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Friday, October 4, 2013

Real Toads: a short story for Corey

In the Imaginary Garden with Real Toads, we who love him call him Corey, but on his blog he is known as Herotomost.
Corey has presented the Toads, and visitors to the garden, with a list of words—not just any words, but names of alcoholic beverages. Some of them even I can recognize, but some I am seeing for the first time.
Nevertheless, I thought I could use them for something because Corey didn't limit us to poems. No sonnets specified... he said we could writing anything we want, even an ad for the top of a cereal box, if we like.
I have created a short short story in the old mode, with an unnamed hero, his young sidekick Juan, Juan's beautiful sister Corazón, and a villain.
I've used several of the words Corey provided, changing some around, changing the spelling perhaps, basically just mixing them up. I usually leave the word list to the end, but here it is to start things off for a change:

Wikipedia photo, so I'm not
responsible for its quality
Middle Sister
Jameson
Belvedere
Corozon
Apothic
Rang Tang
Arrogant Bastard
Green Flash
Barrio
Johnny Walker
El Presidente
Captain Morgan



     He’d been courting Juan’s middle sister, Corazón, and then that arrogant bastard Johnny Morgan drove by, just like a green flash, in his restored ’67 Plymouth Belvedere 2-door hardtop, with Corazón in the passenger seat.
     “Johnny says Richard Petty won the NASCAR Grand National in a Belvedere,” said Juan, as if it were information fascinating to everyone.
     “I don’t care if he won it in a bloody Barracuda. Now shut up,” he growled. “Where’s your sister going with that bum from the barrio?”
     “I don’t know where they're going, man, I’m just the kid brother. You think my three sisters ever tell me anything?”
     “You know something, muchacho. You call him Johnny, like you were old friends.”
     “Well, yeah, I guess we are, kinda, but he's old, though his dad and my dad were distant cousins or something, and his mom and my mom are friends.”
     “Hrmph,” he snorted, “so Corazón has known him a long time?”
     “Sure, all her life.”
     “You suppose they have a date?”
     “I don’t think so, man. That would be kinda gross, I think.”
     “And Johnny Morgan is no Captain Morgan?” he said, feeling a bit better now.
     “Hell, no, man, he isn’t even Johnny Walker!
     “And it’s a good thing his name isn’t Ron.”
     They were both laughing and didn’t notice when the Belvedere rolled to a stop in front of Juan’s house. But they turned around in time to see Corazón get out of the car and say, “Thanks, Johnny. I really needed to pick up this new dress. I think I’m going to get a marriage proposal tonight and I want to be ready.”
     She turned and ran up the steps without looking back, not spotting the young man and her brother where they stood across the street.
     They heard Johnny call, “Good luck, mi hermana!” before he drove off.
     “Okay, man, it looks like you’re really El Presidente now,” said Juan, “and you better have a ring ready for my sister.”


10 comments:

L. Edgar Otto said...

Delightful... this reminds me of how some famous writers got their start like Shakespeare, Tempest Caliban Ariel and all that... Or especially John Steinbeck Tortilla Flat. A book of this would draw them in especially if they were fluent in the spirits terms, the grapes of laughs.

Rum too along the Spanish Maine, Johnny Depp the Musical a fitting chapter for the Jolly Roger as they scrub the poop deck standing in the far away Globe or carve the scrimshaw, fix the gossamer's, invent the art of dollies...

The ship of dreams virgin queen or wench none dare not call her woman.

Yamini MacLean said...

Hari Om
Crikey - even I had heard of J Walker and Jameson. Beyond that - nada!! You did good and I neat finish. YAM xx

Susan said...

Fun story! I love how the villain is not!

Anonymous said...

Love the story and how you incorporated so many of the terms.

Kerry O'Connor said...

How excellently you have put all these words to work in your story, kay.

Sherry Blue Sky said...

What a cool story. Loved it.

Herotomost said...

OMG!!!!!!! Kay you crack me up. I love this(you know I'm a sucka for the short story). I like the fact that you seemlessly sewed all of those names in the list in. Now I want to have a daughter and name her Corazon..lol. I knew you would be up to the challenge and boy...you did not disappoint!!

Maude Lynn said...

What a cool take, Kay! You are so creative.

Other Mary said...

No sorted book poetry, but this is great Kay!

Marian said...

so much fun to read, Kay :)