WWWorkshop short story where content includes a red bicycle, a pregnant mail delivery lady and an aggressive dog.

As Bill was leaving for work, he turned from the door and called to his wife, “I may try to come home early today. We don’t want to be late for our dinner engagement with our new son-in-law. Melanie would be disappointed”

Cathy had finished her indoor chores for the day, made herself a snack, and decided to work in her front garden.

The day was cool, but the sun would now and then poke from behind the clouds, warming her soul and body.

Tools in hand, she began the task of loosening the soil around the blossoming plants, then around her shrubbery. Plant life, as well as all things on earth, needed aeration for healthy survival. This also made it easier to rid the area of unwanted growth.

Completing the weeding of her garden, she looked forward to a cup of tea and a shower before going on her daily walk. The tea, the shower, and a walk would be refreshing, she thought.

An arbor of magnificent oak trees along the streets of her neighborhood made her walk during this Autumnal time all the more pleasant; leaves had yet to turn brown or began their yearly disrobing.

She encountered other walkers and children playing in their yards. It was a peaceful time until an errant young boy, riding his red bicycle a bit reckless on the sidewalk, approached her. So reckless was he that he caused Cathy to leap out of his way and right into a thorny bush, tearing her right pant leg and scratching deeply into her leg. Bleeding, she attempted to get out of the bush, then caught her knit top on another thorn that ripped the back nearly in two, and caused another bloody scratch. What a disaster the day was becoming.

Deciding this was enough excitement for the day, she limped back toward her home; she had to shorten her long walk to a minimum this day. Surely nothing more could happen in the next few blocks back home, she prayed.

It was at this point that Cathy was nearly knocked to the ground by a mail-delivery woman and a robust canine. Who was chasing who, Cathy could barely determine, as both lady and dog were running in circles. Running in circles around Cathy.

“Down, dog!” Cathy shouted. “And you, young lady, stop this chase right now! If only you saw how futile your ways are you would be ashamed. Yes…BOTH of you.”

With that explosion, Cathy turned and continued her limp home; only to find her husband had gotten there before her.

“Well, Cathy, I was about to ask how your day was?  Now I’ll need to know what the heck happened to you?” Bill asked.

Flustered, Cathy began trying to explain the events to him.  “Oh, Bill. What a comedy of errors this afternoon has been. I was almost run down by a bicycle on a red boy, and nearly trampled by an aggressive mail-delivery woman and pregnant dog…and…or was it an aggressive dog and a pregnant mail-delivery woman?

“Whatever, I think I need to take another shower!”

© Jackie (Micke) Jinks, Sept. 2006