With apologies to Stephen King for the title.
Another fiction prompt from my good friend, Jolene.
Here are your story line (+ can’t kill MC):
- Person who has broken something that cannot be replaced
- Person in professional disgrace
- Aquarium
- Forget to pass along the information
Gerald Hailstone had the necessary paperwork. What he didn’t have, as it turned out, was authorization to share that paperwork.
An oversight. Obviously.
The aquarium’s plastic treasure chest buried in the bright blue gravel at the bottle of the tank a burbled open and issued forth a distracting bubble. Gerald watch it shimmy and rise to pop at the water’s surface. He quite enjoyed watching it happen. As time went on, however, the treasure chest opened up less frequently than it had any right to. It was a bother.
Bllllllluuurrororurp.
The fish within the aquarium seemed less enthused by each event than Gerald, but each time a bubble rose, it made everything about coming into the office worth doing.
“I’m sorry, Gerry,” said Ernie Funk, a man who was ever anything but sorry. He had made it his business to be not sorry for any reason, under any circumstance.
“I’m sorry,” he repeated. “But I cannot hire some to repair the tank’s, erm, bubblication thingy. According to the official record for this office space,” he held up a brown accordion folder that looked ready to explode, “this office space is not zoned for an aquarium. It is zoned for precisely two desks. Not one desk and an aquarium.”
He slammed the folder on Gerald’s desk. “And if it is designated to house two desks, than that is not an aquarium. That, sir… is a desk.”
Bluurrrrruuup.
“Someone authorized the change,” offered Gerald, trying to be helpful.
“I have already said that there is no evidence of this in the official record. Do you have proof?”
Gerald put on his biggest friendliest smile. He had been waiting all morning for this.
He slid the authorization towards Ernie, whose eyes grew wise as he quickly scanned the document for something Gerald knew it did not contain.
Ernie’s hand went to his eyes right away and covered them. “Where’s the stamp? I didn’t see a stamp.”
Blurrrururururp.
Gerald shrugged. “It didn’t come with one. I think someone forgot to stamp it.”
Ernie glared at him, making a point of not looking at the document on the desk.
“Are you trying to get me fired, Gerry? I mean, really?”
“Of course not, Ern. I just tho—”
“I am not authorized to view that document, Gerry. There is no stamp giving me that authorization. You don’t have the appropriate authorization to be looking at that document.”
“But all it says is that someone decided the space needed an aquarium…”
“It’s a second desk, Gerald.”
“… an aquarium in a space containing a single work desk.”
“I wonder if they’ll fire me for hearing the contents of a document that I haven’t been authorized to—”
Byurrrrururrrrp.
“Relax, Ernie. I’m sure the authorization is on it’s—”
“I’ll be fired in disgrace! I can’t believe this. Perhaps I should—”
“Listen, Ernie… Can I just have some petty funds. Say twenty dollars? The ‘desk’ has a ‘wobbly leg’ that I could repair for about twenty dollars. I just want to fix the leg.”
Ernie pondered that.
“I’m authorized to reimburse you for minor repairs.”
Bllurr ur urr rrrrp.
He stepped back, afraid of being too close to the document on Gerald’s desk.
“I’ll get that now,” said backing out the door and turning up the hallway. Then he leaned back.
“While I do that, you should clean up the space. That other desk seems to have a wet odor and there is… ahem… paperwork scattered about.”
“Sure, Ernie. I’ll take care of that.”
“Right.” Then Ernie was gone.
Gerald slipped the offending document into the desk, for the next time it might come in useful to encourage office improvements.
With twenty dollars, he might have enough left over after replacing the treasure chest to purchase the mermaid Gerald had been eyeing at the pet store for the past two weeks.
He watched the fish, their mouths opening and closing slowly.
Blubububububrp.
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