PROMPT 2: Writing Prompts from AlexMcGilvery's 'Getting To Carnegie Hall'

Exercise: Dialogue in the Kitchen

HELL'S KITCHEN

"Tim. Would you like to say grace?" Tim's father pressed his hands together, prompting him from across the table.

Tim's face looked down at the table. He said nothing. Nothing at all. But his upturned eyes looking toward his mom (seated to his left) were screaming: Mooooom.

"Oh Hank, he's already had a hard day..." Tim's mom said. "Please, give him a break."

"Ti-mo-thy," his father insisted, raising his voice with each syllable.

Tim's eyes stayed fixed on his mom and waited. She gave him a subtle, slow nod. Then Tim began the sign of the cross. "In the name of the Father..." Tim's father, looking satisfied and proud, lowered his head to his hands, clenching them in prayer, and listened.

"... and the Son..." Tim continued, a corner of his lip raising. A faint dimple appeared on his cheek. "... and the Holy Spigot."

His father looked up from his hands and glared. His mom looked up and over to her husband, concern growing in her eyes. Her breath waiting, her eyes shifted to her son. Tim please, no. Not tonight.

"Excuse me. Ahem." Tim coughed and cleared his throat with cautious intent. "I mean... and the Holy Spirit... Amen." He completed the sign of the cross and his father's head lowered again, returning to rest on his clenched hands. Tim continued and began to recite the prayer in familiar cadence. "Bless us, O Lord... and these, Thy gifts... which we are about to receive..." Then taking a deep, silent breath and closing his eyes tight he said, "... from Thy booty...".

Whack! His father swatted him across the back of his head, hard enough that his glasses fell off his nose and onto his clasped hands. Tim replaced the frames to the bridge of his nose speaking the end of the prayer, his voice now meek, a faint mumble. "... through christ, our lord... amen." 

"What was that, Timothy? I can't hear you."

Tim glanced up to the framed portrait of Jesus hanging above the table -- beseeching him Oh Lordie, help me -- then repeated louder, "Through CHRIST. Our LORD. A-MEN." 

His father decided to finish this ritual himself, performing the sign of the cross over the food and closing with: "In the name of the FATHER and the SON and the HOLY SPIRIT, Amen." He grabbed the spoon in the bowl of mashed potatoes and served a large sticky clump to himself and another one to Tim -- then handed the spoon to his wife. Pointing at Tim, then to Tim's plate, he said, "Now. Eat your potatoes."

Tim's mom, believing this might be passing over now, served the peas and chicken to all three plates and said, "So how was your day, Hank... sweetheart?"

Tim picked up his fork, jabbed it into his potatoes and thought: I can't wait to get the hell outta here.

Copyright 2014 B.T. Miggins. All rights reserved.