In this writing group, we meditate for a minute before we are given the writing prompts. In this meditation, we were to visualize our mirror writing selves and discuss our writing intentions. In that moment, my mirror self suggested the title for this piece. Afterwards, seeing the prompt Holiday Hijinks, and an unwanted gift, the title fit my story to a T.
Amusing Grace
Grace wasn’t a happy person. Nothing pleased her. No matter what you tried to do or say, she just frowned.
Her parents were distraught. The holidays were coming up, and they had no gift to give her. Every year, it was the same thing. They would find a toy, or a game, or a book that they thought she would like, and when it was opened, Grace would just look at it, throw it down, and say, “I hate it!”
They had taken her to see a therapist, but they just didn’t click. “I hate her!” she would say when she came home. Or, “He’s such a jerk!” when she came back from a meeting with the school counselor.
Forget getting someone to sit with her when they wanted to go out. Whoever it was, they only lasted for one sitting. Most of the sitters asked for double the pay. Grace’s parents reluctantly paid them, but the sitters never came back.
Her parents were getting desperate. They decided to put an ad in the local paper, promising a reward to anyone who could make Grace smile.
They wrote up the ad. It read: “Anyone who can make our daughter, Grace, happy will receive a brand-new iPhone.” They figured that would be enough incentive for someone to come and maybe solve Grace’s problem.
Having written the ad, Grace’s dad was about to call it in to the paper when there was a knock at the door.
Grace’s mom opened the door, and there stood a boy of about Grace’s age, dressed in very comfortable jeans, an old sweatshirt, well-worn sneakers, and he had a folded newspaper under his arm.
“Can I help you?” Grace’s mother said to the boy.
“My name’s Jack,” he said. “I’ve come to help with your daughter.”
Grace’s father overheard the conversation and came to the door and said, “How did you know about us needing someone. I haven’t even placed the ad?”
Jack held up a copy of the local newspaper, and sure enough, there was the ad as clear as day.
Grace’s parents were confused.
Grace, who was standing nearby and knew of her parents’ plan to get some stupid person to make her smile, stepped forward. “I don’t need no dumb boy to change my behavior. Go back to whatever rat hole you came from.”
“Ah,” Jack said, “The rats don’t want me there anymore, they say that I’m too much of a sad person. They told me to find someone as grumpy as me.”
Grace was going to say something, but then stopped herself, for that was not the response that she was expecting.
Jack continued, “But you, my dear, do not fit that description; you are way more pleasing than I could ever be.”
Now, Grace was getting more confused. “Someone more displeasing than me! Poppycock!”
Jack replied, “Doodle Squat.”
Grace took that as a challenge, “Pig’s snout!”
“Turtle boogers!” Jack said.
The corners of Grace’s lips began to curve in an upward direction.
You can bet that caught the eyes of her parents.
