Gary Crawford

“Uncle George, A Veteran” by Gary Crawford

Submitted to Contest #234

(Contains flashback episodes and violent memories from war) October 1999   Here comes someone. Wonder who it is? Probably wants something. No one ever comes by unless they want something.     I don’t know that car. Who is that? Oh, okay. That’s Steven, my sister’s grandson. Who’s that with him? Don’t know that guy.      Hello, Steven. What brings you way up here? Who’s your friend?    Hello, Barry. Nice to meet you too. What’s that? You’re a journalist? You mean a reporter, ...

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“Home Again” by Gary Crawford

Submitted to Contest #123

Home Again It’s been years since I stood on this stage. So many memories. We had our kindergarten graduation on this very stage. The city used to allow the schools and other civic groups to use the stage, as long as it didn’t interfere with the regular programs. Then we had a Christmas pageant here when I was in the third grade. I got to play an elf. My big break into the world of showbiz! We came here to see Mary Poppins when I was about eight. The place was full of noisy kids. Same with the matinees we went to, at least a thousand ki...

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“Christmas Party - The Day After” by Gary Crawford

Submitted to Contest #93

 Sometimes things don't go quite as planned... They finally left. His daughter, her husband, and their four rowdy kids were on their way to the other grandparents’ house. This year, the big Christmas dinner would be somewhere else. He quietly thanked the gods for this blessing. The kids, always thrilled about Christmas and receiving gifts of any kind (except clothes), had been less destructive this year. The two oldest, that he nicknamed Destructo and The Annihilator, had gone easy this year. So far, he had found only two crushed ...

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“They Weren't Pranking - They Were Serious!” by Gary Crawford

These companies weren’t pranking, and it wasn’t for April 1st. They were serious. A large soft drink company, number one in the industry for over a century, decided its well-loved tried-and-true product needed an update. It didn’t take long for their loyal customers to protest. There was nothing wrong with the old product. It was good enough to last all those years without any changes. With its tail between its legs, the company backed away from their “new and improved” product and went back to the old “classic” formula. And they hope...

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“The Park” by Gary Crawford

Submitted to Contest #85

THE PARK, by Gary S. Crawford Some of us stayed here through the highs and lows. It didn’t start out as a city. It was more of a settlement once the railroad extended down the shoreline. A small town, just like the other line of towns spawned by the growth of the railroad. But the founders of my town had better ideas. After all, a big town a few miles north, where the rail line had originally ended, was reaping the benefits of becoming a resort, with ocean beaches and lakes, numerous hotels, and even a horse race track. Nightlife, gambli...

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“In My Pocket” by Gary Crawford

Submitted to Contest #81

IN MY POCKET “Honey? What are you doing?” she asked her husband. “Oh, just putting back some of the knickknacks we took down when we painted the room. It looks so bare in here.” “Now you be careful. You aren’t a young man, you know.” “You keep reminding me of that. How could I ever forget?” he chuckled. “Look, we’ve lived a lot longer than most everyone we know. Let’s keep it that way, shall we?” “Yes, dear. Anything you say.” She shook her head, laughing, as she left the room. He looked at the boxes on the floor and the tab...

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“Santino Corleone Knows What He Saw” by Gary Crawford

Submitted to Contest #80

SANTINO CORLEONE KNOWS WHAT HE SAWLook, I know what I saw. I was only ten, I think, back then, but I saw him do it.I followed my father around a lot more than he knew I did. Mom thought I was just out with my friends in the neighborhood, which I was sometimes. We had our own little street gang. A bunch of us, ten or eleven years old, not really causing trouble. Small time, steal some fruit when the guy wasn’t looking, stuff like that.My father was working with Sal Tessio and Pete Clemenza, guys he met in the neighborhood some years before. T...

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“Uncle George, A Veteran” by Gary Crawford

Submitted to Contest #80

Uncle George, a Veteran October 1999   Here comes someone. Wonder who it is? Probably wants something. No one ever comes by unless they want something.     I don’t know that car. Who is that? Oh, okay. That’s Steven, my sister’s grandson. Who’s that with him? Don’t know that guy.     Hello, Steven. What brings you way up here? Who’s your friend?   Hello, Barry. Nice to meet you too. What’s that? You’re a journalist? You mean a reporter, right? That’s what I thought.    H...

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“A Resolution Kept” by Gary Crawford

Submitted to Contest #25

He started smoking in his teens. To be cool, just like his friends.The habit continued for his whole life. Here and there he tried to quit, or cut back, but never quite stopped. When the price of cigarettes went through the roof, he switched to those little filtered cigars. You could get two packs for the same price as a single pack of cigarettes. The cigars smelled worse, as did his clothes, his car, and everything else, but they provided the nicotine satisfaction he craved. Not even a month after his fiftieth birthday, he awoke one morning...

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“The Day After” by Gary Crawford

The day after Christmas and look at this place,I’m sitting here crying, tears on my face.I invited the gang, I thought they were nice,The only thing left is this half bowl of ice.They drank all my booze and ate all my food,And left such a mess, I’m in such a foul mood.I cooked and I cooked, and they still wanted more,It wasn’t even ready and they broke down my door.Feed us, they yelled, give us the eats,They ate all the food, the cakes, and the treats.They drank beer and wine and vodka and gin,See if I ever have a party again.Before I knew i...

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