Denise at GirlieOnTheEdge
has challenged us to write a
Six Sentence Story and
include the word “task”.
This is my response.
Not having practiced the piano at all that one week, I called my instructor who was waiting for me at the church and declared into the phone âMrs. Ridgeway, itâs Nancy and I canât make it to my lesson today because itâs rainingâ; I was quite proud of myself for coming up with such a creative and foolproof excuse.
In her clipped New England-accented voice, Mrs. Ridgeway replied âYouâre not a sugar cube and wonât melt in the rainâ, then went on to say âSurely you have an umbrella you can useâ; I was quick to inform her that I had left my umbrella on the school bus, adding that no one was at home with me to lend me an umbrella and my mother didnât approve of me walking unprotected in the rain to which my piano teacher replied âWell then, Iâll just come to your house for your lessonâ.
You could have knocked me over with a feather because I certainly was not expecting that response and, true to her word, ten minutes later Mrs. Ridgeway appeared at my front door, ready for the task at hand; I dilly-dallied as long as I could looking for my book of Schirmerâs Library of Musical Classics â Selected Piano Masterpieces, setting up my metronome, cracking my knuckles and swinging my arms a la Ed Norton and shifting butt cheeks searching for the most comfortable position until Mrs. Ridgewayâs patience reached the breaking point and she barked âEnough!â which nearly made me jump off the piano bench in a panic.
Shaking like the last leaf on a branch in a windstorm, I opened my lesson book to the appropriate page and began playing Beethovenâs FĂŒr Elise while Mrs. Ridgeway sat next to me, staring over my shoulder and glaring; I played as though I was wearing boxing gloves and, being the master sleuth that she was, Mrs. Ridgeway saw right through my brilliant plot.
Angrier than my sister the day she discovered I had ripped off all the heads on her Barbie dolls, Mrs. Ridgeway exclaimed I had wasted her valuable time and she doubled my lessons for the next week which would have been tolerable if she hadnât reported to my mother who got so mad because of my lack of responsibility, she withheld my allowance for the next two weeks and took away my TV privileges âŠ. even Dr. Kildare.
Hoisted by my own petard!
NAR © 2024
This is what FĂŒr Elise is supposed to sound like; youâll notice Lang Lang is not wearing boxing gloves (but I bet heâd sound just as good even if he was).
The incomparable Jackie Gleason and Art Carney in a clip from the Honeymooners – Suwanee River. How could I possibly resist?
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