A Last Minute Surprise - A Short Story to Celebrate Mother’s Day

Just like this short story, in the last minute, a father and son ponder what hardship they might face if they fail to come up with a Mother's Day present in the wee hours of the morning.

*****

A Last Minute Surprise

“We’re doomed, son,” the father said. “It’s one in the morning and we’ve nothing for mom!”

“What’s mom’s favourite?” asked the five-year-old son, trying to rub the sleep away from his eyes.

“She has a lot of favourites but they are all unreachable at this time of the day.”

“Why did you wait till this time of the day, Dad?”

An innocent question that brought silence into the night. The father was speechless.

“Well, I suppose we can give her some money,” the father continued several minutes later.

“Does Mom love money?”

“I suppose money is everyone’s object of affection.”

“I don’t. In my cartoons, all the bad guys always go for money but they always end up getting caught or killed.”

“Killed?! They kill people in cartoons?”

“Yes. Sometimes with guns, sometimes with swords, you know, basically anything can kill,” the precocious child replied.

The father covered his face with his hands and sighed. When he recovered, his son had disappeared.

“Dad, I’ve got an idea. Why not you give me some money and I can put them together into a heart like this,” the son returned, holding a large A3-sized board with what appeared to be an origami heart in the middle. “I just need like ten pieces and-“

“That’s brilliant!” the father cut his son off and ran into his room to retrieve ten pieces of hundred dollar bills.



When the mother woke up, she was pleasantly surprised to find her husband had brought breakfast to the bed. A hearty meal of toast, sunny-side-up eggs, sausages and a muffin sat on a tray at the end of the bed.

“Well, that’s very sweet honey. A kiss is in order.”

“Do you think that’s all? Come on, son!” the father beckoned the kid.

The son entered with a large card with “Happy Mother’s Day” scribbled on it. At the centre of it all was the heart made of hundred dollar bills. He handed it to his mother who was beaming with pleasure.

“Well, darling, that’s very... creative of you. The heart looks like it’s made with real money. Hahaha!”

“They are! Dad gave ten of them to me. I cut them into pieces before I glued them up to form a heart.”

-End-

More of the Same - A Short Story

For some, too long a break may not be a good thing. Here's a short story inspired by such thoughts. This is about a series of self-centred characters that revolve around an equally selfish young man who thinks he is the centre of the universe. This problem is more common than we know, living inside every one of us.

*****

More of the Same

“Victor, could you bring the butter from the fridge?” mom asked, not so much a question but more of a polite demand.

“Sure, mom,” he was about to protest but knew better, especially at the start of the day.

Besides, the fridge often held delightful desserts. There, calling out to him was a slice of moist chocolate cake. Before Victor could reach for it, his father appeared next to him.

“Hi, son. After breakfast, I need your help with some carpentry works. I’m building a new shelf.”

"While you’re at it, don't forget to water the plants, dear," mom called out from the dining room. "Oh! By the way, before you go out, please bring the clothes out to dry. They are in the washing machine now. The cycle will finish by the time you've eaten breakfast."

Exasperated, Victor sat down and stared at his breakfast. French toast, grilled sausages and scrambled eggs were his favourites but they did not look so appealing that morning.

How could they do this to me? Can't they just leave me at peace to enjoy my holiday? I've got it all planned! I'm going to hang out with my buddies in the day, catch up on the latest movies and stream my favourite series! I've got so much to do!

He always welcomed the weekends, especially those with festive holidays that extend his off days. This time around, he did not need to return to work until Wednesday, but he was no longer sure if he was going to enjoy himself given the circumstances. He was still going through the stressful chores in his head when his mother interrupted him.

"Good news, sweetie. We're both going shopping at the mall tomorrow. You need new clothes and underwear... and you're going to help me carry some stuff," mom smiled, much more thrilled than her son.

"Mom! I'm already twenty-two! I can buy my own things. Why can't dad help you with your shopping?" Victor complained and turned to his father for help.

Dad just shrugged and gave him a warm smile with a wink before carrying his empty plates to the kitchen.

"Oh, by the way, Victor, on Monday, I’d need you to send the car to the mechanic. On Tuesday..."


And so all four days of the extended weekend came and went just like that. On the last night, Victor let out a sigh of relief just before he went to sleep. Tomorrow is going to be a better day.


Wednesday morning, at last! That was the first thing that came to Victor’s mind when the cobwebs cleared. He reached out and turned off the alarm on his smartphone. He rushed into the washroom to complete his morning routine, dressed, and ran off to work. Best he skipped breakfast lest there be more chores in store. The thought of the freedom from his house chores invigorated him. His office tower suddenly became a welcoming sight.

“Good morning, Victor,” a smile crossed his boss’ face.

“Good morning, sir.”

As Victor turned to walk to his desk, his boss said, “Hey, could you run over to the pantry and make us some coffee?”

“Sure, boss.” Victor hates coffee but he knew better than to deny his boss this early in the morning. Besides, if he was lucky the occasional cookies could be waiting for him.

Before Victor could head towards the pantry, his senior colleague asked him to detour to finance to get some financial statements whilst on the way back.

By the time Victor sat down at his place, a good half an hour had passed. Just as he was about to turn on his laptop, his boss’ wife tapped him on the shoulder.

“Hey kid, go pick up my dry cleaning and pack some sandwiches for your boss and me. It’s going to be a long day.”

Victor’s head began to hurt. How could they treat me like an errand boy? I’m a graduate! Did the lady boss not hear of delivery services?

This could not be worse than my last four days, could it?


-End-