Contest Entry: www.Writing.com
The Writers Cramp
Prompt: You win the largest side of the wishbone against your sister. What is your wish and how does it come true the day after Thanksgiving?
Another Thanksgiving alone, the life of a workaholic, but still with a need to eat, so why not still celebrate the holiday with a turkey dinner? Without a spot that doesn't have work, I sit on the floor for my celebration watching a favorite video, Outrageous Fortune. With the sight of $20M flying everywhere, I finish my turkey dinner to set aside the wishbone for later to follow another tradition.
The magic wishbone is finally dry and brittle ready for an annual tradition for a holiday wish. The tradition will still work alone, as my sister, who is an angel, lost many years ago as a baby, is before me. Dressed lavishly is white with her wings spread wide she has the other end. With a smirk she pretends to pull hard, but lets me win with the largest end now in my hand. She mouths, "Be happy" before she vanishes to be with other the heavenly bodies. With tears at her departure I wish her happiness as well.
Now is the time to decide on my annual wish. Remembering the lonely Thanksgiving I make my wish to find love, to not be alone again next year.
* * *
It's the day after Thanksgiving now. Love isn’t before me magically, as men don’t always cooperate. There is a plan to be the best person I can be, to hold my head up high and act happy. After all “There’s no business like show business. We smile when we are low.” People know that I write-in my friends for stories. I will write a screenplay that will attract love and friendship. Bruce Willis or Robert Redford could smell the part 800 miles away. I won’t be alone next year. Their agents are probably reading this right now.
I put the CD in and click MS Word to begin the screenplay, the work that will change my life forever, the magic answer to my Thanksgiving wish.
REFLECTION
TEASER
FADE IN:
OUTSIDE LAX, LOS ANGELES INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT
where we experience the hustle and bustle of travelers from every walk of life going through the motions of travel. Some are on vacations and some are on boondoggles, time away from the office, when an Airport Shuttle parks for a single traveler. An older man dressed for a vacation gets out beginning an adventure after 40 years tied to a desk in an office. The driver puts his suitcase on the sidewalk awaiting the tip. Handing the man the money:
CONRAD BLAKE
Thank you. I feel free, like a weight is lifted. I’m going on an adventure. My wife is no longer with me. There was a woman I met 40 years ago off Hawaii. I’m going to find her. She will be old like me, but her spirit will still be there. I remember the adventure we had as our sailboat overturned on a holiday. There were six of us clinging to the boat awaiting help in the middle of the Pacific. We met the whale we called Bubbles. He was ferocious.
DRIVER
He sounds ferocious with the name Bubbles. Was he a baby?
Shocked at the man’s cynical attitude:
CONRAD BLAKE
When you are in the middle of the Pacific anything looks ferocious. They eventually eat people.
DRIVER
His Mama was nearby.
Realizing he was in grave danger:
CONRAD BLAKE
Yes. Wish me luck.
The driver nods and watches the Conrad take his baggage and enter the airport terminal seeking an adventure. It’s time for his break and he can’t help but imagine Conrad Blake 40 years ago, just a young whippersnapper. What caused the accident? It had to be the woman, the one a man couldn’t forget after 40 years.
FLASH BACK…
* * *
Well. The screenplay is started. Robert Redford, Bruce Willis or another famous actor will call. I know one will. He has to get me to write him a bigger part. Thanksgiving weill be better next year.
THE END
JULIE CAULFIELD
Saturday, November 24, 2007
AN AFTER THANKSGIVING TALE
The crowd is growing restless waiting for the store door to open. One overanxious shopper wants to ram the door. For months Jill saved for the After Thanksgiving Sale praying for a certain dress. She has money for the holiday gown to be worn at an office party to please her handsome single boss, as well as Christmas presents for her two younger stepbrothers. Gary and Max are from her father’s second marriage, still not feeling at home with the new family. She wants to buy a camera for one and a CD player for the other. With the sale there will be money for the gown.
The door opens and the crowd begins to push and shove to enter the department store. Jill hurries to the second floor to find her dress and sure enough it is marked down 40%. What a buy. She finds her size and doesn’t bother to try it on as she has already many times. She hurries to the clerk to make the purchase excited as the girl puts a bag over the dress. Now she will hurry up the escalator to the third floor for her stepbrother’s presents. To her disappointment she finds that the camera and CD player aren’t marked down enough. There isn’t enough money for all the purchases. Confiding in the salesgirl she confesses that this is her first big party, but there isn’t enough money for the dress and the presents for her stepbrothers. She continues saying, “Gary and Max would love the camera and CD player. The gifts would show them that they are her brothers.”
With the long face she heads toward the escalator to return the dress. As she steps on the escalator she feels the presence of a young man wearing exquisite cologne stepping on behind her. She turns to see a handsome man in an elegant black suit.
“Hello Jill.”
“How did you know my name?”
With a smile he responds, “This is my store. I try to know my regular customers, especially the pretty ones.” As they ride down the escalator he has her captivated with her almost tripping at the bottom. “You are going the wrong direction. We have to go back up for your brother’s presents.” With tears in her eyes she follows the man back up to the electronics department for the gifts. He tells her, “Now I must go. I hope we meet again someday. Take care.”
As she leaves she sees the salesgirl to say, “You have a wonderful store manager. He bought the CD player and camera for me to give my brothers. I can still go to the party.”
“Our store manager is a woman.”
“Who was he?”
The two women hurry to find the strange man, but he disappeared. Wouldn’t it be wonderful for there to be a Shopping Angel, so that all our dreams could come true?
Julie Caulfield
The door opens and the crowd begins to push and shove to enter the department store. Jill hurries to the second floor to find her dress and sure enough it is marked down 40%. What a buy. She finds her size and doesn’t bother to try it on as she has already many times. She hurries to the clerk to make the purchase excited as the girl puts a bag over the dress. Now she will hurry up the escalator to the third floor for her stepbrother’s presents. To her disappointment she finds that the camera and CD player aren’t marked down enough. There isn’t enough money for all the purchases. Confiding in the salesgirl she confesses that this is her first big party, but there isn’t enough money for the dress and the presents for her stepbrothers. She continues saying, “Gary and Max would love the camera and CD player. The gifts would show them that they are her brothers.”
With the long face she heads toward the escalator to return the dress. As she steps on the escalator she feels the presence of a young man wearing exquisite cologne stepping on behind her. She turns to see a handsome man in an elegant black suit.
“Hello Jill.”
“How did you know my name?”
With a smile he responds, “This is my store. I try to know my regular customers, especially the pretty ones.” As they ride down the escalator he has her captivated with her almost tripping at the bottom. “You are going the wrong direction. We have to go back up for your brother’s presents.” With tears in her eyes she follows the man back up to the electronics department for the gifts. He tells her, “Now I must go. I hope we meet again someday. Take care.”
As she leaves she sees the salesgirl to say, “You have a wonderful store manager. He bought the CD player and camera for me to give my brothers. I can still go to the party.”
“Our store manager is a woman.”
“Who was he?”
The two women hurry to find the strange man, but he disappeared. Wouldn’t it be wonderful for there to be a Shopping Angel, so that all our dreams could come true?
Julie Caulfield
Tuesday, October 9, 2007
SUCCESS
You have heard the old saying, "Beauty is in the eye of the beholder." Success is very much like this old saying. Success isn't just one person climbing Mt. Everest or making a million dollars. It's different for everyone as we all have different goals, and values. As we climb Mt. Everest, we can see that if we take one step in the wrong direction, we will lose something of value, maybe our neck. The winner who succeeds to get to the top, may not have anything of value endangered and this is sad. Some of us are destined to sell cars, or wait on tables, but have something of greater value, love. The climber that reaches the top of the mountain is so focused on the ascent that he loses love.
Saturday, October 6, 2007
October is Halloween
October can be spooky!!
October is full of excitement; people beginning school, and secretly anticipating costume parties for Halloween. I can't wait to have a real home to have such a party. One memorable costumes from the past was Miss Bank of Italy 1904, while a secretary for Bank of America. I was dressed in an old fashioned bathing suit. That same year a boss dressed as a woman. I was hurt when an executive called to talk to "the pretty one." Have a Happy Halloween month.
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