Crazy Jack


Crazy Jack enters the coffee shop, struggling with three bulging grocery bags.

Mayor Mueller eyeballs him from his table. “What you got there, Jack?”

“Carrots and peppers.”

“Don't throw them seeds on private property.”

“You don't like carrots in your lawn?”


“You're a nuisance.”

“Just helping nature reclaim herself.”

“You stay off Dickerson property. The bulldozers are coming today.”

“We don't need fancy houses, Mueller.”

“We're growing the economy; turning this little town into something big. We're creating jobs.”

My job is to stitch the earth back together.”

Mueller rolls his eyes. “Listen, Jack, I'll all about saving the environment, too.”

“You cannot simultaneously heal and destroy.”

“How about a cup of coffee, Jack?” I hold up the pot.

He sits at the bar; places his bags on the floor.

“Stop wasting your words, Jack. Spend 'em more carefully.”

“Words ain't wasted if one person hears.”

“Don't go to the Dickerson property today. I got a bad feeling.”

“I'll be fine, honey.” He pats my hand. “Don't you worry about a thing.”

* * *

“Jack was a hero,” Mueller says looking towards the cameras. “Today, I call to set aside a portion of the Dickerson property for a community garden, a place where we can remember Jack and what he stood for.”

After the funeral, people stream into the coffee shop, wide-eyed. Darryl Burnett sits at the bar. “How in God's name did Jeffries hit him? I mean, he was throwing seeds, for God's sakes.”

“I don't know.” I wipe up spilled coffee, just to have something to do.

He looks at the traffic passing by. “You know he was a millionaire?”

“Yeah.”

“Gave everything to charity.”

“Not everything.” I smile and lift a bag of seeds.

“Maybe Crazy Jack wasn't so crazy.”

"Yeah,” I say, fingering the seeds and thinking about possibilities and growth.

~end~

This was written in response to this week's Trifecta Writing Challenge. The word was heal.

Labels:

Writing in the Margins, Bursting at the Seams: Crazy Jack

Thursday, December 20, 2012

Crazy Jack


Crazy Jack enters the coffee shop, struggling with three bulging grocery bags.

Mayor Mueller eyeballs him from his table. “What you got there, Jack?”

“Carrots and peppers.”

“Don't throw them seeds on private property.”

“You don't like carrots in your lawn?”


“You're a nuisance.”

“Just helping nature reclaim herself.”

“You stay off Dickerson property. The bulldozers are coming today.”

“We don't need fancy houses, Mueller.”

“We're growing the economy; turning this little town into something big. We're creating jobs.”

My job is to stitch the earth back together.”

Mueller rolls his eyes. “Listen, Jack, I'll all about saving the environment, too.”

“You cannot simultaneously heal and destroy.”

“How about a cup of coffee, Jack?” I hold up the pot.

He sits at the bar; places his bags on the floor.

“Stop wasting your words, Jack. Spend 'em more carefully.”

“Words ain't wasted if one person hears.”

“Don't go to the Dickerson property today. I got a bad feeling.”

“I'll be fine, honey.” He pats my hand. “Don't you worry about a thing.”

* * *

“Jack was a hero,” Mueller says looking towards the cameras. “Today, I call to set aside a portion of the Dickerson property for a community garden, a place where we can remember Jack and what he stood for.”

After the funeral, people stream into the coffee shop, wide-eyed. Darryl Burnett sits at the bar. “How in God's name did Jeffries hit him? I mean, he was throwing seeds, for God's sakes.”

“I don't know.” I wipe up spilled coffee, just to have something to do.

He looks at the traffic passing by. “You know he was a millionaire?”

“Yeah.”

“Gave everything to charity.”

“Not everything.” I smile and lift a bag of seeds.

“Maybe Crazy Jack wasn't so crazy.”

"Yeah,” I say, fingering the seeds and thinking about possibilities and growth.

~end~

This was written in response to this week's Trifecta Writing Challenge. The word was heal.

Labels:

9 Comments:

At December 20, 2012 at 8:10 AM , Anonymous Anonymous said...

I knew this was going to end badly for Jack, but I held out hope anyway. And Crazy Jack definitely wasn't so crazy!

 
At December 20, 2012 at 10:24 AM , Anonymous Annabelle said...

Sad that it had to be his life that spoke loudly when people weren't hearing his words. This piece made me want to plant some seeds myself.

 
At December 20, 2012 at 4:48 PM , Blogger Steph said...

A man who acts on his convictions. Great dialog, great theme, great writing.

 
At December 20, 2012 at 4:52 PM , Anonymous Lance said...

This has an older, like Eugene ONeill or O Henry type feel, which is great.

Teh way you open is great. Excellent dialogue.

more please

 
At December 20, 2012 at 5:25 PM , Blogger lumdog2012 said...

I'm with Lance. This is an "old school" story. Maybe Frank Capra? Very well done!

 
At December 20, 2012 at 6:47 PM , Blogger BetaRules said...

Principles - but what a price to pay. Maybe we learn.

 
At December 20, 2012 at 7:23 PM , Blogger Draug said...

I wasn't expecting that ending! This is a great piece!

 
At December 21, 2012 at 3:30 AM , Anonymous Anonymous said...

I really enjoyed this. This is a really well done story! :)

 
At December 21, 2012 at 9:26 AM , Blogger j umbaugh said...

I guess the lesson here is you can't have it both ways.. thoroughly enjoyed...

 

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