This week we did another pick six prompt. For it our character was a traveling salesman, he carries a stuffed toy, a horse. He runs into someone familiar holding the toy out it says. The dice roll was Artificial Intelligence in toasters, definitely a bad idea. The group weren’t fond of that so another roll of the dice got us “Okay, I need another strand.”

Although most went with the second line of dialogue I told them they could use first one if they wanted.

Sales Guy, Chapter Three

By Lloyd Rain, 4/28/15

(A writing exercise during a Write-On-The-Edge meeting;

To be read with all the gusto and excitement of an eight-year-old announcing his grade school basketball game.)

Sales Guy had his own jet ̶ two of them, in fact ̶ silver and red F-80 fighters from the Korean era . He had just taken off from the Strand Airport in Oshkosh, Illinois, on his latest refrigerator sales mission when his engine began to rumble, a sure sign that it was starving for air.

“Strand Tower, Stand Tower; this is Sales Guy One returning to the field. Please tell my guys to warm up Sales Guy Two, I need another horse.”

“Roger.” Replied the tower, “Ten four.”

Sales Guy landed his ailing number one without incident and speedily taxied to his hangar. In a matter of less than a minute, he had abandoned Sales Guy One, and in the age old tradition of the Pony Express rider switching horses on the run, was taxiing out onto the live runway in Sales Guy Two.

Again, his engine began to rumble. “Damn,” he thought, “Maybe it’s the airport air, I think I need another Strand.”

Just then, his engine caught again. He rapidly took off and lofted his craft into the blue for another exciting sales call.

So ends Chapter Three in the inspiring and mysterious life of (music up, kliegs dim, lightning snaps, babies cry, sirens wail) Sales Guy.

*****

A To I Salesman

Morrie was having a good day. He’d made three sales calls and all three had purchased the new super-duper automated toaster. He’d also got several leads from these customers he’d sold the Genie Pop-up Automated Two, too.

His company A to I appliances had just come out with this new model and were having a special contests for their entire sales staff. The grand prize was an all-expense paid seven day – eight night trip to Hawaii for two.

Morrie had always dreamed of going to Hawaii, but as a salesman he had a difficult time selling enough product to afford his modest home and the only vacations he had were he and the wife’s road trips to her parents every summer. They had a place on a lake and it wasn’t grand but nice and always a change from their tiny bungalow in the city. The in-laws place was in no way Hawaii. Besides for once it would be nice to have a week where his mother-in-law was reminding him what a poor provider he was and how her daughter had married down.

“Josie,” he said to the small stuffed horse he carried in the pocket of his plaid sport coat, “you must be my good luck charm because having you with today seems to have increased my sales volume. I’m up 300 percent from last week.”

Morrie thought he heard a quiet neigh. He shook his head. “No way that’s possible. Unless?” He looked around maybe there was a horse in the vicinity. While he was searching the area who should he see coming down the street but Mrs. Cora Harper. Wow, he thought, Mrs. Harper my favorite grade school teacher. She had been his fifth grade teacher and was always kind to him. She never treated him like the poor kid form the wrong side on the tracks like he was.

“Mrs. Harper, Hi, it’s me Morrie James. Remember me?”

The elderly woman lifted her head which seemed too heavy for her spindly neck and stared at him for a long minute. Then she smiled. “Of course, I remember you Morrie. You were a sweet boy always bringing me apples from your family orchard. What are you doing way out here?”

“I’m selling toasters for the A to I Appliance Company. They have a great new model. I’ve sold three today.”

“How wonderful, Morrie, you must be a great salesman.”

Morrie felt the heat rising up his neck and into his cheeks. “Well, I think the difference today is I’ve got my good luck piece with me. With that he pulled the small stuffed horse out of his pocket dropping change all over the ground when he did.  He held it out. “See.”

“Artificial Intelligence in  toasters definitely not a good idea,” came a voice from deep inside the tiny equine toy. Followed by  raucous nickering.

Christine Howard