A Very Short Story

Here's a sneak preview of a story I wrote for my friend KC's monthly coffee newsletter, Concrete News. It'll show up in print in a month or two. I was given a maximum of 100 words for the "Writer's Block" section. I've cheated a little, at 101. If you see a word that can be subtracted, let me know.

Abe and Mrs. Hogg

Abraham Vigoda was nine. His teachers found his name hilarious because of some old actor or whatever. Abe’s family didn't have a TV. It wasn’t funny to him.

Once appointed superintendent of the school board, Abe closed Hemlock Elementary. The ex-teachers hated his guts.

Except one day Sobey’s cashier Mrs. Hogg called him her star pupil. Abe was surprised, then remembered her not laughing at him.

His wife didn’t understand the story's full import. How could she? They watched their kid eat the custard things Abe bought.

After she died, Abe realized Mrs. Hogg must not have had a TV either.