Setting: Buckeye, in front of Catholic Church
Players:
Old Man
Cassie, an awkward girl
Cassie sees the old man in her path, standing with his hands on hips. Cassie cringes thinking, do I need to start carrying mace. She removes her headphones.
Old Man: Why are you walking without your dog?
Cassie: (Do I know this man? How does he know I have dogs?) Uh... well, I guess I should be walking my dog. Mean, I guess. But she pulls on the leash too much.
Old Man: Oh, I've got a better dog than you.
Cassie: You probably do!
Old Man: Come 'ere.
Gesticulates slightly toward a hidden corner on the church. He looks around slightly furtively. Cassie starts to get nervous. If an old man would've said this and done this in Denver she certainly would've walked away... but this is Abilene. Old Man starts to root in his pocket.
Cassie: Uh...
Old Man: So you like dogs?
Cassie: Yeah...
He pulls a blue balloon out of his pocket. Cassie is relieved!
Cassie: HA! Do you always carry balloons in your pocket?
Old Man: Do you know a better place to carry them?
He creates a blue poodle complete with puffy tail. Cassie awkwardly watches.
Old Man: Now, he doesn't eat much and will only bark if you step on him and he's easy to walk. When you get home put him on an ink pen near the phone and you'll always have something around to take messages!
Cassie: Thanks! You made my evening!
Old Man: Well have a good walk!
Cassie: (delightedly) Thanks!
Headphones safely back in her ears, Cassie tries not to smile. She grins like an idiot anyway as she carries the poodle away.
The End
Anyway... it was delightful and I'm glad I didn't run away. I mean where else do people randomly make you balloon animals. I'm also secretly glad my target audience is the group of people that do that. I certainly can't picture your average 28 year old guy making me a balloon animal. Although if I could find such a guy, he might actually have a shot with me. :)
Here's my newest pet:
7 comments:
Generally people with their hands on their hands are not a threat (see: mikelewis, who loves to stand akimbo) but I think I would ave run when he started rooting around in his pocket although I'm sure I've missed out on being gifted som sacajawea dollars that way.
Oh man, this blog is sooooo wonderful that no response from me could possibly be sufficient. Just 2 things:
1. I now officially want to return to Abilene immediately.
2. I gave my brother a balloon-animal-making kit a few Christmases ago, and as I remember, he was very good at it...and he's 28.
LJ- introduce me to your brother!!! :)
Tara- the next time I see you, I'm going to have sacajawea dollars... that's a threat!
2 things:
1. Did this exchange actually occur, or did you make it up:
Cassie: HA! Do you always carry balloons in your pocket?
Old Man: Do you know a better place to carry them?
Either way, that's hilarious.
2. I am, indeed, a semi-accomplished balloon-animal maker (or was at one time). But I'm only going to be 28 for another 16 days. Alas.
DJ- Of course I didn't make it up! I'm not that creative!
And, yes, alas! It's so dreadfully dramatic that you are going to be...gasp!...29!
Good for people to know.
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