Tuesday, July 19, 2011

For Sunday Scribblings and ABC Wednesday

"A" is for "Abigail"

Cathy: “From the outside this place looks great, almost like a country inn. But inside! In the immortal words of Bette Davis: what a dump!”
Bob: “I know. It’s not the Hyatt-Regency. But it’s out of the way; no one’s going to know who we are.”
C: “Well, at the moment I’m not too certain who I am.”
B: “But I’m sure glad you’re here. When I first saw you, I thought you were the most attractive temp who ever came to work for our company. But you always seemed so distant. I thought I'd never get to know you."
C: “Well, Mr. Brock – I mean, Bob - here I am, already involved in a romantic interlude with one of the company’s executives. My business career is really taking off.”
B: “I love your sense of humor.”
C: “Good. Let’s see. What should we do? I suppose we can always sit on the couch and watch TV.”
B: “Oh, that. I tried it; doesn’t work. The wiring is faulty.”
C: “Ha. They should have named this place Faulty Towers. Look, I’m aware it’s a cliché, but I want you to know I don’t do this sort of thing oft – what in God’s name is that!?”
B: “Oh, that’s Abigail. My wife’s dog.”
C: “You brought your wife’s dog!?”
B: “Long story. The short version is this: the dog-sitter couldn’t make it today and my family is out of town – and I certainly didn’t want to cancel our little get-together – so I had to bring her. I hoped you’d understand.”
C: “Of course, no problem. Every time I’ve been to a motel with a guy in the past he has shown up with his wife’s dog.”

B: [Laughs] “I knew you’d take it the right way. She’s a wonderful pup. Look at her, lying there in the corner. Real good. She won’t cause any problems.”
[Phone rings]
B: “Yes?”
Motel Manager: “Mr. Brock, is it that you are with a dog in the motel?”
B: “Uh, yes, I’m here with the family pet.”
MM: “No dogs is permitted in the motel.”
B: “Don’t worry; she’s very quiet, doesn’t bark and that sort of thing.”
MM: “No dogs is permitted!”
B: “H’mm. Maybe we can work something out. Suppose I pay you an extra fifty dollars for the room.”
MM: “The dog must be gone – in three hours. That should give you enough time to… Anyway, I’ll add additional charge to your bill.”
B: “Thanks. [Hangs up] Well, that’s one hurdle I’ve jumped over.”
C: “I’m sorry, Bob, but a dog is a bit more than I bargained for.”
B: “Come now, look at her; you’d never know she’s there.”
C: “But that’s the problem; I do know she’s there. I don’t think I could, er, function with a dog in the room.”
B: “We’ll put her in another room, the bathroom.”
C: “Well, I’m no dog expert, no dog whisperer, but it seems to me if you lock up a pooch in a bathroom and close the door, she’s going to start howling.”
B: “No, no. She doesn’t howl; she’s no howler. At most, she might groan a little.”
C: “Howling, groaning. This is like when I was a kid in a fun house.”
[Knock on door]
B: “Who could that be? I didn’t want anyone to know I was here.”
C: “I don’t particularly want anyone to know I’m here. I’ll be hiding in the bathroom, case anyone needs me. If you hear any groaning, it’ll be me.”
[Door opens]
B: “Mrs. Hansen! What do you want?”
Secretary: “It’s a family emergency, Mr. Brock. I didn’t want to bother you; I know you must be busy…”
B: “Yes, I’m in the middle of a business meeting here, but what is it? What’s the emergency?”
S: “Well, your wife returned early from Chicago and Mrs. Brock found that your dog has escaped. She phoned me; she wants you to come home right now to search for the dog.”
B: “Oh well, that’s all right. Abigail is with me. I’d like you to phone Mrs. Brock and tell her that I’ve taken the pup for an afternoon romp in the park.”
S: “The dog is with you, here in the business meeting?”
B: “Yes, I’ll explain it all later. No need to mention the motel. Tell her I’ll be bringing the dog home, after our romp in the park, in three hours. The park closes in three hours. Thanks.”
[Door closes]
B: “Wow. Another hurdle I’ve jumped over. This is like a track meet.”
C: [Emerging from bathroom]: “Or a dog race.”
B: “Anyway, we can relax now. We’ve got everyone calmed down.”
C: “Except perhaps for me. Bob, I think we should chalk this up as a good try, but it didn’t work out. This is probably not what I should be doing anyway. Besides, there’s too much going on. I want to leave – before someone comes to check the whereabouts of your cat.”

20 comments:

Jane and Chris said...

Funny....the name Abigail means 'bringer of joy', or not ,in this case!! Abigail is also the name of one of my cats.
Jane x

Carver said...

Fun story for the letter A.

Roger Owen Green said...

Nice story, but I had to reread. Didn't get past "What a dump." from Beyond the Forest (1949). LOVE that quote!
ROG, ABC Wednesday team

Kay L. Davies said...

Our dog groans when she's unhappy, too. She seldom barks, and I've never heard her howl.
Great story, Berowne. We can always count on you to come up with something!

—Kay, Alberta, Canada

Sylvia K said...

Thanks! I needed that giggle today! Enjoy your week!

Sylvia

Tumblewords: said...

Funny, funny.

Live2cherish said...

thanks for the giggles to begin with.
Abigail happens to be a name of my classmates.

That Janie Girl said...

That's hilarious!! I like how your mind works...

Gigi Ann said...

Cute story, I know most authors hate to have their work called cute, but what can I say? It's cute to me.

Leslie: said...

Tres AMUSANT! :D

Chronicles of Illusions said...

Great read - enjoyed having a laugh. :)

Anonymous said...

Interesting read

Pheno, ABC Wednesday Team

Anonymous said...

Ahem, Berowne, Abigail is the name of my niece...

Ha ha. This is one of your best. Husband cheats, gets to (un)romantic No-Tell Motel, complications ensue. And yet you bring so much humor and fun to this... glad she had second thoughts.

Very common story, told in your usual uncommon way. Congrats! Amy

Elizabeth said...

Thanks for the giggle, Berowne. x

Maria's Space said...

Another laugh. ABC followers are on a roll. Thanks for the post. Have a great day.
http://reesspace.blogspot.com/2011/07/mission-completed-in-less-than-1-week.html

Berowne said...

Amy: "Ha ha. This is one of your best."
A fine comment from a fine commenter. Thanks.

Berowne said...

It's a pleasure to hear from friends like Elizabeth, Jo B, Leslie, Gigi Ann, That Janie Girl, Tumblewords, Sylvia K, Kay L D, Rog, Carver and Jane & Chris -- many thanks.

Paula Scott Molokai Girl Studio said...

A very humorous story to kick off round 9!

Altonian said...

Funny story! Best laid plans.... and all that.

The Poet said...

Laughing...what a wonderful afternoon treat!
Fantastic storytelling too and the puppy is so cute!

 
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