Carrie Helps Out
This is post 16 of Section III. To begin at the beginning, go here. Section II begins here. Section III begins here.
He relinquished his original idea of walking to the park almost immediately. The neighborhood was old, and some of the big houses had been divided into apartments, while others belonged to sedate sorts like him and Gwen. In the porches and front yards of the apartments some students were reading, playing Frisbee, drinking beer. They paused, concerned, as Bennett’s behavior modification experiment passed. He could see the older neighbors coming to their windows as well. The dogs slunk along as if embarrassed, ears back and eyes rolling in the direction of the human steam whistle.
After less than a block, Bennett looked up to find an earnest young woman confronting him. “Do you need any help, Professor?”
He recognized her, dimly. A nondescript sort from one of his last survey courses. But her presence had an effect on the kid. Lizzy pulled away from him and stood with legs apart, arms crossed and lips pushed out.
The student was crouching down at Lizzy’s level. “Hi there. What’s your name?”
Lizzy made a little jerky movement with her shoulders as if shaking off the unwanted attention. “Lizzy,” Bennett informed the girl.
“I’m Carrie. You sure are pretty when you’re angry, Lizzy.”
Lizzy eyed her dubiously from under knitted brows. “Grampa’s mean,” she said, emphatically. “I wanna go back.”
“Would you like me to run you home piggy-back?”
Her face cleared magically. “O. k., but you have to go real fast.”
Carrie looked at Bennett. “I hope that’s o. k.? I just don’t like to see children crying,” she explained, as she straightened. Lizzy stuck her tongue out at him over the top of Carrie’s head.
Continue
He relinquished his original idea of walking to the park almost immediately. The neighborhood was old, and some of the big houses had been divided into apartments, while others belonged to sedate sorts like him and Gwen. In the porches and front yards of the apartments some students were reading, playing Frisbee, drinking beer. They paused, concerned, as Bennett’s behavior modification experiment passed. He could see the older neighbors coming to their windows as well. The dogs slunk along as if embarrassed, ears back and eyes rolling in the direction of the human steam whistle.
After less than a block, Bennett looked up to find an earnest young woman confronting him. “Do you need any help, Professor?”
He recognized her, dimly. A nondescript sort from one of his last survey courses. But her presence had an effect on the kid. Lizzy pulled away from him and stood with legs apart, arms crossed and lips pushed out.
The student was crouching down at Lizzy’s level. “Hi there. What’s your name?”
Lizzy made a little jerky movement with her shoulders as if shaking off the unwanted attention. “Lizzy,” Bennett informed the girl.
“I’m Carrie. You sure are pretty when you’re angry, Lizzy.”
Lizzy eyed her dubiously from under knitted brows. “Grampa’s mean,” she said, emphatically. “I wanna go back.”
“Would you like me to run you home piggy-back?”
Her face cleared magically. “O. k., but you have to go real fast.”
Carrie looked at Bennett. “I hope that’s o. k.? I just don’t like to see children crying,” she explained, as she straightened. Lizzy stuck her tongue out at him over the top of Carrie’s head.
Continue
posted by Hobbes at 5:26 AM
4 Comments:
It just reminded me of how people from different points of view see a situation differently. The woman didn't have all the facts about what was going down, but she was well meaning from her perspective.
The root of every sinful habit.
Wonderfully descriptive in imagery, tone, conversation, setting as you progress with the plot! Although this is definitely not a children's story, I can envision you writing children's or teen stories with ease.
Thanks, GEL.
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