Myshuno Prompt: First time with electricity in the house
Name: They’ve Got the Power
Characters: Jefferson, Marsha, James, Cindy, Nicky
Rating: Everyone
Summary: The novelty of the first electric light in Bradford home
Notes: Canon. This will not be appearing in any future chapter, so consider this an outtake.
Word Count: 523
My Card
The wire stretched from the turn key by the kitchen door up the wall and across the ceiling to a porcelain rosette screwed directly into the plaster. From that hung yet more wire, and from that wire, a single bulb. The entire family was gathered, staring at the bulb like it was it was an object from another world.
“Is it really going to light up the kitchen, Papa?” Nicky asked, awe in his voice.
“Supposedly,” James replied, his hand hovering over the turn key. “Should I do it?”
Marsha’s face looked worried. “Are you certain that it’s not going to set the house on fire?”
“Marsha, dear, the Gavigans have had electric lights for ages, and their house is fine,” Jefferson said. “Go ahead and turn it on, son.”
James grinned like a small child, and turned the key. The kitchen was suddenly filled with a warm glow as the bulb light up.
“Oh, it’s so pretty,” Cindy said. “Like a little sun inside a glass ball.”
“Neat!” Nicky cried. “Do it again, Papa!”
James laughed as he turned the light on and off several times, marveling as it alternated between lighting the room and plunging it into the semi-darkness of early evening.
“I can’t believe I lived to see the day we have electric lights in this old place,” Jefferson marveled.
“It is great progress,” Marsha admitted. “Think about how much we’ll save on gas now.”
“Can I have one in my room, Papa?” Nicky asked, pulling at the hand that wasn’t on the turn key.
“Soon, Nicky. But we can only run so many lights at one time, and we decided the kitchen, dining room, and parlor would get them first. We don’t want to be responsible for blowing the circuit in Simsfield, now do we?”
“What would happen if we did?” Nicky asked, his voice full of curiosity.
James knelt down in front of his son. “It means that no one in town would have any electricity at all.”
Nicky’s eyes grew wide.
“So no one can have too many lights until the finish putting the rest of the electric lines up. Once they’re done, we’ll have the whole house wired for electric lights.”
“And then I can turn them on and off by myself instead of getting you or Mama or Grandpa or Grandma to do it for me!”
“Exactly, little man,” James said, rubbing the messy blond hair on his son’s head. “Now, do you want to practice doing it now?”
“Do I!” Nicky exclaimed. “I can’t reach though.”
“I’ll fix that,” James said, grabbing him under the arms and lifting him up to the turn key.
Nicky reached his hand out and began to turn the key, causing the light to go on and off. When the light was back on, he turned his head to look his father in the face.
“What else can we do with electricity? This is fun!”
“Well, they’re working on how to run other things on it, so I imagine we’ll have some other stuff before long.”
Nicky’s smile grew wider. “I can’t wait to see what they come up with!”
Characters: Jefferson, Marsha, James, Cindy, Nicky
Rating: Everyone
Summary: The novelty of the first electric light in Bradford home
Notes: Canon. This will not be appearing in any future chapter, so consider this an outtake.
Word Count: 523
My Card
The wire stretched from the turn key by the kitchen door up the wall and across the ceiling to a porcelain rosette screwed directly into the plaster. From that hung yet more wire, and from that wire, a single bulb. The entire family was gathered, staring at the bulb like it was it was an object from another world.
“Is it really going to light up the kitchen, Papa?” Nicky asked, awe in his voice.
“Supposedly,” James replied, his hand hovering over the turn key. “Should I do it?”
Marsha’s face looked worried. “Are you certain that it’s not going to set the house on fire?”
“Marsha, dear, the Gavigans have had electric lights for ages, and their house is fine,” Jefferson said. “Go ahead and turn it on, son.”
James grinned like a small child, and turned the key. The kitchen was suddenly filled with a warm glow as the bulb light up.
“Oh, it’s so pretty,” Cindy said. “Like a little sun inside a glass ball.”
“Neat!” Nicky cried. “Do it again, Papa!”
James laughed as he turned the light on and off several times, marveling as it alternated between lighting the room and plunging it into the semi-darkness of early evening.
“I can’t believe I lived to see the day we have electric lights in this old place,” Jefferson marveled.
“It is great progress,” Marsha admitted. “Think about how much we’ll save on gas now.”
“Can I have one in my room, Papa?” Nicky asked, pulling at the hand that wasn’t on the turn key.
“Soon, Nicky. But we can only run so many lights at one time, and we decided the kitchen, dining room, and parlor would get them first. We don’t want to be responsible for blowing the circuit in Simsfield, now do we?”
“What would happen if we did?” Nicky asked, his voice full of curiosity.
James knelt down in front of his son. “It means that no one in town would have any electricity at all.”
Nicky’s eyes grew wide.
“So no one can have too many lights until the finish putting the rest of the electric lines up. Once they’re done, we’ll have the whole house wired for electric lights.”
“And then I can turn them on and off by myself instead of getting you or Mama or Grandpa or Grandma to do it for me!”
“Exactly, little man,” James said, rubbing the messy blond hair on his son’s head. “Now, do you want to practice doing it now?”
“Do I!” Nicky exclaimed. “I can’t reach though.”
“I’ll fix that,” James said, grabbing him under the arms and lifting him up to the turn key.
Nicky reached his hand out and began to turn the key, causing the light to go on and off. When the light was back on, he turned his head to look his father in the face.
“What else can we do with electricity? This is fun!”
“Well, they’re working on how to run other things on it, so I imagine we’ll have some other stuff before long.”
Nicky’s smile grew wider. “I can’t wait to see what they come up with!”