They are in Corpus Christi to visit, and upon their arrival, Mom declared that she had done no shopping because she didn’t know what they would want since they had a baby now so they would need to go to the store. Fine, no problem. They are now at HEB with Grant in his carContinue reading “Put Your Trust in Ice Cream”
Author Archives: Gordon Laws
Hello, Dolly
They play it indoors using a small wooden bat and a wrist band as the ball, and they call it wrist band baseball. They used to play it in the living room when they lived in San Antonio. If you hit the wrist band into the lowest basket of the hanging fruit basket, you gotContinue reading “Hello, Dolly”
Yankee Clipper
The man settles into the barber chair for his appointment. Dick is back for the first time in months. Grant is two-and-a-half, and his hair is overgrown. He sits on a chair just across from the barber’s chair, waiting his turn. The door opens, and an old-timer walks in. He sees gray-haired Dick and smiles.Continue reading “Yankee Clipper”
Battle Flag
It rained the last two days, and the players are all standing around in shorts and shirts, their helmets on the ground. They’re all fifteen minutes early for practice. Their first game is Saturday, and today is walkthrough. Their tall, thin, black corner, KP, is standing with the young man and with Ted. “Yo, weContinue reading “Battle Flag”
In the Bedroom
They are staying in the upstairs bedroom, which has its own A/C unit, a large walk-in closet, and its own door to a full bathroom. This is where the man’s Grandma Hill always stayed when she came for a couple of months each year; it’s where Ned and Jolene stayed when they brought some ofContinue reading “In the Bedroom”
I Got a Chopper in the Car
The young man has been working for Troy for three weeks now. He gets $6 an hour to sand walls, mix adhesive, and roll it onto long strips of wallpaper, so Troy can hang more and work faster. Troy is blond, probably 5’9″, married to a tall red-head, and he drives an F150 and alwaysContinue reading “I Got a Chopper in the Car”
The Bridge Between Here and There
The man has been home from his mission for a month. Thanksgiving was yesterday, and Lauren Elliott is staying in the guest bedroom upstairs. They knew each other as missionaries, and she offered to come to his homecoming talk, which happens to be Thanksgiving weekend. So he invited her for the holiday. They are notContinue reading “The Bridge Between Here and There”
Remember the Massacre!
They have just finished the spiritual thought in ward council. The man looks down at the agenda, then up at the group in front of him. He’s about to ask Rachel, the Relief Society president, to discuss her organization when Katie, the Primary president, says, “Have you all watched the PBS documentaries on the Church?”Continue reading “Remember the Massacre!”
Just Saw an Alien Saucer
The young man and Stephen are staying at the night at the Hatfields’ house. MC is the young man’s age, and Japheth is Stephen’s age. The young man is the teachers quorum president at church, and MC is the counselor in their presidency. Stephen and Japheth played on a baseball team together and often hangContinue reading “Just Saw an Alien Saucer”
You Got Skunked!
Lucia is almost four and Lindsay is eighteen months. All winter, the scent of skunk has lingered around their yard, and they can’t make out where it is coming from. It is a warm spring day. The girls are in the backyard while Grant is at a summer school activity. Lucia bolts inside and cries,Continue reading “You Got Skunked!”
His Smile Lit Up a Room and Other Things to Say at My Funeral 