away? Why did Gran have to die?

Molly puts her arm around Billy, pulling him to her. I don’t know. Don’t think we’ll ever know. What does Ezra think? She nods to the doll.

He doesn’t know either. I miss Gran so much. I wish she hadn’t gone away. He looks at Ezra. Things are so much better now. Gran should be here. She should be here.

Maybe she still is.

Billy turns, How?

Molly touches Billy’s chest. She’s here. She’s in your heart. As long as you think of her, love her, she will always be with you.

Billy looks at Molly’s hand, her finger still on his chest. Here?

Here, then she touches his head, smoothing his hair. And here. She will always be in your thoughts and your heart. She loved you. That love will be with you always.

Billy nodded, closing his eyes, he smiles. She loved me.

Neither said anything for a few moments. 

Billy turns to Molly. Do you love me? he asks.

Molly pulls him to her. Of course, you know that.

Good, cuz I love you. I love Uncle Ken, and Grand, and Suzy, and Aunt Flora and Uncle John. I love everybody. He pauses, looking away. Well, almost everybody.

Molly nods, closing her eyes, clenching her jaw. May I meet Ezra?

Billy looks at Ezra holding him up to look into his face. He nods. Yes, Ezra would like to meet you. He turns to Molly. I will traduce you.

Introduce, corrected Molly.

He nods, Right, in-tro-duce. Aunt Molly, this is Ezra. Ezra is my friend. He turns to Ezra. Ezra, this is Aunt Molly. She is Uncle Ken’s friend. She would like to meet you. He raises Ezra’s rigid right arm. 

Molly takes the doll’s hand between her thumb and forefinger. Nice to meet you, Ezra.

Ezra likes you. He is very glad to meet you.

Do you like me? Am I your friend? she asks Billy.

One of my bestest friends.

Good, you are mine. She smiles at Billy. 

Billy grins and puts Ezra back between his feet.

Who is your best friend? asks Molly.

Billy scrunches his face, narrowing his eyes. Best?

Molly laughs. Not fair. You don’t have to choose.

I don’t know. Maybe Uncle Ken, or maybe Suzy, or Grand. He shrugs. I don’t know. I like them all. He turns to face Molly. I like you too. He shrugs again. I don’t know who I like the best. He looks away, then down at Ezra. Oh, oh, oh. He bounces in place. Ezra is my best friend.

As it should be. It’s good to have so many best friends.

He smiles, nodding. Gran is my best friend, too.

Night

Later at night, in Billy’s bedroom, he is clutching Ezra, his eyes are closed, he almost asleep. He’s talking to Ezra.

You are my friend, my best friend. You liked me when no one else did. No, that's not right. Uncle Ken liked me. Liked me right from the start. I liked him, too. He gave you to me. I was so lonely. My only friend was Gran, but Gran went away. She died. Uncle Ken likes me, I'm his Billy Boy.

Aunt Molly likes you. I'm glad 'cuz I like Aunt Molly. She loves me. You know what I wish? Of course you do. Can I tell you anyway? Good, I like hearing it: Mommy and Daddy. I want Aunt Molly to be my Mom. And Uncle Ken to be my Dad. I want to be their little boy. I want to be their Billy boy. I want us to be a family. Is it a good wish?

How did you help Uncle Ken? He was sad because Grand was so mean. Grand is not mean anymore. Grand is nice. He wasn't, but he's nice now. He's my friend, my Grand. My parents were mean. They didn't like me. They left me. Gran found me, loved me. Now I have Uncle Ken, Aunt Molly, Grand, Suzy, Aunt Flora and Uncle John.

Why do we have to be so sad? Uncle Ken was sad. Grand was sad. I was sad. Why?

Dream

Billy’s asleep.

You will never be sad again, never lonely. You have a family - people who love you. People who will protect you and care for you. You have me. You will always have me. I will help you. You will never be lonely again.

You have Uncle Ken, Aunt Molly, Grand, Suzy, Uncle John, and Aunt Flora. They will be with you always. Thoughts of them will keep away the sadness, take away the pain, the hurt. Sleep well, Billy, you are home. This will always be your home. We will always be your family. You will never be alone again.

Tomorrow will be better than today. The day after will be even better. Dream of tomorrow, and the day after. Sleep Billy, sleep. Dream.

The Promise

Introduction

This is a re-working of a few scenes from MarieAnne told from a different perspective – Maggie’s. The Promise is an examination of trust. How easy it is to lose. How difficult it is to regain. It is a contest entrant with a word count limit. It is a cursory examination, more a quiz.

I avoid internal dialog and minimize description. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn’t. Hope you like it. All comments are welcome. 

Monday June 10

Bill closed his eyes and lost his smile. I had just told him of Mary Ann’s and my trip to Midway, You promised, he said.

I know I promised. So, what?

So, what? Doesn’t your word mean anything?

So, I went to Midway. I shrugged. What’s the big deal?

What’s the big deal? You know it’s a big deal. Steve and I were worried about your safety. We’ve no idea what Borsig can or will do. We trusted you.

I twisted away, hugging my end of the couch.

This isn’t like you. What’s going on? he asked.

Nothing’s going on.

He shook his head. I don’t understand you.

I twisted back. What’s to understand? I wanted to see what all the fuss was about. Period. I was curious.

His soft blue eyes narrowed, You know what curiosity did to the cat.

I grinned. But satisfaction brought him back. 

His lips tightened. What did Mary Ann say?

I looked away. Nothing.

Nothing? She said nothing?

She said nothing. All the way back from Midway, she just looked out her window and said nothing.

Damn. Deep breath. You’ve done it now. Did she get out of the car when you stopped at Midway?

I shook my head. No. She wouldn’t even look at me when I motioned for her to get out.

Damn, damn, damn. Bill left the couch and stood against the fireplace, his back to me. Think she’ll tell Steve? he asked over his shoulder.

Why should she?

Because Steve is Steve, and she doesn’t want to lose what she’s just found. Pause. You may have lost a friend.

Mary Ann is my best friend. She wouldn’t...

He turned. Oh, she wouldn’t? Think what those two have. Who do you think is more important to her?

You think she’d chose Steve over me? I walked to the sliding glass doors opening onto the patio.

He followed and stood beside me. We stared into the backyard.

In a few minutes, I turned to face him. I nodded. I messed up.

Big time.

What do I do?

Cross your fingers and hope she doesn’t tell Steve.

What if she does?

Then we’ve got a problem.

We?

"Yes, we. They’re my friends, too. I don’t want to lose