The Passenger

I had a job renting row-boats on Stowe Lake. It wasn't too tough; hand out life-preservers. Every third person you’d have to explain, “Hold it, there, Champ, you got that on backwards.”

There was a jungle-like Island on the lake which blasted out monkey-jabber in vivid Dolby Sound.

One Sunday a little girl holding hands with her nanny walked up.

“Young man,” said the nanny, “do you work here?”

“I certainly do, madam,” I said, trying to avoid looking at Chuck for fear we'd bust-up. We were pretty baked and I was talking all formal-like.

“I would ask you to take this little girl out for a row upon your lovely lake,” She handed me a twenty.

The little girl just stood there blinking at me.

I decided for twenty, I’d row her around my lovely lake, no problemo.

We weren’t gone five minutes when she piped up, “Why don’t you have to wear one of these horrible little things?” she had an English accent.

Before I could answer she stood up and threw her horrible little life-preserver overboard.

“Hey, kid—sit down for christ-sake!”

"You obviously don't know who I am"

“Any relation to Little Lord Fauntleroy? "

“Cousins,” she said and waited for me to do something about it.

If I hurried, this would take ten minutes.

“I wish to return,” she informed me.

“Yeah, well we’re going around the Island first.” I rowed even harder.

“I will leap from this boat!”

“Look Duchess, shut the fuck up, will ya please?”

“Don’t evah speak to me agane!” she said and folded her arms looking elsewhere.

When we got back I was going to make a hasty exit, but she told her nanny that she’d had a "delightful time!"

Leaving, she wiggled her fingers at me. I wiggled mine back...

-300 Words-