Post by Shey Maknama on Aug 29, 2008 14:50:40 GMT -5
This is for the short story contest, but its about 120 words too long and unedited right now, so any suggestions are very welcome.
The preparation was almost complete. The tools for the job arrayed in front of him, every one chosen specifically for the job ahead. The recipient was prepped for the ceremony, and already lying upon the alter. The ceremony that took place every night in this somewhat abnormal household was about to take place. Neither rain, shine, hail, hurricane, nor the apocalypse could keep this vital ritual from occurring.
The bedtime ritual of the Maknama house, reading to baby Garrett, stopped for no man, beast, or flying pig.
Devin Maknama, ex-Pravus, current-bartender, now full time father, gathered up the book and trailed his hand along the wall until he reached the bedroom of the smallest and most precious member of the small family. He entered, closing the door silently, before stepping easily to the bed and sliding in next to his son.
“Daddy! Reading time is here!” The four year old boy crowed, snuggling close to his father.
The man couldn’t help but smile. Anyone from years ago would be shocked to see D, the bartender of the roughest, seediest bar in the Pits, smiling at his son. Of course, most would be surprised he even had a son at all. No one would have guessed that a miraculous woman would burst her way into Devin’s solitary life and refuse to leave. That the pair would grow to depend on each other, even as the tiny miracle that was Garrett grew inside Kero.
Devin’s gentle words would have shocked any of his old Pravus compatriots. “Where did we stop Gemmy?” Gemmy, a nickname derived from Garrett Ethan Maknama, GEM. The gem more precious than the combined crown jewels from a hundred, no, a thousand kingdoms.
“Arceus was about to show the bad guys who’s boss,” Garrett supplied helpfully, grabbing the book in his chubby hands and flipping through the thick pages until he reached the Houndour bookmark, which he placed inside the back cover.
“Ok, so about here? ‘Arceus cried, “Begone with you foul infidels!”’ Right?” Devin asked, running his fingers over the raised bumps under the typed words in the book. Every children’s’ book underwent the same treatment; a translation in Braille under the typed words so father and son could read together.
Garrett nodded and said “Yep! Arceus hasta let the bastards have it!” He quickly hid his head under the blanket so his father couldn’t wash his mouth out with soap for using dirty language.
Btu tonight Devin wasn’t in a punishing mood. He gently pulled the blankets off of his son’s head, giving a reassuring smile as he began reading, the nightly ritual which happened every night without fail ever since Garrett came home, even when the child was too young to understand. Now Garrett was learning to read, showing the promise of being a bright child, just like his parents. The small hand of the son followed his father’s fingertips, except along with the printed words and not the bumpily ones. He mouthed along the words he knew, helped along by having heard the story enough to nearly have it memorized.
“And Arecus cried ‘You have forsaken what is right! Now you must pay!’ And his Judgment fell upon the usurpers with an almighty-“ Devin was interrupted by a loud cry from the tiny body by his side.
“CHOO-CHOO!” Garrett cried gleefully, throwing up his hands.
Devin laughed, his deeper voice melding with the childish giggles of his son. He rubbed Garrett’s head, messing up the hair. “No silly, Judgment goes boom, not choo-choo. A train goes choo-choo, remember?” He could just imagine it. Almighty Arceus, winding up to lay the smack down on the bad guys, when all of a sudden a train comes out of his attack instead of an explosion.
“BOOM! Boom boom choo choo!” Little Garrett cried before snuggling back down and sticking a tiny thumb into his mouth.
“Yep Gemmy, all the bad guys went boom and Remoor was safe once again.” Devin closed the book and placed it carefully onto the nightstand. He stood up and pulled the covers up, tucking in his little son. “Ready for bed?”
Garrett shook his head. “Nu-uh, I need Quack.”
Ah of course, Quack. How in all of Remoor his son had ended up with a Psyduck stuffed animal he would never be without, Devin would never know. Why couldn’t it have been a Houndour? Or a Ralts? Or even a Golduck, anything but a Psyduck. And this one had to make that annoying call every time you squeezed the beak. Well, it had done that until Devin had ripped the batteries out.
Anyways, where was that duck. “I think I left Quack over there Daddy” Such a helpful little tyke, wasn’t he? Anyways, it wasn’t Garrett’s fault that he didn’t really understand what it meant that Devin was blind yet. So it was only after about ten minutes of searching that Devin found the ‘there’ that Garrett had been talking about. He re-tucked in his son, now with Quack in tow, and walked to the door.
“Nighty night Gemmy,” Devin said softly.
“’night Daddy,” Garrett replied, his voice already heavy with sleep. “’ve you”
“I love you to,” Devin replied, shutting the door behind him.
…
…
…
…
Ain’t it so cute!!!!
…
…
…
…
Footsteps pad back and the door opens. The light goes out, finally, and Devin once again closes the door and walks to join his Kero in their bed.
The preparation was almost complete. The tools for the job arrayed in front of him, every one chosen specifically for the job ahead. The recipient was prepped for the ceremony, and already lying upon the alter. The ceremony that took place every night in this somewhat abnormal household was about to take place. Neither rain, shine, hail, hurricane, nor the apocalypse could keep this vital ritual from occurring.
The bedtime ritual of the Maknama house, reading to baby Garrett, stopped for no man, beast, or flying pig.
Devin Maknama, ex-Pravus, current-bartender, now full time father, gathered up the book and trailed his hand along the wall until he reached the bedroom of the smallest and most precious member of the small family. He entered, closing the door silently, before stepping easily to the bed and sliding in next to his son.
“Daddy! Reading time is here!” The four year old boy crowed, snuggling close to his father.
The man couldn’t help but smile. Anyone from years ago would be shocked to see D, the bartender of the roughest, seediest bar in the Pits, smiling at his son. Of course, most would be surprised he even had a son at all. No one would have guessed that a miraculous woman would burst her way into Devin’s solitary life and refuse to leave. That the pair would grow to depend on each other, even as the tiny miracle that was Garrett grew inside Kero.
Devin’s gentle words would have shocked any of his old Pravus compatriots. “Where did we stop Gemmy?” Gemmy, a nickname derived from Garrett Ethan Maknama, GEM. The gem more precious than the combined crown jewels from a hundred, no, a thousand kingdoms.
“Arceus was about to show the bad guys who’s boss,” Garrett supplied helpfully, grabbing the book in his chubby hands and flipping through the thick pages until he reached the Houndour bookmark, which he placed inside the back cover.
“Ok, so about here? ‘Arceus cried, “Begone with you foul infidels!”’ Right?” Devin asked, running his fingers over the raised bumps under the typed words in the book. Every children’s’ book underwent the same treatment; a translation in Braille under the typed words so father and son could read together.
Garrett nodded and said “Yep! Arceus hasta let the bastards have it!” He quickly hid his head under the blanket so his father couldn’t wash his mouth out with soap for using dirty language.
Btu tonight Devin wasn’t in a punishing mood. He gently pulled the blankets off of his son’s head, giving a reassuring smile as he began reading, the nightly ritual which happened every night without fail ever since Garrett came home, even when the child was too young to understand. Now Garrett was learning to read, showing the promise of being a bright child, just like his parents. The small hand of the son followed his father’s fingertips, except along with the printed words and not the bumpily ones. He mouthed along the words he knew, helped along by having heard the story enough to nearly have it memorized.
“And Arecus cried ‘You have forsaken what is right! Now you must pay!’ And his Judgment fell upon the usurpers with an almighty-“ Devin was interrupted by a loud cry from the tiny body by his side.
“CHOO-CHOO!” Garrett cried gleefully, throwing up his hands.
Devin laughed, his deeper voice melding with the childish giggles of his son. He rubbed Garrett’s head, messing up the hair. “No silly, Judgment goes boom, not choo-choo. A train goes choo-choo, remember?” He could just imagine it. Almighty Arceus, winding up to lay the smack down on the bad guys, when all of a sudden a train comes out of his attack instead of an explosion.
“BOOM! Boom boom choo choo!” Little Garrett cried before snuggling back down and sticking a tiny thumb into his mouth.
“Yep Gemmy, all the bad guys went boom and Remoor was safe once again.” Devin closed the book and placed it carefully onto the nightstand. He stood up and pulled the covers up, tucking in his little son. “Ready for bed?”
Garrett shook his head. “Nu-uh, I need Quack.”
Ah of course, Quack. How in all of Remoor his son had ended up with a Psyduck stuffed animal he would never be without, Devin would never know. Why couldn’t it have been a Houndour? Or a Ralts? Or even a Golduck, anything but a Psyduck. And this one had to make that annoying call every time you squeezed the beak. Well, it had done that until Devin had ripped the batteries out.
Anyways, where was that duck. “I think I left Quack over there Daddy” Such a helpful little tyke, wasn’t he? Anyways, it wasn’t Garrett’s fault that he didn’t really understand what it meant that Devin was blind yet. So it was only after about ten minutes of searching that Devin found the ‘there’ that Garrett had been talking about. He re-tucked in his son, now with Quack in tow, and walked to the door.
“Nighty night Gemmy,” Devin said softly.
“’night Daddy,” Garrett replied, his voice already heavy with sleep. “’ve you”
“I love you to,” Devin replied, shutting the door behind him.
…
…
…
…
Ain’t it so cute!!!!
…
…
…
…
Footsteps pad back and the door opens. The light goes out, finally, and Devin once again closes the door and walks to join his Kero in their bed.
