Awkward Kitchen Obsessed 3WW Prompt

Awkward
Kitchen
Obsessed

Etta and the Red Reacher

Purchased at Ace Hardware

Her faults were her bad cooking, (the kitchen was not her friend), her tendency to become obsessed with people or objects and her awkwardness. Etta was a person that could not walk and talk at the same time. She was grateful for any day that did not involve a spilled glass of milk and a broken plate. Growing older was, at least for her, a very good thing. The impulse to move fast was slowed by the ticking of the clock. The fact that she was unaware of any faults at all helped her be who she was. She would take her walk in the morning muttering happily to herself. She liked who and what she was just fine.

In the Waiting Room for Heaven RV/Trailer Park (WRHRVTP) she was but a child. Others moved much slower. Creeping, crawling, and in some cases time lapse exposure was needed to see any movement at all. Golf carts with Pendleton Blanket seat covers and motorized walkers zoomed at -1 mph around the park. She smiles at it all. Thankful, she told herself, thankful for the sunshine. Thankful for the laughter.

She had purchased a Red Reacher so she could pick things up off the floor or get things off the top shelf she told people. She also used it to pinch her husband and wave at the neighbors. The Red Reacher was one of the best new things she had purchased that year. A friend worked part time at Ace Hardware so she got it at 40% off. Never pay full price the neighbor said...he had been a furniture salesman in a former life so he knew about that sort of thing.

When the dance night came she was ready with her Red Reacher and her short skirt. RR had become indispensable for her and the neighbors began to think that she was obsessed with the multiple uses it could be put to. She was making a list: toilet paper reacher/tearer, top shelf grabber, cane, pincher, pointer, dance partner, page turner (she was far sited and lost her glasses) and last but not least kitchen timer.

Her husband was used to his lady's wonky behavior and never knew if she was just crazy or playing a huge joke on the world. He did know that she laughed into her pillow at night. But a kitchen timer? Even a loving husband occasionally has his doubts. So when she started out the door for the dance with her wonderful Red Reacher in her hand he knew that they were off on what might be an adventure.

When they walked in the door, the ancient ticket taker managed to look up far enough to see Etta standing with her Red Reacher extended, holding their tickets. (Ticket holder would need to be added to the list.) Walking to their table, awkwardly using the RR as a cane, they exchanged greetings with those acquaintances that had the courage to talk with them. Needless to say, Etta had managed to put a few people off. They were O.K. with the strange clothes, all their broken china and the awful food from her kitchen but the Red Reacher had the possibility of being the last straw.

They headed to their old table in the back of the room. It was then she saw Hugger approaching from across the dance floor. Hugger was on another list titled "People to Avoid". His hands were not suppose to go the places they seemed to go when he hugged her and she had been warning him off for years. She did not see her short skirts as an invitation to be hugged. She just thought she looked very very good for her age. Hugger thought she looked good too so he was a big problem in Etta's life. She could not keep him under control, he was single, he disregarded her husband's presence and he was really, really- well not as young as he used to be.

As he came closer she could feel her husband getting very tense. She knew the Red Reacher had found the best purpose of all. She reached out and pinching Hugger's nose. A wicked smile crossed her face as she looked at the next place she might pinch. The big Hug backed away in surprise. In order to save face and probably his nose, he turned to her husband. How about those Packers?? he squeaked through his pinched nose.

She put the Red Reacher away that night. She had danced with the it. Her husband included it in their tango. He had learned to loved it as much as she did. Her obsession with Red Reacher AND Hugger was over. They were having the most fun they had had in a long time.

She still hadn't worked the kitchen timer thing out yet but there was always tomorrow. She laughed into her pillow.

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