Stream of Consciousness Saturday – Prompt – Bowl

~ John W. Howell

A picture of a string with drops of water- the logo for SoCS

The coffee machine has a mind of its own today. While waiting for the life-saving potion, a bowl of store-brand raisin bran crunch is making a poor substitute. Before long, the machine decides a strike might not produce the best result and coughs up the brew. Abandoning the bowl in favor of the mug, a sip reminds me that today is safe blow-up day.

The security system is already down, and Wile E Coyote is busy in the backyard placing packages around the perimeter of the safe. Joining him and seeing he is using ACME C4 charges. All wired to a plunger, and Wile slowly walks away from the safe with it in his hand. He is allowing the wire to slip from the coil around his arm. “Everything okay?” My question catches Wile by surprise. “Of course,” he says. “Where’s Yosemite Sam?” Wile pulls on his chin for a mini-second and responds. “I locked him inside the safe.”

The statement causes my eyebrows to join my hairline. “Is he safe in the safe?” My hand immediately goes to my mouth but too late cause that awful question is already out there.” Wile rolls his eyes. “He’s a lot safer in there than we are out here.” Another statement that threatens to send my eyebrows over the top of my head. It is clear that Wile is about to push the plunger as he gets down on one knee and yells, “Fire in the hole.”

“Just a minute.” The words hit Wile like a baseball headed for an infield double. He rises and walks to meet me. “Let me explain,” he drawls. For the first time, his Texas accent comes to prominence. Must happen when he is angry, my brain tells me.” Look, friend.” He pauses, then continues. “You and I have a contract, and how this goes down is entirely up to me to execute. Why did you stop me?”

Other than cold feet, I didn’t have an answer. My mind calculates the amount of C4 under the safe and comes to the conclusion that there is enough to send it into orbit as opposed to just lifting it over the house and onto a truck. “You think there is too much C4?” is the only response. Wile walks back to the plunger, shaking his head in that I know what I’m doing butt out sort of way. Rather than pushing the plunger, he picks up an envelope from the ground. He comes back and hands it to me, and says, “Some gal left that for you.” He walks back to the plunger and looks at me as he gets down on one knee again.

Opening the envelope, the message from Linda Hill tumbles out. Your Friday prompt for Stream of Consciousness Saturday is “bowl.” Use it as a noun or a verb—use it any way you’d like. Enjoy!

If you want to enjoy, visit Linda’s blog and see how easy it is. Here is the link https://lindaghill.com/2022/10/21/the-friday-reminder-and-prompt-for-socs-oct-22-2022/

Bowl by John W. Howell © 2022

“At least you snuck the prompt in there.”

“Yes, I did. Smartly too, I thought.”

“I’ll give it to you. It was smart. Now, what are you and I going to do with it?”

“Yeah, I see what you mean. Talking about a bowl of beer might not be a good thing.”

“Oh, I don’t know. Doesn’t sound so bad from here, but I get what you’re saying.”

“We could talk about going to the lane to bowl some frames.”

“We could, but you and I have never been bowling.”

“No one needed to know that.”

“Tell falsehoods to your readers? Tsk, tsk.”

“Not falsehood. . . . Fiction.”

“Okay, I guess that is a rationalization you can live with.”

“It’s the truth.”

“Let’s get back to that bowl of beer.”

“Well, at least a pint.”

“You’re buying.”

“Wait a minute. I bought last time.”

“You need to atone for your sins.”

“What sins?”

“Fiction sins.”

“Okay fine.”

“Calling Uber.”

 

75 thoughts on “Stream of Consciousness Saturday – Prompt – Bowl”

  4. Nicely done. With the inclusion of a bowl of cereal and Looney Tunes characters, it felt like a Saturday morning from my youth. Of course, my cereal of choice in those days would have been Cap’n Crunch P’Nut Butter Crunch, not Raisin Bran Crunch (although that’s a good current choice).

    Liked by 1 person

  5. Marketing genius. Bowling alleys serving bowls of beer, adorned with various pictures and images of pins and balls. Just don’t issue them near the lanes themselves. Wouldn’t want the playing service to get too slippery or sticky. Of course, you’d have an issue after slurping down a few of everyone “staying in their lane.”

    Liked by 1 person

  12. Good story. You threw me with Wille having a Texas accent. As I recall there were simple hand held signs involved. Though I am not sure if both Wille and the Roadrunner used them. At this juncture the only logical and sane action would be to pour three fingers and at least feign pondering. Enjoy the Voodoo Ranger !

    Liked by 1 person

  13. I’m thinking you two best hop into that Uber before things go boom!
    I’m thinking a bowl of beer would be unwieldy… I’ll take the bottle, instead!

    Like

  19. John, you bowl me over with your imagination. And, just out of curiosity, if you did have your beer in a bowl, what is your favorite ale to fill it? I’m guessing an IPA.

    Liked by 1 person

  20. So, we’re taking the plunge next week?
    I was so hoping for a big KaBoom today. That would bowl me over!
    Blow, as in blow up, is an anagram of bowl.
    Pretty clever locking Yosemite in the safe. Although I feet the best part of the plan is that the safe goes up over the house, and lands in a truck.
    This plan can’t go wrong!
    Oh yeah, the walk and talk and beer worked out nicely today. Say hi to your pal for me!
    🐂💋

    Liked by 1 person

        2. LOL!
          You may have heard, I have always had a penchant for bad boys. That’s why I hooked up with a guitar player!
          Okay…… I was NO angel myself!
          xoxoxo

          Liked by 1 person

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