Cliff-Giggles to the Rescue

Flash Fiction

Cliff-Giggles to the Rescue

“I’m a little teapot, short and stuff…”

“That’s stout, not stuff…” said Dad.

“What’s a stout?” Jane asked, confused.

“It means, um… wider.”

“Wider? What does that mean?

“Well, if something was this wide…” he held up his hands, “and it got bigger sideways” he moved both hands out a bit, “then it would be ‘wider.”

“Oh. Well, what’s a teapot?”

“It’s like a coffee pot, only you make tea in it.”

“Does it make any other letters?”

“What?”

“If it makes a T, does it make R or B or any of the other letters?”

“No Honey, it’s a different kind of T. It’s a drink like coffee only different.”

“Is it magic?”

“Why do you ask that?”

“Because it makes a drink out of the alphabet.”

“Tea to drink isn’t in the alphabet… You make it… in your house, to drink….”

“Do we do that?”

“I guess we could, but I don’t know if we have any tea bags…”

“How can you drink it if it’s in a bag?”

“Jane” Dad said, “I just remembered their having a picture show on TV. They’re going to be showing us stuff we will like!” he started over to the TV.

“Oh! Can we watch Cliff-Giggles instead?? I love Cliff-Giggles!”

“That sounds fun!” He turned on channel two and found Cliff-Giggles. In minutes, Jane was enthralled with the cartoon.

Dad sat in his chair. It was one-thirty. He was watching Cliff-Giggles with Jane. However, not because it was cute or funny. It was because he was exhausted after their conversations all morning! He began wondering what life was like for his wife, she had Jane way more than he did. Suddenly, he realized he needed to be a better husband, and a better father. Suddenly life was good again.”