Scribes Valley Publishing
U-Write-It Results (Week 429)
...that job at the zoo cleaning up after monkeys was still open. He didn't want to go home, that's for sure. His Mom warned him about getting a job as a male stripper at Little Jimmies bar downtown. Only thing is that he no longer had to strip, for the new owners promoted him to Manager. He just got another raise. He wondered what is his Dad was going to say because he hadn't saved a single dime; he blew every cent he earned on his girlfriend Cindy. Then he thought of Bob and Gail, the owners, if they have to file Chapter Eleven. He left the bar and went to get his car. Steve the valet said the bank came by and repo-ed his car.
Back inside, they all cheered: "April Fool's Day!"
by Joseph L. Rose, Fairfield, CA...he could get moved into his folks' old place by the time his next months rent was due at his apartment. His parents had lived in a small town all their lives and when they passed away Daniel had put off doing anything with the house, using the excuse that he just hasn't had time.
"Thank goodness I have a place to go," he muttered out loud. "It may not be much, but at least it's gonna be rent free."
by Mary, Fredericksburg, TX...his life would ever be the same. It had taken Daniel most of his youth to acquire the knowledge necessary to become a Payload Commander for space shuttle missions with NASA. All he could think about was the struggling economy and the space program's budget cutbacks. His thoughts changed to sorrow. He was supposed to go on the next mission and become one of only a few to reach outer space. With his head down he left the facility.
From home, Daniel heard the news that the mission he was pulled from was back on track for a late January launch. For days he hoped a phone call would bring him back to work, but the call never came and the list of astronauts for the mission was published.
January 28, 1986 seventy-three seconds into the Space Shuttle Challenger's liftoff Daniel and his wife, Elizabeth, stood in horror as the shuttle disintegrated above them.
by Donald Stidham, Longview, TX...he could ever be replaced.
He had not taken a personal day off from the job for nearly two years. He was such a constant presence at Rubberworx, he was like a piece of the furniture. He just KNEW that his co-workers were going to miss him terribly.
As he walked past the group of people who had collected in the breakroom following the devasting announcement, he stopped to say one final farewell to those with whom he had worked so closely, for so long.
"Rich, Tom, Katie, Stephie, I sure hope you guys will be able to handle everything come next Monday morning. I'm gonna miss all you guys."
Katie Simmons replied for the group, "And we're going to miss you, Johnny."
"It's Daniel, Katie. My name is Daniel."
"Oh yeah, right, Daniel. Well, we're sure going to miss you too, Daniel."
In an instant, Daniel no longer felf like the glue that had held the company together for so many years.
by Stewart Lindsay, Buffalo, NY