Welcome to the Fifteen Minute Novel. Each morning I spend fifteen minutes writing on a singular story line. Each morning starts with the last line of the previous day. The goal is to get a (very) rough draft out of the simple story idea and to avoid letting the story idea languish in limbo forever, actually writing it out. This is the third year I have done this writing experiment and each year I learn just a little bit about myself and the way I write as well as creating a framework for the story. But without further ado…
Day 142: “I promise to restrain myself.”
“I promise to restrain myself.” Gwen smiled. I have been thinking that I might want to look into full time culinary school though. I like the savory side, but I would like to lean more towards baking and pastry,” Gwen said. “I’m just not sure where to begin and I think it may take longer than the year.”
“That means more than a year of pastries,” George said. “I think I can live with that.”
We can sit down and figure out the best course of action,” Margaret said. “And then once we figure things out, we will have to get the rest of your things sent here so that you have all your winter clothing and can settle in more fully into your space here. I’m sure there are some things you would miss the longer you stayed.”
“True,” Gwen said. She thought over the clothes she left behind. “But I don’t know if the clothes I have for winter will be suitable here. I think it gets colder here than in Westport.”
“It does,” Margaret said nodding. “That is something we will need to take into consideration.” She smiled. “It means a complete back to school fall shopping excursion.” She seemed pleased by the prospect.
“You can get a nice new pencil case and Scooby Doo erasers,” George told her with a wink.
“Don’t be ridiculous,” Margaret said. “Shell need scarves and hats and gloves as well as a heavier winter coat more than likely.”
“Oh make sure to get the mittens with the long string attaching them so we can run it though the sleeves across you so that even when you drop your mittens they don’t fall and you don’t lose them,” George said.
“She isn’t going off to Kindergarten,” Margaret reminded him.
“I know but if I could get those mittens to fit my hands I would,” George said. “Last year I lost three pairs of gloves.”
“That is because when you take them off you lay them on the table instead of putting them in the pocket and then when you go to leave you walk off without them,” Margaret told him.
“I don’t like putting them in the pocket,” He replied. “They make a lump and stretch out the pocket giving me a lump so I look off balance when I walk.”
“That’s why you take the gloves out of the pocket once you put the coat on.”
“What if I am not going outside right away?” George asked.
Gwen smiled as the two of them bickered about gloves the rest of the way back to the apartment. The argument was without rancor and Gwen realized that her grandparents liked to argue simply to argue. Most of the time the points each of them made had no basis in reality. They seemed to enjoy it though.
The car pulled up to the building as George mentioned that it was bad form in yeti society to shake hands with gloves on. The car came to a stop outside the building.
Ten til Midnight 