Sunday, November 9, 2014

245 Quiz Answer

"Al"

(Also for Three Word Wednesday and ABC Wednesday: "R" is for "rare")

Two chaps are talking about an old friend.  Who’s the friend?

“Al told me to say hello.”

“Great!  Tell him hello back.  I haven’t seen Al in years!  How’s he doing?”

“Oh, okay I guess.  He found a place with a government agency, the patent office.  Crucial work, I suppose, but not much in the way of salary.  And really boring.”

“That’s kinda surprising.  Back in school we all thought Al was the one who was going to go places, right?”

“Yeah, it’s a bit depressing.  I went to visit him at work.  You wouldn’t believe – checking out applications, making copies, answering letters.  Tons of paper.  Looked to me like it was secretarial stuff.”

“And he had the best grades in our class.  Well, at least he’s working.”

“To top it off, he got a malignant note from management that said he had just been passed over for promotion.  They told him he didn’t seem to be capable of understanding modern technology like typewriters.”

“Well. It’s a new century; he’s gotta be able to understand typewriters because they’re soon going to be everywhere.”

“I felt he should quit, but it took him a year or so of yearning just to get this job; he’ll hang on to it.  He has hobbies and other interests in his private life.”

“Hobbies?  Like what?”

“Well, you know Al, he’s different; he’s kind of rare.  He was always secretive, always involved in things that he claimed were important but that none of us could understand.  All part of an act, I guess.”

“I heard he got married.”

“Right.  But if you run into him don’t bring that up; he’d rather not talk about it.  I guess he wasn’t a perfect husband but worse, he was far from a perfect father too.  They had a kid, a little girl, but Al had the baby sent off to be taken care of by someone else; he never even saw her!”

“Unbelievable.”

“I don’t know if I should be saying this, but I’m a bit worried about Al’s – well, his mental stability.”

“Why do you say that?”

“Well, last time I saw him he told me he spent weeks thinking about the connection between space and time.  Sounded a bit loony to me, but I was too polite to mention it.”

The answer will be posted Saturday.

 

25 comments:

Roger Owen Green said...

Fairly early on, I thought you might be talking about Albert Einstein, but the space/time sealed it.

Berowne said...

Roger Owen Green starts us off with the first right answer.

Altonian said...

Your first mention of the Patent Office gave it to me. From then on it could only be Albert Einstein.

naturgesetz said...

Albert Einstein.

Berowne said...

Two of our regulars, Altonian and naturgesetz, both had the correct answer.

Gail said...

I didn't even know this was a contest...I was thinking Albert Einstein...but I loved the story and thought they'd better watch out for Al!

You don't have to publish this.

Berowne said...

Gail is another with the right answer.

rel said...

Albert Einstein ??

Anita Sabat said...

I don't know if I have the answer.
Guessing- Albert Einstein?

Touching story...

Berowne said...

Two more "winners" with the correct answer: rel and Anita.

21 Wits said...

Oh gosh, will have to think about this.

Eddie said...

I think it is Albert Einstein . . .

Berowne said...

Welcome, Eddie, and you have the right answer.

Kathe W. said...

Oh hah! It must be Albert Einstein!

Berowne said...

The correct answer has just arrived from Kathe W.

Tess Kincaid said...

Albert Einstein

Berowne said...

Chalk up another right one, this time from Tess Kincaid.

elaine said...

I am obviously not on the same wavelength as you - I haven't a clue - just popped by to say thank you for your generous comment on my post.

kaykuala said...

It's Albert Einstein, Berowne!

Hank

Sheilagh Lee said...

I have no idea

Berowne said...

Kaykuala is the latest with the correct answer.

Silent Otto said...

Eric Bana from "the time travellers wife "

Trubes said...

Hello Berowne.

I think your subject is Albert Einstein ?

Best wishes,
Di.

ABCW team.

Berowne said...

The right answer has just arrived again, this time from Trubes.

Anita Sabat said...

Yay! I got the answer right :)
Hope I am the Anita you have referred to :)

 
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