I’m reviewing something a little different this week. A book blogger that some of you may know, Brian of Walk the Walk posted his own short story that he wrote Good Night, Mrs. Morehead during a writing exercise. He also submitted it to the Norman Mailer Writing Contest for High School Teachers.
“Norman didn’t just duck his head or stoop his shoulders through doorways, each joint in his bodyparticipated out of necessity—an unfortunate circumstance for a plumber who by the nature of the job often accessed low and cramped spaces. When engaged in work, Norman often resembled a preying mantis—all knees and elbows and Adam’s apple.”
He sat in his truck outside the house of a client while he decided if he was going to call in sick or not. Finally the decision was made for him when a neighbor spotted him and told him “good morning” and Mrs. Agnes Morehead yelled to him that her door was open.
“On the dining room table, set directly in front of her plate of one fried egg and one slice of toast, was Mrs. Agnes Moorehead’s beloved cockatoo Baby. He winced as wings obstructed his sight during some moments; otherwise, the wings marred his hearing.”
Baby really liked Norman and got up on his shoulder right before he got to work. Once in the bathroom and out of hearing distance from Mrs. Morehead, he told Baby to “beat it”. Baby didn’t but when Norman had to scrunch in behind the toilet Baby left his shoulder and perched herself in the bathroom to watch.
Meanwhile, Mrs. Morehead let Norman know that she was going to make herself some breakfast of a friend egg and toast. “I like to dip toast into the yolk!” She actually repeated this several times during the story.
This story started out very funny with the descriptions a very tall plumber and a bird that wouldn’t leave him alone. However, as it progressed, into turned into a story about dementia in an elderly woman. Before Brian started the story he stated, “The story completely evolved and shifted from a comedy about a cockatoo flapping around the head of a very tall plumber to a story about caring for a mother with the onset of dementia.”
I didn’t really get that Norman was Mrs. Morehead’s son. She did call him “son” one time in the story when she asked him to close the door. However, elderly people have been known to call unrelated men, son. Perhaps I missed something there. That said, I really liked this story and want to encourage Brain to keep on writing. This is certainly a story worth checking out. I would love to know your opinion of it! Go on, go read it here.
Short Story Monday is hosted by John at The Book Mine Set.
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