gee, thanks
"Wow," I said, "I knew you would be overly thankful that I looked after your place while you were gone, but this?!" I waved the bag of sloppy mush at my neighbor.
She laughed and went inside. Sure, it hadn't been a big deal to pick up the mail and keep an eye on the place for a week, but I had expected to get something a little higher quality than mush-thanks. I threw the bag in the trash.
I went inside too and flipped on the TV for background noise while I made dinner. A small piece of smoked salmon with pasta and a beer or two later, I'd forgotten all about her and her mushy thanks.
The next morning as I got ready for work, I heard a loud clang in my thanks-tube. I went to check it out - a huge diamond! What!? I hadn't been talking to anyone, so who could it be from?
My first thought was that it was my rude neighbor, maybe something important in the mail? I called her up.
"Was it you? What did I do that was so great?"
"What are you talking about?" she said "I gave you your duly earned thanks yesterday, don't you remember?" she cackled.
"Fine, whatever, have a nice day!" I hung up the phone before she could thank me. I thought hard, the last few days had been pretty mundane, nothing out of the ordinary. I shrugged and went to work, holding tight to the diamond in my pocket.
Late to the office I had to wait til lunchtime to ask around. No one seemed to know anything about my known or unknown good deeds.
Worked late, got home late, it was dark when I pulled up. On the way to my door, a man stepped out the shadows startling me.
"I'm sorry ma'am, didn't mean to scare you. Detective Derrick, MPD"
"Yes, officer, what can I do for you?"
"I just wanted to let you know that because you kept such a watchful eye on your neighbr's house this weekend, a crime was prevented."
"Well, that's great! That must be what my thanks was for. Who was it? What was going to happen?"
"I'm afraid that story will have to wait to another day. Have a good night!" And he left.
She laughed and went inside. Sure, it hadn't been a big deal to pick up the mail and keep an eye on the place for a week, but I had expected to get something a little higher quality than mush-thanks. I threw the bag in the trash.
I went inside too and flipped on the TV for background noise while I made dinner. A small piece of smoked salmon with pasta and a beer or two later, I'd forgotten all about her and her mushy thanks.
The next morning as I got ready for work, I heard a loud clang in my thanks-tube. I went to check it out - a huge diamond! What!? I hadn't been talking to anyone, so who could it be from?
My first thought was that it was my rude neighbor, maybe something important in the mail? I called her up.
"Was it you? What did I do that was so great?"
"What are you talking about?" she said "I gave you your duly earned thanks yesterday, don't you remember?" she cackled.
"Fine, whatever, have a nice day!" I hung up the phone before she could thank me. I thought hard, the last few days had been pretty mundane, nothing out of the ordinary. I shrugged and went to work, holding tight to the diamond in my pocket.
Late to the office I had to wait til lunchtime to ask around. No one seemed to know anything about my known or unknown good deeds.
Worked late, got home late, it was dark when I pulled up. On the way to my door, a man stepped out the shadows startling me.
"I'm sorry ma'am, didn't mean to scare you. Detective Derrick, MPD"
"Yes, officer, what can I do for you?"
"I just wanted to let you know that because you kept such a watchful eye on your neighbr's house this weekend, a crime was prevented."
"Well, that's great! That must be what my thanks was for. Who was it? What was going to happen?"
"I'm afraid that story will have to wait to another day. Have a good night!" And he left.