Wednesday, November 5, 2014

Car Talk (FF)

                                                                  Copyright – Jean L. Hays    

"Wonder why we haven't seen Little Jimmy lately, Dumpy,"said the wrecked red car.

"Because Little Jimmy grew up, Wrecky," said the dump truck. "Moved away and started his own family."

"What’ll become of us?"

"I've heard something about us leaving.  Jimmy's Mom’s probably going to donate us to charity so another little boy can play with us."

"Whaat?!! But what if he's a big fat kid who sits on us? Or some sweaty kid who never showers?  OMG, what if he does you-know-what right in front of us?!!!

"Don't make me barf, Wrecky."

"Oh, no, here comes Jimmy's Mom!" 

"Wait!  It's not Jimmy's Mom.  It's Jimmy!   I think I know what’s happening.”

"What, Dumpy?"

"We're not being donated.  Jimmy's taking us home.... so his little boy can play with us."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I decided to go for the heartwarming touch at the end --- even though I feel like I've seen this theme done before --- to disguise the fact that I completely desecrated the prescribed Friday Fictioneers guideline of 100 words by 30% or more. So sue me.

I was never a fan of the NPR program Car Talk, but my blogpost title today can serve the double purpose of also standing as an unoffficial tribute to Tom Magliozzi, the Car Talk brother who just passed away.  I admired their enthusiasm, even if I found them kind of annoying.

Never annoying are the other Friday Fictioneers, whose heart-warming works can be found by clicking here.

38 comments:

Sandra Crook said...

A Happy Ever After story, loved it! Well done.

Perry Block said...

Thanks, Sandra! I'll see that it doesn't happen again.

liz young said...

Loved it! I almost wrote a toy car story myself - my boys had a dumper that dig many a hole in my garden. Happy memories!

Rochelle Wisoff-Fields said...

Dear Perry,

All I can say is "aaaaaawwwww."

Shalom,

Rochelle

Anonymous said...

That is a better ending than most toys find. Love the names. I think The Adventures of Dumpy and Wrecky would make a great web comic. :)

Alicia said...

Sweet! Happy, happy cars.

Caerlynn Nash said...

Toys have souls, don't they? :-) Lovely story!

Unknown said...

See comments above. I agree. But re your +30%, the lawyer's letter is in the post.

brudberg said...

Ah.. you have tricked me into reading 30 extra words.. I charge by the second.. did you know that? Anyway a truly sweet story.. and for cars like that anything is better than the yard I think.

Russell said...

Bjorn was wrong, it was a truly sweaty story. Jimmy is selling them to the recycler down the street as scrap. Hopefully, he'll use the money to buy soap, deodorant, and aftershave instead of spending it on cheap wine and bimbos.

Dawn said...

Cool toys for little boys!

Anonymous said...

Where's Nessie?????

"... to disguise the fact that I completely desecrated the prescribed Friday Fictioneers guideline of 100 words by 30% or more. So sue me."

I am The Friday Fictionaire legal representative, and I have a subpoena for you to be present
next Friday, here on the Friday Fictionaire's website. Be prepared to explain your excessive linguistic unit count , submit yourself to questioning, and probably restitution.

And then afterwards, we can take Frank with us to a few local bars and have him literally pick up some women for us. Har-de-har-har.

BTW I think you sold out your story to a Hollywood ending. Jimmy's mom should have given them to Frank to eat.

Randy

Perry Block said...

Sometimes it's a lot harder for us to give up those toys than the kids.

Perry Block said...

That's so nice. Usually my stories produce "yuuuuccchhhhh!"

Perry Block said...

I think you have hit on the idea that's going to make us famous! Oh, what am I saying? ME FAMOUS!

Perry Block said...

Yes, as long as they never hafta watch .... well, you know.

Perry Block said...

More than many people I know. Thank you!

Perry Block said...

I knew it And I'm sure the charge per word is hefty!

Perry Block said...

So I've escaped the charge due to rampant sweetness?

Perry Block said...

With Jimmy, I think it would be cheap wine and bimbos. That's why the two trucks never had to watch him... y'know ...do what you and I do. So maybe it's all for the best.

Perry Block said...

The vintage toys are the best! And the cheapest for skinflint parents.

Perry Block said...

I did sell out to a Hollywood ending, all right, but having them be kidnapped by a giant child from space has been done to death. I think what I did has been done to death too. Anyway too busy getting ready to fight a major court case to worry, got me a real shark after me!

P.S. Joshi said...

Perry, Jimmy should have taken those toy cars to a comic book store and sold them as "collectibles" like my son did some of his stuff that my husband used to call "plastic junk." It doesn't take something long to become a collectible these days. Well written. : ) --- Susan

Anonymous said...

I loved listening to 'Car Talk'. Those boys were funny. You did a nice job with this story as well.

Anonymous said...

Aww, that's cute. Didn't think you had it in you. ;) Well, sure you do! I think you showed yourself to be good at writing a kid's story (of sorts).

Five ignition keys!

Anonymous said...

Dear Perry, LOVE your story and you're right, the boys take some of their favorites home so their kids can play with them. It's so cute when we're over at one of their houses and I see 2nd generation toys - they're the best kind! Good job Perry! Nan :)

Perry Block said...

Perhaps I am already a collectible? Thanks, Susan!

Perry Block said...

I was never a fan, but I admired the two guys' upbeat natures. I squeezed in a tribute, of sorts. Thanks, Mike!

Perry Block said...

Five ignition keys? Really? I thought it was one gearshift down!

Perry Block said...

Thanks, Nan. And no sweaty fat kids!

EagleAye said...

I really enjoyed the way they worried about what some kid might do to them. I'll bet cars really do that. Loved the way you personified the cars.

Anonymous said...

Nellie?

Anonymous said...

I can almost hear their voices on TV kids' show. Happy ever after, is good :-) It's great when toys get passed from one generation to the next and are appreciated. Also, it gives parents a good excuse to regress back to childhood through play!

Perry Block said...

Well, would you want a big fat kid sitting on you? Thanks for your comment!

Perry Block said...

Regressing back to your kid's childhood is great. Regressing back to yours is even greater. I just hope my toy trucks weren't watchng everything I did....

margirene said...

But we haven't actually met Jimmy's little boy, have we? Dumpy and Wrecky shouldn't get too relaxed - niceness is not hereditary. I liked your story - good fun.
Marg

Dawn Q. said...

Oh, sweetness. Love how this one ended, Perry. See, you're such a mush ball, when it comes right down to it. ;-)

Anonymous said...

oh, you meant the The Friday Fictionaire legal representative. Don't worry at all about that guy. That was me.

It's Nellie you have to worry about.
Like Waldo, where's Nellie?