Writer's Cramp Entries

Desperate Measures

Prompt: You just discovered that your valuable ring must have fallen into the trash when you were loading the can. The garbage men came a few minutes ago. What do you do? Write a story or poem about your day.
Winning Entry 01/29/06
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I give a dreamy sigh and hold out my hand, turning it this way and that to make sure the light catches the object on my finger. I fight the urge to squeal in delight as the tiny diamond sparkles brilliantly, now knowing that Michael’s proposal hadn’t been a dream after all. I can still see it all clearly, he getting down on one knee in front of everyone at school, reaching out for my hand and saying those words I’ve longed to hear since we began dating six months ago.

“Amy, will you marry me?”

“Yes, oh yes I will!”

I give a small squeal of delight, feeling my face become hot at the memory of it all. I am the envy of all the other female teachers at the university. Who would have thought that Michael Anderson - that handsome, eligible bachelor for three years running - would settle down with a plain Jane like me? It’s almost too good to be true. I have to keep pinching myself to –

A sudden loud rumbling sound of a truck outside jerks me out of my daydream. Goodness! I have completely forgotten today’s garbage day! I don’t think I’ve even taken the bags outside! Jumping to my feet, I run like a madwoman around the house, making sure all the bags have been emptied out. I dash out and to the truck, which has almost passed my house on its way to the next street.

Just in time. Phew.

I clap my hands, grinning in satisfaction at a job well done, when I realize that something isn’t quite right. I stare at my hands, blinking stupidly, at them, for a moment. I can feel the first tingles of panic creeping up my spine and I have to fight the urge to scream in disbelief. My ring! My precious engagement ring is gone!

No! It can’t be! How could I have lost it already? I haven’t even had it for a week yet!

I begin my frantic search on my hands and knees, ignoring my neighbors who must assume I’ve gone mad since I seem to be sniffing the grass like a dog. After a few minutes of fruitless results, I run into the house to continue my desperate search. It’s not a big place and soon I’ve checked just about every empty garbage bin I have.

Nothing.

The garbage truck! I must have tossed it into one of the bags by mistake. I’m sure they’re not far from here. If I run I can catch up with them before it’s too late.

I slip into a pair of running shoes and before long; I’m pelting down the street as if the very hounds of hell are on my tail. Lucky for me, the truck is still stuck in the next sub-division and I manage to catch up.

Or not.

It starts to pull away and I begin to scream, waving my hands and yelling at the top of my lungs for them to stop. Don’t they understand?! My whole life is in that truck!

“Stop! Oh, please stop!” I bellow, now aware that even more people are now gawking at me and my early morning antics. But I couldn’t care less what they think. I’ve got to get my ring back even if it means wading through piles of trash.

The driver finally stops, perhaps wondering what a madwoman wants with him now. Panting and out of breath, I point towards the back of the large, dirty and stinky vehicle, trying to get my point across.

“Ring…trash…wedding…have to get it back…please…help me!”

“I think she’s trying to say she lost something in the trash,” the driver’s assistant says. “But gee, lady, there’s tons of bags in there. There’s no way we can go rummaging through…”

“I don’t care!” I growl, already peeling off my jacket to tie it around my nose and mouth. “That ring means a lot to me and I’m going to find it. Now help me toss these stuff out!”

“Hey lady! Watch it! You’re messing up the street! Hey, knock it off! Eeew…what’s that? Don’t splash it on me, lady! Jesus, we get to meet some crazy woman first thing in the morning!”

Thirty long minutes later, I trudge back to my house, dejected, miserable and as smelly as…well…a garbage disposal. I sit on the front steps and finally give in to my tears, wondering how I’m going to break the news to Michael. I can see him being so disappointed in me. If I’m this careless now, how’s he going to want to stay with a woman like me for the rest of his life?

“You’re finally back. Geez, what happened to you?”

I turn around quickly, eyes widening as I meet Michael’s worried but smiling visage. I open my mouth to explain to him, but I end up crying even harder. He pulls me into his arms, stinky body and all, and tries to comfort me. Finally, I tell him about the ring and how my carelessness had caused such a precious thing to disappear.

I hold my breath and wait for an angry outburst, but I’m surprised to find him chuckling as he holds up something to my face.

“You must have taken it off in the bathroom while getting the bags in there,” he says, ruffling my hair gently. “Silly and you went diving through garbage for nothing. Gross.”

Blushing furiously, it all comes back to me now. I had removed it and placed it in the bathroom cabinet, worried it would fall off and in my panic, I completely forgot about it.

“Now what do you say we get you to a shower, hmm?” he says, trying not to laugh as he removes a bubble gum wrapper from my hair and kisses me softly. “I think we’ve given the neighbors a good show for one day.”


Word Count: 985