SeaGoat Writing Club, 02/19/2015
It’s all about smells … Speed Stick Fresh Deodorant, blindfolds and tequila, and a letter from a secret admirer.
Exercise One
PUSH A POWERFUL SCENT MEMORY OF MY CHOOSING INTO A SCENE; SPEED STICK FRESH DEODORANT
The thick and almost musty smell of fresh cut grass sent Jim’s immune system into a tizzy, and his body quickly replied with a sneezing fit. He struggled to get the words out through the fluids rapidly filling the front of his head … “Dude … When are you going to be done over here?”
Andy gestured without saying anything. Jim could tell he was pissed about having to work right now, and had clearly blown this off and gotten yelled at by his parents. He never mowed when he was supposed to. Jim couldn’t understand how Andy could be so lackadaisical with work. He was in trouble every single week … all summer long. It was exhausting to watch.
Jim stood there for five minutes while Andy finished guiding the eight foot self propelled lawn mower from his fathers landscaping business over the remaining center of uncut grass … “See, that wasn’t so bad.” Jim smirked as Andy glared at him.
An hour later, they had both showered. “Dude, do you think Chelsea is home yet,” Jim muttered sheepishly. He was always the first one to bring it up, even though they were both in love with her.
“I don’t know. man, you’re the stalker.”
“So are you … I mean … Look, neither of us are stalkers.”
Andy removed the cap from his deodorant and slugged some under both arms. Despite still being congested from earlier, and despite a steaming shower, Jim instantly recognized the smell of Speed Stick Fresh. It was aptly named and his sense of smell danced to it, a bit like the feeling after taking a bite of surprisingly spicy food.
Jim had smelled that that deodorant a hundred times before … every time they’d hung out … summer after summer … but what he didn’t know … what he couldn’t have … was that smell … thick, strong, refreshing … would capture his mind, his childhood, his summer time.
Exercise Two
WE TOOK TURNS BLINDFOLDING EACH OTHER AND THEN OUR DESIGNATED PARTNER CHOSE FROM A SELECTION OF SCENTS TO HOLD UP FOR THE BLINDFOLDEE TO SMELL. OUR STORIES WERE INSPIRED BY OUR SCENTED GUESSES. MINE WERE ORANGE ESSENCE, NAIL POLISH REMOVER (ACTUALLY TEQUILA), & CINNAMON.
She couldn’t hold still.
It’d been raining all day long.
The wind was gusting and the house felt chilly.
It was her sixteenth lap around. She was counting. “Kitchen … den … hallway … dining room … seventeen … kitchen … den … hallway … dining room … eighteen … kitchen … den … hallway .. dining room …” She ran into mother and mother had just made coffee. Cinnamon was her flavor of choice. The small but heavy glass bottle fell to the floor. “Niiiinneeeteen,” she said timidly.
Back at it she went. “Kitchen … den … hallway …. dining room … twenty.” She screamed triumphantly, but not at the count. The rain had stopped. The sun was already out. She ran outside and screamed again. This time louder … “PORCH!!”
Mother swept the floor and was careful not to bump her nails. The scent of solvent was strong. It was diffusing through the room. The nail polish remover was open.
The screen door slammed closed.
She came running back in.
“Hallway … den … kitchen … “ She’d reversed her direction. “Twenty one ………. oops.” The nail polish remover fell to the floor. Mother smirked. Wind rushed past. The smell was overwhelming but soothing. Mother didn’t mind. Nor did she. She was reminded of fresh juice … and father. Father loved orange juice. He picked oranges every day in the spring.
Father’d be home soon, she thought.
But, he wouldn’t be. Not today. Not in this storm.
Exercise Three
WRITE A LETTER FROM A SECRET ADMIRER.
Hello Jen,
I just wanted to say hi. We’ve never officially met, but I’ve seen you around and I think you’re super cute. You have a great energy in your step, and I love how you are always smiling. I wish I could smile that much. I’ve said hi to you a few times, and you’ve always been super friendly. Thanks! That’s really nice of you. I admire people who can share that kind of enthusiasm with others. I wish I were that friendly. Maybe you can teach me!
I see you almost every day. Well … I see you every day, if I’m being honest, and it always cheers me up. I love all your dresses and I think the one you tried on at Julia’s Butterfly Accessories yesterday was a perfect fit for your personality. It’s odd, though, that you always wear sneakers. Are you afraid you’ll have to run away from someone?
Haha ~ JK!!
I want to give you a pair of black heels to go with the pencil skirts you wear on Wednesdays. Would you like that? Would you wear them?
Sometimes we walk together. It’s usually sunny, but sometimes it gets dark. We’re not usually out together that long, but sometimes you just seem to get lost in thought and we walk together for hours. You know … you really shouldn’t stay out alone past dark in the city. It’s a good thing I’m keeping an eye out for you.
Well, I hope you have a great night. Sleep well. Perhaps we’ll hang out again soon.
