Sunday, January 29, 2012

Breaking the Silence, A Saturday Centus

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Jenny Matlock


Don’t pay the ransom, I’ve escaped!

I wish I had been kidnapped.  Then I wouldn’t have been forced to write all those term papers for school and maybe have had time to play each Saturday.  I missed you all, my Centusian pals!  Although academia is tapping its toes and staring at its watch right now, I just had to dig out from under it for just a few minutes and scare up a short story for week 91 of Saturday Centus.

For the random, unenlightened blog hoppers who find themselves here for the first time and have never heard of Saturday Centus, it is essentially a cult where we sacrifice Twinkies to the Goddess Centusia every Saturday (unless there’s a game on, in which case it switches to nachos) before laying down in bed for a few hours to “meditate.”

Or it could be a fun literary meme hosted by Jenny Matlock every Saturday from her blog “off on my tangent” where Jenny gives us challenging writing assignments using a supplied prompt and we have to write stories using the prompt and only an additional 100 words.  You decide.  You may want to do both just to be safe.

Gosh, it’s been so long since I have written one of these. I feel so deCentusized!

Nonetheless, I think I’m going to go all Ron Paul-y around here if I can’t write something for fun for a change.  Thanks Jenny for your email and for waking me out of my coffee/energy drink/sleep-deprived coma long enough to post something on my horribly neglected blog once again.  I hope I can keep it going for next week too!

This week’s prompt comes to us from Miss Nonna from her wonderfully delicious blog, Tasty Tales.  We have 100 words plus the prompt to play with and can add a picture.  No naughty talk or splitting the prompt.   This week’s prompt is “We know where all the bodies are buried.”  Thanks Miss Nonna!

Here is my effort for this week.  I have entitled it:


Breaking the Silence

 Freddy’s Bar.

The stench of stale beer, cigarettes and cheap cologne filled the small, dimly-lit room. A jukebox in the back played Jerry Reed as two old boys, Gator and JB, laughed and drank beer at the bar. 

Today marked the 50th anniversary of the Hamilton brother's mysterious disappearance walking home from school in 1962.

“It’s a shame they didn’t look ‘round the Okefenokee Swamp,” smiled Gator.

“Yeah, that’s a damn shame,” winked JB.

The bartender nervously leaned in and whispered to them “You boys know anything about where they are?”  

“Son, this here is Waycross.  We know where all the bodies are buried.”




Editors Note:

I apologize to anyone who feels offended by the stereotypical characterization of Southerners as dirty, smelly, lazy, annoying, gun-toting, stupid, rude, racist, ball-cap wearing, illiterate, anti-Semitic, drunk driving, homophobic, foul-mouthed, white trash, religious hypocrites with cigarettes perched between their few remaining yellow-stained crooked teeth, screaming obscenities at their out-of-control children to “git back inna truck” as they head out to the prison to visit their kin.

Obviously this stereotype is inaccurate, cliche and couldn't be further from the truth.

Especially in Waycross, GA.

Again, sorry Goober.

Jenny Matlock

“I mean, let’s face it, we didn’t have slavery in this country for over 100 years because it was a bad thing. Quite the opposite: slavery built the South. I’m not saying we should bring it back; I’m just saying it had its merits. For one thing, the streets were safer after dark.”   
                                                                                             
                                                                                                -  Rush Limbaugh

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15 comments:

  1. I loved your take on the prompt. And the picture was so good with the story.

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  2. OMGosh, that was such a fabulous,realistic, well written story and now with the hint of another installment is awesome...can't wait to read it. Your editor's note made me laugh a lot...Standing Ovation !!!

    Tom, you have been sorely missed...so glad you dived back in this week and thanks a bunch for the kind linky love !

    Hugs,
    Nonna

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  3. great take! Bigotry? What bigotry? I don see no stinkin' stereotypes here... ;)

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  4. Geez, I feel kinda dirty ... like just wandered out of the swamp and into the old bar kinda dirty ... I just gave an involuntary shudder! Tom this was really well written ... and hey, what stereotype? lol! (loved the editors notes)

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  5. Ya killedit, Tom. Seems yous from da south this is so reel. Love the epilogue too.
    Good to see you back. I missed you.
    xoRobyn

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  6. Tom, I'm from Atlanta, born and raised, and I DO know where all the bodies are buried. Now I live in the desert, which is just as good a place to bury the bodies as Waycross. Just ask the Republicans.

    Good one, Tom!

    xoxo

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  7. Yay! You're back and rockin' it! I keep saying I'm going to try one of these things one of these days and then I come over here and read yours and say "No freakin' way." I'll let the pros handle it.

    And the Limbaugh quote... You really can't make that shit up.

    Don't stay away so long.

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  8. Which to give glowing comments first, your superb writing or that awesome photo...shot so well I can see the ripples moving...excently done!

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  9. Great story. Great descriptions...scary limbaugh quote

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  10. You have been missed. But you came back in good form....great Centus with the prompt...Gator and JB are Southern...but can be found other places too unfortunately....Limbaugh really say that!

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  11. You've been watchin Swamp People haven't ya. Busted. Glad you popped in. We were wondering about you.~Ames

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  12. You're back!! And with a good Centus too!

    I got to be honest, I had no idea what Waycross was. But then I read your editors note and totally picture it.

    And that Rush quote reminded me of Soulja Boy's "Shout out to the slave masters! Without them we'd still be in Africa. We wouldn't be here to get this ice and tattoos." Sooo stupid.

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  13. Hi Tom, I'm awarding you a Versatile Blogger Award. Stop by and grab yours (or shall I say grab another).I do so enjoy your post.~Ames

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  14. Tom! You know how you don't see a good friend for a long time and then you run into each other somewhere and just stand there and grin like idiots? Well. That's what I'm doing right now.

    I am just grinning like an idiot and I actually shouted down the hall to my husband, "Tom is back!"

    "Who?" he shouted back!

    "Tom Goette! Saturday Centus!"

    He said, "Oh cool, I'll go read his post!"

    And I just grinned.

    You are wasted on academia my friend. Your incredible gift of painting with words needs to be nurtured. I'm still working on that whole 'becoming an agent' thing so I can represent you! Okay, I'm technically not 'working' per se on it, but I'm thinking about it a lot! I hope that counts!

    Love your writing! Please take care of yourself! I think you're working way too hard, my friend!

    Hugs and welcome back.

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