I was taking a walk this morning and came upon two green Toyota Rav4's parked side by side. His and hers? You'd think they'd choose different colors at least. But considering the number of old folks I see walking around in identical red sweatsuits, mebbe not.
Holy shit - do the license plates have the same numbers? Hold on. No, just the first 3 letters are the same. How weird would it have been to discover the plates were duplicates?
I'd have had to check the VIN next. And what if the VINs matched perfectly for each car? Look inside to see identical wear and tear - the driver's side seats have a cigarette burn in the exact same place!
Against my better judgement, I creep up to the house and listen - what would I hear? Identical voices arguing over which of them was the real one. How this is the miracle they've been waiting for, these past 23 years. How he's a cheating, abusive bastard, but if I left he would kill himself, and now I can leave, thank the lord, now I can leave! Fuck you bitch I'm not staying here so you can leave! You're not even real! Your ass is staying here, even if I have to tie you down.
The sound of glass breaking!
A scream!
Muffled sobbing.
The front door flies open, and I crouch in the bushes.
A 40ish woman comes storming out and jumps in one of the Rav4's.
She speeds off.
I back away, and try to forget what I just heard.
Holy shit - do the license plates have the same numbers? Hold on. No, just the first 3 letters are the same. How weird would it have been to discover the plates were duplicates?
I'd have had to check the VIN next. And what if the VINs matched perfectly for each car? Look inside to see identical wear and tear - the driver's side seats have a cigarette burn in the exact same place!
Against my better judgement, I creep up to the house and listen - what would I hear? Identical voices arguing over which of them was the real one. How this is the miracle they've been waiting for, these past 23 years. How he's a cheating, abusive bastard, but if I left he would kill himself, and now I can leave, thank the lord, now I can leave! Fuck you bitch I'm not staying here so you can leave! You're not even real! Your ass is staying here, even if I have to tie you down.
The sound of glass breaking!
A scream!
Muffled sobbing.
The front door flies open, and I crouch in the bushes.
A 40ish woman comes storming out and jumps in one of the Rav4's.
She speeds off.
I back away, and try to forget what I just heard.
Only you, Etcher, could see two identical vehicles and come up with an awesome idea for a short story to explain them.
ReplyDeleteI would have gone "Huh, those cars are the same...I wonder what's on TV tonight?"
Peter Elbow would say you were brilliant!
ReplyDeleteHave you read _Knockemstiff_?(it's new) You should at least google it.
Peter Elbow? Why, he practically wrote the book on Embracing Contraries, Explorations in Learning and Teaching. Wait, he DID write it.
ReplyDeleteHey I might have to quote that you said that someone else would say I was brilliant. That would look great on a dust jacket.
Thanks for the kind words!
Knockemstiff? I looked it up when you mentioned it a few weeks ago. Seems interesting! I've asked my good lady wife to order it for me.
ReplyDelete