“See I remembered.”
Joe looked down at the thing in his hand. He turned it over. “What is it?”
“I’m hurt darling. You’ve been asking for one for years now.”
“Louise, you have got to be kidding. This is not the car I wanted. It is a hard glob of…well I don’t know what.”
“No, not the car. It is the dog you asked for.”
“The dog …this is no dog. Having you been hitting the wine already?”
“No silly. Here let me see it.”
He handed her the object. She closed her eyes. Suddenly a dog appeared.
“I didn’t steal it. It crawled into my pocket at the store.”
They both looked down at the creature.
“What is it Stan.”
“I don’t know Louise. It looks like some kind of big tadpole.”
The creature squirmed in his hand as it shed its skin. It grew to twice its previous size.
“Stan, kill the thing.”
“I can’t kill it. I don’t even know what it is.”
“All the reason to kill it.”
“No…” The creature shed it’s skin again. Now it was too big for his hand. He dropped it to the ground. The creature crawled away.
“Dude, what’s on your head?”
“It’s a hat…what’s it look like?”
“Well…if you must know the sorting hat from Harry Potter. Take it off before someone sees you.”
“I can’t…”
“What are you talking about?”
“Didn’t you hear me…it won’t come off. I woke up this morning and I was wearing the hat. I tried to pull it off…well… it’s stuck there.”
“Hold on babe. Let me see if I can pull it off.” She walked over and pulled on the hat. “It won’t come off…why?”
“Gloria, if I knew. I’d take it off.”
“You know I didn’t have this much trouble when I was dead. I was peaceful laying in my coffin. Then you came along.”
“The world needs you….”
“What couldn’t another so called super hero handle your little emergency.”
“There aren’t around with your talents.
“Max, I told you when I died tThe last time I wanted out. The world does’nt respect superheroes any more. We’re no longer the one to be emulated. We’re the ones they spit on, throw things at…”
“C’mon Zephyr, I know all that but the world still needs you.”
“This is the last time.”
“Sure…”
“Why are you telling me you ripped a hole to another dimension through your washing machine? You been hitting the wine again?”
“For the record HONEY, I said the dryer.”
“That’s not the point here…”
He hand flipped up. “Follow me.”
He followed his wife into the laundry room. “Why is the dryer drawing glowing?”
She scowled. “Have you not been listening?”
“Yeah, but I didn’t believe you.”
She walked over the dryer and opened the dryer door. “Okay, have a look.”
He walked over, looked inside, pulled his head back. Shut the door. Something crashed into the door.
“What’s that THING in your backpack?”
“It’s my new pet dragon.”
“But dragon’s aren’t real. They’re the things of fantasy stories.
“Then why is there one in my backpack?”
“I don’t know. Why don’t you tell me?
“Well to keep the story short. I found a big egg in a cave. I took it home and hid it under some blankets. The next day…a baby dragon.”
“You can’t keep it.”
“I don’t see why not…”
“Well for one thing. There is the big angry dragon standing behind you with a mean look.”
He turned to look.
“Oh crap!”
“Then God said to me, “Noah, I need you to build an ark and it has to be this big by this big.. I wanted to say God, “You me and my son to build a what. Then you want us to put two of every kind of animal inside?” But I know God the rest of the conversation would have gone something like this.”
Me, “God, I’m not a very handy person.”
God would have answered, “No, but you’re a faithful man. Besides I Am, do you not think I couldn’t give you the skills to do a job I called you to do?”
Me again, “No, it’s just I’m an old man. I was just getting ready to retire..”
God once more, “Retirement is cancelled. I’ll expect the ark to be done
Me again, “What about wood and nails? And the gallons of pitch to seal up the cracks..”
God once more, “Noah…”
Me one final time, “Ok, ok…
He knelt on the grave. “I won’t forget what I learned the last time I lived.”
“Who was he?”
He turned and looked up at the woman standing with him.
“Ummm,” He thought about what he should say. He couldn’t tell her he was once the man in the grave. He said the only thing he could think of. “He was my grandfather. I never met him.”
The woman named Lynn looked at him. “ Why have you never come here before?”
The man named Newt looked at her. “No reason.”
“But why now?”
“I felt like it was time.”
I dreamed of a better place
Just the other night
Where people were full of joy
What a beautiful sight
Wish it were true, don’t you
Wish it were true, don’t you
I saw no pain, no suffering
No evil words came my way
Everyone danced to the tune
Of a brand new day
Wish it were true, don’t you
Wish it were true, don’t you
Everyone knew each other
Each was a friend to all
War ceased to be a problem
Love
“Love what?” Gilliam thought to himself. He looked around the literature classroom. Not one of his so- called classmates in the room cared for him. They all said he was different. His true friends were the geeks and freaks. He let out a sigh…”How was he to become their protector. How was he going to learn to love them unconditionally?
Gilliam looked up at the clock. The bell should be ringing any second now. He shoved his notebook in his backpack and threw it over his shoulder.
The bell rang. “Finally,” Gilliam muttered to himself.
“Hey, Gilliam still writing that crap poetry?” Shouted Josh as he walked out the door.
“Yeah, man, find something more manly.” Chimed in Keith.
A few more chuckles and the classroom was empty. He stood up to go to his next class.
“Better hurry or you’re going to be late for class.” Said Mr. Lewis the Literature teacher.
Gilliam looked at him. “Yeah I know…I’ll make it.
“Oh, and Gilliam don’t let those guys get to you. Keep writing your poetry.”
“Where I come from it’s almost a requirement.” Gilliam smiled and left the room.
Gilliam left the literature classroom and turned left in the crowded hallway. A school with over 4,000 students was a perfect place for a guardian angel to reside in order to bring protection
