Status: Posting for kicks =]
Benjamin Harp
Part Eight
After school Benjamin walked home with his parents and didn't run to defend other worlds or race in fantastic vehicles. He didn't say anything to his parents during dinner or anything to them after dinner on their walk. Although Geraldo wanted to go and run and be heroes like they usually were, Benjamin stuck by his mother's side on the walk.
That night, Benjamin sat on the floor near the stained glass window, Geraldo looking up at him with his one eye in Benjamin's lap.
"Is something wrong Benjamin?" His father asked him. Benjamin looked at his parents, then at the stained glass window. The silver was shining through and it sparkled at him like the stars in the sky outside.
"Do I have to go?" He asked quietly.
"Yes Benjamin. You have to go to school," His father replied softly. The silver in the stained glass window dimmed down until it was only pretty. Benjamin's mother let him stay by the window later than usual and then carried him to bed. She tucked Benjamin in. He turned on his side and closed his eyes. She sighed and pulled a small dream catcher out of her pocket.
"I made this for you today," She whispered to him. She hung it above his bed.
"I know that it's hard, honey. But you can still catch dreams if you want to," She said. Benjamin kept his eyes closed, but said very quietly:
"Even when I grow up?" He checked.
"Sure you can, especially when you grow up," His mother promised him. Benjamin kept those words clear in his heart for the rest of his life.
Benjamin Harp did go back to school and did his very best to be like the other kids. He decided that for the benefit of Mrs. Greenwood he would be a firefighter. He followed the rules, and stayed inside the categories, and kept Geraldo in his knapsack until Geraldo became too old to follow Benjamin to school and he chose instead to stay at home and wait for his hero to come back. And Benjamin did come home, every day.
And when he was finished with school altogether, Benjamin and Geraldo moved out of his parents' house. Eventually, Benjamin met a pretty woman named Charlotte and fell in love. They got married and had two children: a girl and a boy. Benjamin gave Geraldo to his children, promising his old dog in confidence that his children would take good care of him.
And every day, Benjamin's family- wife, children, and one eyed dog- would wait for him to come home from work. Strangely enough, Benjamin Harp did not become a dream catcher. Instead he chose to repair and repaint old cabinets, chairs, and tables for a local company.
End.
That night, Benjamin sat on the floor near the stained glass window, Geraldo looking up at him with his one eye in Benjamin's lap.
"Is something wrong Benjamin?" His father asked him. Benjamin looked at his parents, then at the stained glass window. The silver was shining through and it sparkled at him like the stars in the sky outside.
"Do I have to go?" He asked quietly.
"Yes Benjamin. You have to go to school," His father replied softly. The silver in the stained glass window dimmed down until it was only pretty. Benjamin's mother let him stay by the window later than usual and then carried him to bed. She tucked Benjamin in. He turned on his side and closed his eyes. She sighed and pulled a small dream catcher out of her pocket.
"I made this for you today," She whispered to him. She hung it above his bed.
"I know that it's hard, honey. But you can still catch dreams if you want to," She said. Benjamin kept his eyes closed, but said very quietly:
"Even when I grow up?" He checked.
"Sure you can, especially when you grow up," His mother promised him. Benjamin kept those words clear in his heart for the rest of his life.
Benjamin Harp did go back to school and did his very best to be like the other kids. He decided that for the benefit of Mrs. Greenwood he would be a firefighter. He followed the rules, and stayed inside the categories, and kept Geraldo in his knapsack until Geraldo became too old to follow Benjamin to school and he chose instead to stay at home and wait for his hero to come back. And Benjamin did come home, every day.
And when he was finished with school altogether, Benjamin and Geraldo moved out of his parents' house. Eventually, Benjamin met a pretty woman named Charlotte and fell in love. They got married and had two children: a girl and a boy. Benjamin gave Geraldo to his children, promising his old dog in confidence that his children would take good care of him.
And every day, Benjamin's family- wife, children, and one eyed dog- would wait for him to come home from work. Strangely enough, Benjamin Harp did not become a dream catcher. Instead he chose to repair and repaint old cabinets, chairs, and tables for a local company.
End.
♠ ♠ ♠
I wrote this story for a first level Creative Writing course in college last year. Although I got an A - (and there ain't nothin' wrong with an A - =]), I looked over the professor's comments and nearly threw up my hands in frustration. Right off the bat she called it "the children's story" and then went on about how the story didn't have the most encouraging message for children.... it's a story about a child, not necessarily a story for children. I never specified at any time in the drafts or in class that I was writing a children's story for children. Like, does it have to have rape and swear words in it for it to be perfectly clear that it's not a children's story?? Bah.
Siiigh. Oh the pains of being a misunderstood artist... =}