{A fabulous writing practice book called "Write the Story" (available from Picadillyinc.com) guides my every day "Pajama Pages"; they are those pages you write when you're in your pajamas and you haven't yet brushed your teeth before crawling into or out of bed... early morning or late night scribbles. Each page gives you 10 words and you have to write a story containing all those words - Hope it entertains you.}
Saturday, 2 October 2022
Theme: Tension in Suburbia
Words to include in a story:
muffled | medical | orchid | par | reign | animal | church | shirt | snatch | grin
HERE'S MY PAGE TODAY:
Rocky Springs was likened to a one-horse town, a suburb on the forgotten outskirts of a large metropolis. In places such as these, there was always an unhealthy competition between the influence of the doctor and the Priest, each believing their reign to be supreme, each striving to heal the body, mind, and spirit of the humans under their wing, albeit in very different ways. Their rivalry was par for the course. They were so revered by the populace that their wives earned the distinguished titles of Mrs. Doctor and Mrs. Priest.
Rocky Springs' esteemed doctor, a man famous for his penchant for botany, had opened a medical practice in Rocky Springs first, and to his chagrin, a year later, a church was built on the very lot across the street from his home practice. Dr. Mars believed in God, but as a man of science, even though there was a Red Cross on his door, he did not believe a cross made you holy. His biggest gripe was that he believed organized religion to be downright dangerous, especially when his patients started dwindling, professing that prayer had healed them instead. The new pastor had condemned "potions from plants" and life-saving medicines, saying that the practice across the street was the devil's kitchen. Organized religion had become bad for business too.
Every Sunday Dr. Mars would sit on his porch swing and grunt like an animal in distress as he watched Pastor Grimes shout at the Congregation, the doors left open to flaunt the flock from across the street. He knew he had to act in the face of the Pastor's defiance, some of his patients' lives depended on it.
On the first day of spring, he donned his best vegan shirt and attended his very first sermon at the Rocky Springs Salvation Church. On the pocket of his shirt, he had pinned a beautiful fresh orchid of rare origin, one he had grown for just this occasion. The crisp white slipper of the flower vibrated starkly against the cool darkness of the church.
Pastor Grimes, a little flustered after another restless night, where yet again his alarm had been set off by a late-night intruder, was surprised to see his rival sitting in the back row, with a strange grin. Pastor Grimes had prepared a pertinent sermon for this morning aimed at whoever was breaking into his office on a regular basis but inexplicably, had never stolen anything. He could only assume the criminal was reading his sermons!
Pastor Grimes was especially passionate today and he slammed his fist against the podium to emphasize his disgust at the recent spite of adultery and crime in Rocky Springs. He ended his well-rehearsed reprimand with a raised fist saying, "May those who continue to enjoy the poison of the flesh, steal and plunder, be exposed like a rash that foretells nature's diseases. May their skin erupt like measles so we can identify the straying souls among us."
The young lady next to Dr. Mars, who he knew to be a local escort named April, muffled a cry and the good doctor hugged her, his orchid brushing against her tears.
At the door, it was customary for Pastor Grimes to shake the hands of each and every member of his congregation, even those that he may have offended. Dr. Mars took the hand of the Pastor and placed it on his heart, over the Orchid, and said, "You spoke from the heart, today Pastor." Dr. Mars expected the Pastor to snatch his hand away but to his delight, the Pastor patted the doctor's chest, and in doing so squashed the Orchid, repeatedly.
The next morning, before the sun could rear behind the Metropolis, Dr. Mars was wakened by the emergency bell of his practice. On his porch stood Pastor Grimes and April, both covered in hives, red angry welts of their guilt displayed on the Pastor's hands and on April's sullen face.
"Why Pastor, did you touch something you were not supposed to?"
The Pastor stormed into the doctor's rooms and the antidote that Dr. Mars just happened to have ready, came with just one condition.
The next Sunday the church announced their imminent move to another suburb.
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