Chat

Flash Fiction

Chat

“They did it again… they cleaned their room…”

Harold turned to see Alice in the kitchen doorway. “Something they learned at school?”

“School?” Alice snapped, “Why school? I doubt that the schools give this course…”

“Well, maybe they have friends that they talk to, that made it seem exciting.”

“Exciting? How in blue’s clues could anybody make it exciting!”

“You know what I mean. Not the work, the results. Having all that space to use, knowing where things are, making you happy…”

“Me?!?”

“Well, me too! And them too really. Maybe they finally realized the up side of it.”

Alice laughed, “The up side of cleaning their room?”

“You know what I mean. Like you and I feel when the house is clean and the garage is all in order. The up side, things are taken care of and you can sit and enjoy it while thinking about other things.”

“I guess… do you really feel that way about the house being clean?”

“Yes, I do! I come in from work tired, with all the things I still need to do hanging over my head. Then I walk in here and it’s all put together, clean, and the smell of cooking coming from the kitchen and my newspaper on the sofa. I relax; I let work go for a while and enjoy being home, with my family. I can breathe, even after a tough day.”

“Interesting… When I get home from work, I end up picking up the house, making dinner, corralling the girls, planning lunches for tomorrow…”

“I’m sorry! I can see why you’re worried about the girls cleaning their room.”

“What do you think?”

“You’re afraid it won’t last?”

“Now we’re on the same wavelength….” she left.

‘Close call!’ Dad said to himself as he opened the newspaper…