a quick, very brief drabble freewrite just to try to get myself back into the thread again...

They ring every 86 minutes. They shriek into the empty halls, a shrill admonition to jump, move, hurry hurry. They drive me into polished bits of time, swift and sleek and sudden. I am whip-toned to them, quivering in their silence, waiting.

Like a horse trained to the gate, I leap forward when I hear the bells.

Ooh, nice, Kristin.

Teacher drabble. Kewl.

For some reason, this category is all about death and dying, for me.

Requiem for my Father

Silence, warmth, darkness. This is the Hawaiian night: something calls sharply, out near Waimeia Canyon. It might be Pele herself, bored with fire, wanting some peace. I wouldn't know; I'm fathoms deep.

But along my nervous system, something is whispering. It takes an unquantifiable time to reach the brain, to declare itself as my father's voice. I'm asleep; he's half a planet away.

The voice reaches my brain, one word: "Goodbye."

I sit upright, unable to breathe, reaching for the phone. As my fingers find it, it rings under my hand.

I already know what I'm about to be told.

Sometimes it's him. Or not him. But it's about him, and the silence is his fault, or her fault, if she did something wrong, was too needy, not beautiful enough, not kind, warm, as funny as other girls.

Sometimes she likes quiet. No books overdue, no bills, no one trying to contract her for more.

She thinks, every now and again, right now, no one wants to say her mother's dead, or that she's won a million dollars, no one's saying they love her, need her, or will never speak to her again.

Sometimes she watches it not ring.

ita, that's gorgeous, but it's missing a word or two:

"no one is wants to tell her mother's dead"

tell her her mother's dead? tell her that her mother's dead?

The Catholic church a few blocks from our house rings its bells on the hour. They’re soft. I only hear them if I’m outside and the wind is just so. They mark time, but not as I do. The bells aren’t in a hurry. They sanctify the meeting of the eternal and the now, while I measure my life in items crossed off a to-do list. Sometimes when I hear them I pause and think how I must enjoy the now, give thanks for the gifts of late summer and a baby girl’s smile. But it’s only for the moment, and then I am myself again.

Thanks for the catch, deb. I switched verbs, and left pronouns flapping in the wind.

Susan, that's a lovely piece. Very contemplative.

I switched verbs, and left pronouns flapping in the wind.

I do that constantly, in short pieces. Not certain why.

First-ever drabble, so be gentle. It feels a little like I'm missing a piece, but I'm not sure if that's just me, or how to fix that, if not.

My brother plays handbells at church. He joins in Dad's drama camps even though he's only in eighth grade. He has friends over to the house on Saturdays. He made new friends when he changed schools. He's made friends everywhere he went since he was born.

He's a teenager now, and doesn't want to be in the church choir this year. He'll probably stop being in the band next year, when he goes to high school. He's started opting out of some things, sometimes.

But my little brother, the one who joins in with the group, plays handbells.

Okay, this isn't *about* bells, but it incorporates them....

MEMO
Re: S. Claus makeover

Our client, Mr. Claus, has come to us with a problem. His primary goal -- slipping in, leaving presents, and slipping back out unnoticed -- is fraught with possibilities for discovery. In this day and age of high-tech surveillance equipment and nannycams, the odds of the Jolly Elf being caught in the act are greater than ever. To minimize that risk, we recommend the following:

* eliminate jingle bells, as they create too much noise
* limit self to one "ho ho ho!" per house (see above, re: noise)
* trade reindeer for stealth bomber, as reindeer on a rooftop are unusual and will attract undue attention; also run the risk of leaving behind tell-tale Holiday Dung
* lose weight; people remember a man of his size more easily (also, less likely to get stuck in chimney if thinner)
* change costume from bright red velvet trimmed with white fur to something in a matte black or charcoal grey, possibly in a jersey or gabardine; think ninja, not Liberace

To sum up: less jolly, more stealth = a risk-free holiday season for our client.