laughtermech
TMF Expert
- Joined
- Apr 28, 2018
- Messages
- 457
- Points
- 18
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Excerpt below: (also available at https://thelaughtermechanic.wordpre...fantasy-short-story-based-on-real-events-m-f/)
Chapter 1
‘Mary, so sorry to bother you, I know you’re swamped, but I must know. Are you maybe almost done fixing my piano? It’s been 3 weeks now and I haven’t heard back from you. Everything coming along ok?!’, John asked Mary, his svelt piano technician and owner of ‘Laughing Pianos’ over the phone.
Mary looked beautiful, well-kept, yet a little frazzled with her dark hair flowing all around her gentle shoulders, and her large, expressive, dark eyes sectioned off from the lower part of her face by a VanGough ‘Starry Night’ COVID mask. ‘Oh John, I’m so sorry. It’s been SO busy and I haven’t had a chance to get to your instrument these past few weeks. Again, so sorry!’, Mary lamented.
‘It’s OK, Mary, no worries. I just wanted to check in. I know with all the wildfires and COVID dragging on as it has, it’s been a crazy time for you. Is there maybe anything I can do to help speed things along?! I was hoping to maybe be able to play a gig at the hospital this weekend. You know, for those COVID patients I’ve been playing for sometimes?
‘Gosh, I’m so sorry, John. I know. I know you do that very nice thing down at the hospital. Thank you for doing that! I know you love this piano. Let me think for a second.’ Mary put her head down and concentrated.
John fidgeted a moment looking as if he’d asked the impossible of Mary and would need to send her flowers knowing how much stress she was under with all her orders.
‘Well, there is one thing you could do that might help me. It’s a little strangely outside ‘the norm’ if you will. I’m not sure you’d have the time, but I am just a one woman operation and this one thing could speed things up in terms of diagnosing your issues.’
‘Sure. Of course. Whatever it takes. I’m willing to help. What is it?!’
‘Well, it involves you playing the piano while I place my barefeet on the back of the piano.’
‘Okaaaaaayyyyy.’, John drolls out the ‘Y’ incredulously and with a look of ‘Are you OK, Mary?!’
‘I know. It’s weird. It gets weirder. Not only do I need you to play while I put my barefeet on the back of the piano, I need you to play hard; bang on the keys when I tell you to.’
John does another ‘Okaaaaaayyyy’ droll out.
Mary smiles. ‘Annnnnd, it gets even weirder. While you’re playing, you’re going to actually be tickling my feet and I’m going to be laughing uncontrollably.’
‘Alright, yep, this is weird.’, John capitulates.
‘It’s OK. We don’t have to do this. I can ask my friend, Katie. She’s usually the one I use for this technique, but she’s on matenity leave right now, but she did say I could call her if I’m in a bind.’
‘So, I play my defunct piano, I tickle your feet, and you can diagnose my piano problem?!’
‘Yep, that’s it. I call it ‘tickle detection’. For some reason, and I can’t explain why, when those sound vibrations go through my barefeet and tickle me, I’m somehow able to ‘see’ inside the piano and diagnose where the issues are. It’s bizarre.’
‘Wow! That is bizarre. But hey! Whatever works right?! I’ve got some time this afternoon if you do?’, John leans in and tries to hurry the chances of getting his prized possession back.
‘Um, sure. Three o’clock, OK?’
‘I’ll be there. Ready to tickle your ivories!’, John chuckles at his own double entendre.
Mary chuckles back, ‘See you at three!’ C
Click.
End of excerpt...
Thanks for reading all the way to the end, and thanks for considering supporting my work.
Have a great Sunday all you beautiful tickle-philes out there!
TLM
Excerpt below: (also available at https://thelaughtermechanic.wordpre...fantasy-short-story-based-on-real-events-m-f/)
Chapter 1
‘Mary, so sorry to bother you, I know you’re swamped, but I must know. Are you maybe almost done fixing my piano? It’s been 3 weeks now and I haven’t heard back from you. Everything coming along ok?!’, John asked Mary, his svelt piano technician and owner of ‘Laughing Pianos’ over the phone.
Mary looked beautiful, well-kept, yet a little frazzled with her dark hair flowing all around her gentle shoulders, and her large, expressive, dark eyes sectioned off from the lower part of her face by a VanGough ‘Starry Night’ COVID mask. ‘Oh John, I’m so sorry. It’s been SO busy and I haven’t had a chance to get to your instrument these past few weeks. Again, so sorry!’, Mary lamented.
‘It’s OK, Mary, no worries. I just wanted to check in. I know with all the wildfires and COVID dragging on as it has, it’s been a crazy time for you. Is there maybe anything I can do to help speed things along?! I was hoping to maybe be able to play a gig at the hospital this weekend. You know, for those COVID patients I’ve been playing for sometimes?
‘Gosh, I’m so sorry, John. I know. I know you do that very nice thing down at the hospital. Thank you for doing that! I know you love this piano. Let me think for a second.’ Mary put her head down and concentrated.
John fidgeted a moment looking as if he’d asked the impossible of Mary and would need to send her flowers knowing how much stress she was under with all her orders.
‘Well, there is one thing you could do that might help me. It’s a little strangely outside ‘the norm’ if you will. I’m not sure you’d have the time, but I am just a one woman operation and this one thing could speed things up in terms of diagnosing your issues.’
‘Sure. Of course. Whatever it takes. I’m willing to help. What is it?!’
‘Well, it involves you playing the piano while I place my barefeet on the back of the piano.’
‘Okaaaaaayyyyy.’, John drolls out the ‘Y’ incredulously and with a look of ‘Are you OK, Mary?!’
‘I know. It’s weird. It gets weirder. Not only do I need you to play while I put my barefeet on the back of the piano, I need you to play hard; bang on the keys when I tell you to.’
John does another ‘Okaaaaaayyyy’ droll out.
Mary smiles. ‘Annnnnd, it gets even weirder. While you’re playing, you’re going to actually be tickling my feet and I’m going to be laughing uncontrollably.’
‘Alright, yep, this is weird.’, John capitulates.
‘It’s OK. We don’t have to do this. I can ask my friend, Katie. She’s usually the one I use for this technique, but she’s on matenity leave right now, but she did say I could call her if I’m in a bind.’
‘So, I play my defunct piano, I tickle your feet, and you can diagnose my piano problem?!’
‘Yep, that’s it. I call it ‘tickle detection’. For some reason, and I can’t explain why, when those sound vibrations go through my barefeet and tickle me, I’m somehow able to ‘see’ inside the piano and diagnose where the issues are. It’s bizarre.’
‘Wow! That is bizarre. But hey! Whatever works right?! I’ve got some time this afternoon if you do?’, John leans in and tries to hurry the chances of getting his prized possession back.
‘Um, sure. Three o’clock, OK?’
‘I’ll be there. Ready to tickle your ivories!’, John chuckles at his own double entendre.
Mary chuckles back, ‘See you at three!’ C
Click.
End of excerpt...
Thanks for reading all the way to the end, and thanks for considering supporting my work.
Have a great Sunday all you beautiful tickle-philes out there!
TLM
