(This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, businesses, places, events, locales, and incidents are either the products of the author's imagination or used in a fictitious manner. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental.)
Icy Ice Cream Repairman
Word
count: 550
Genre:
Seasonal
Character:
A repairman
Material:
Ice cream
Sentence:
“I can fix this.”
Bonus:
Your character is hated by everyone.
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Mitch
scratched his head and stared at the ice cream machine. Every year
without fail he was called in to repair the machine. Every year to
the exact month and day. And every time without fail, everything was
wrong. Spring was around the corner, and the ice cream stand would
soon be quite busy. He sighed, pulled out his toolbox, and began to
take apart the front of the machine. Time to find the root of the
problem this year.
Gracie
Lou watched from a distance. She hated having to call him again, but
what was she to do! She could never figure the bothersome thing out.
Too many knobs and buttons. He was the least liked repairman in the
company, albeit he was the one assigned to their area so that's what
they got. The gruff veneer put most people off.
“How's
it look?” she asked.
“Not
good.” he grumbled.
“Will
you be able to fix it?” she asked furrowing her brow.
“I
can fix this, I can fix this. I do it every year.” he griped.
“Can
I get you some coffee?”
“Just
quiet.”
She
left him then. He sighed with relief. People watching over his
shoulder drove him batty. It was one of his biggest pet peeves. It
joined “ice on the sidewalk” and “half-frozen veggies” on the
list. Sighing once again, he finished loosening the screws on the
front panel and popped it off. Assessing the situation, he rummaged
through his bag. It looked like some tubes needed replacing.
Pouring
herself a cup of coffee, she sat at one of the little booths with her
laptop. She needed to update the website with information on their
grand opening for the spring. Updating the page took less time than
she expected, and she found herself leaning on her hand watching him
work. He may be the least personable person with the repair company,
but he was highly efficient. Mulling over this fact, she remembered
her coffee and drank it to not appear to be watching him.
He
sensed her watching him. The laptop keyboard had gone silent and the
hairs on the back of his neck were on end. Rubbing it absentmindedly,
he pulled out one of the tubes he was replacing. Grime went every
where. He cringed at the mess. Oh well, it usually would get worse
before it got better. That's how this particular machine was. Each
one he worked on had a unique personality. Almost like a person. They
all looked the same on the outside, but deep down within the nuts and
bolts was a temperamental machine with feeling. Giving the side of
the machine a knowing pat as he would his beagle, he put the new tube
in.
Gracie
Lou watched this act of tenderness and decided he was an entirely
misunderstood person. If he could show feeling towards an ice cream
machine, she was sure he was nice under his gruff veneer. Feeling
inspired, she decided to pour him some coffee. Maybe kindness would
be the best way to go to warm up a grouchier individual. If nothing
else, the coffee would. Putting some in a thermos, she set it next to
him. A slight smile formed, he sipped some, and then continued to
work.
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