This week's prompts are:
“Jesus, what did you do to me!"
“Is there anything else I need to know?”
“Is she supposed to be pretty?”
“Don’t lose the details.”
“I’m running out of time.”
“Don’t sweat the small stuff.”
“Everybody knows that.”
or use a department store
or use: dust, cart, bike
or pick a penny up
or have a character having a nose bleed
or use: cell phone, castle, foam
or use: lawnmower, jeans, toilet paper
or “If I could turn back time”
or “The world is a circle, without a beginning”
or “She held my heart within her hands”
or “These aren’t happy tears, you hurt me, you idiot!”
or “Don’t just stand there, run!”
Tom and Ben decided to get out while it was nice and sunny and enjoy their time off together.
Springtime Fun
Weds Brief
Ben never thought he’d be this happy. He and Tom were enjoying a day together. They didn’t get this kind of time often. Tom was working three days on and three days
off at the firehouse, and Ben was working on the days Tom was off. He
treasured these times together. Tom’s
job was so dangerous, they never thought about what could happen to him. They
tried to live each day as fully as they could.
Ben bumped into Tom’s back. He’d stopped suddenly. Ben
watched Tom bend over and pick something up off the ground.
“A penny? It that
what you stopped for, you picked up a penny? “
“Well, yeah, why not?
Remember that saying ‘ See a penny, pick it up and all the day you’ll
have good luck?’ Well, I pick them up
all the time.” Tom took Ben by the hand,
and they continued their walk down Main Street. Lancaster was a beautiful town, right in the
heard of Amish country. In some places,
you’ll see the horse-drawn buggies making their way to and fro. The tourist season was just picking up.
They found a small restaurant that had outdoor dining and
grabbed a seat; it was just before lunch, so many of the tables were empty. The
weather had been a roller coaster. Just when you thought winter was done, another
cold front would come through.
“I can’t figure out how to dress anymore,” Ben told Tom that morning in their bedroom.
“Just put something light on, and this way you can always
take your clothes off.” Tom laughed, realizing how suggestive his comment was.
“Oooo, I can take them off now if you’d like.” Ben wiggled his eyebrows at him.
“I’m going to take a rain check for now, tiger. We’ve got errands to do. I’ll make BBQ tonight for dinner, and then
we can have dessert.”
“You better not forget.”
Ben had a pouty look on his face.
“Oh, don’t worry. I have a feeling you won’t let me
forget.” Tom put on a light jacket and
Ben did the same.
Now they were sitting at a table, under an umbrella to
protect them from the sun.
“Can I get you gentlemen something?” the waiter asked them.
“I’d like coffee,” Ben
said.
“I’d like an espresso,”
Tom told him.
“Are we going to stop over at Home Depot and pick out some
new bathroom fixtures?” Ben had wanted
to redo the bathroom in their bedroom for a long time, and they finally had the
money to do it.
“Yeah, honey, that is one of the stuff on my to do list.”
“Help!” A woman could be heard screaming from inside the
restaurant.
Tom was up off his chair and raced inside. He spotted a man standing beside a table; he
appeared to be choking.
“I’m a firefighter.
Did anyone call 911?”
“I called them,” one of
the restaurant workers told him.
The woman, who was apparently with the man, was shouting hysterically. “Help him, he’s dying.”
“It’s going to be okay.”
Ben had followed Tom inside, and was trying to calm the woman down.
Tom put his arms around the man’s mid-section and performed
the Heimlich maneuver. A piece of steak
came flying out of the man’s mouth and landed on the table. Tom lowered the man into a chair and talked
calmly to him. They could hear the
sirens as two paramedics came through the front entrance.
“Tom?” Billy and Judy
from his firehouse were on duty today.
“What do we have?”
Tom told them what had happened, and then stood aside while
they went to work. The man was taken to
the hospital. “Good job,” Judy said to him as she and Billy
took the man out. The man had gotten
some of his color back.
“Thank you for saving that man.” Another restaurant worker came over. There had
been several people coming over to pat him on the back.
“It’s all in a day’s work.”
Tom joined Ben outside at their table.
“That was amazing.”
Their waitress had come out.
“I’m a firefighter, it’s all part of the job,” Tom explained to her.
“Well, your meal is on the house.” A well-dressed man had come out onto the
outdoor patio. “Let me introduce
myself. I’m Christian. I’m the owner of
Matuzzo’s Café. I saw what you did in
there, you saved that man’s life.”
“Like I told the waitress, it’s all part of my job. You don’t have to do anything special.”
“Hey, it’s my restaurant.
Yourmeal is free.” Christian
looked at Tom, then at Ben. He shook
each man’s hand. “Give them anything
they want on the house,” he instructed the waitress.
“But…” Ben started to protest.
“Your money is no good here.” He went back inside the restaurant.
Tom and Ben ordered the restaurant’s famous beef ribs off
the menu.
Ben reached over and took Tom’s hand in his and squeezed
it. “I’m proud of you. I don’t think I say it enough. But I think what you do is amazing.” He
leaned over and kissed Tom on the lips.
“Honey, we’re all special in our own ways. You change lives too, giving people the
chance to start fresh in a new home.”
They enjoyed their rib lunch and looked forward to going
about their errands.
TBC
