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2nd Place goes to: Donna Wilkins Flora Vista, New Mexico Congratulations Donna! |
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Donna’s Bio: “I live in Flora Vista, a very small rural community in northern New Mexico. I have been married for 32 years to Logan, and we have two grown daughters, Lacey and Stacey. I have been primarily a homemaker, and until recently was selling antiques and collectibles online. I got the ‘writing bug’ less than a year ago. Since I am new to the world of writing, I have never won a contest or any awards, therefore, being recognized by this contest means a great deal to me. I love writing short stories, and my personal favorite is humor. I hope to eventually write enough short stories to publish as a collection. I’ve also been working on a first draft for a short novel for teens. |
Nearly Rich and Famous
By Donna Wilkins
"You see, Dr. Belcher, my problems all started a while back when I decided to celebrate making my final car payment by taking a vacation. I chose to go to a peaceful lakeside resort where I could get some much needed rest, enjoy the sunshine, and catch up on some reading."
"I thought it might be more fun if I took a friend with me. And that's what started this whole mess. If only I would have taken one of my friends! But, Beth talks too much, and I figured I wouldn't get any rest with her around. My friend Christy only wants to eat in expensive restaurants, and I can't afford that. Julia complains too much, and Kate is too bossy.
So I decided that instead of taking a person along, I would take my dog, Duke. That way, I could have things the way I wanted them, and still have company."
"The day started out beautifully. The weather was perfect and I was feeling great. Duke loves to ride in the car so he was real excited about going. We were about an hour into the drive, and I was listening to some music, when suddenly, Duke spoke. And I don't mean that he barked, I mean he said words."
Dr. Belcher cleared his throat and tried to appear undisturbed by the last comment. "And exactly what do you think it was that Duke said?"
"Duke said, 'Now don't jump out of your skin because I'm speaking, but I want you to take that next exit. I'm not eating this stinking dog food anymore, and I want you to get me an order to go from that steakhouse over there.'"
"Well of course, I nearly had a wreck! After I got the car stopped I asked
Duke why he had never spoken before. He said that until now, there was never much point. But now that he was taking his first vacation he was going to have it his way! Naturally we argued about that point, and I said that I was in charge of this trip. But then I caught myself."
"Oh, that's good," sighed Dr. Belcher.
"That's right. I told Duke we were skipping the vacation, and we would be heading straight home. I was going to call reporters and TV stations and tell them all about my talking dog. I would be rich and famous!"
"But then Duke said, 'Yeah, I don't think so. Because if I don't get my vacation and have everything exactly my way, when we get home I won't speak if anyone else is around. Then everyone will think you're crazy.'"
"You did the right thing coming to me for help," Dr. Belcher said reassuringly. "Are you ready for me to explain to you why you think your dog talks?"
"Heck no! I want you to help me figure out what it's going to take to get that dog to talk in front of others!"***