Six Sentence Sunday is open to all writers. Just pick a six sentence passage from anything you’ve written—published, unpublished, whatever—and post it on your blog on Sunday.
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Another bit from my drawer novel—after this, we’ll get back to actual plot, I think.
You know, some people actually do hate paying fines this much . . .
“She’s the one who threw that thing out there, not me!” said Nicky’s mother, pointing at me.
“You would have preferred to have your son splattered all over our walls?” asked Frieda.
“You should have caught him sooner!” said the woman, flushing a dull red.
“We aren’t babysitters, and we aren’t responsible for watching your children while you’re glued to a workstation—you are responsible for the actions of your child and for the replacement cost of that book.
“If you refuse payment, the Department of Children’s Services will be contacted and you’ll be charged with child endangerment,” she added, with a raised eyebrow. “I’m sure it will make a nice addition to the file they no doubt already have on your happy little family unit.”
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Previous Installments:
First ♦ Second ♦ Third ♦ Fourth ♦ Fifth ♦ Sixth ♦ Seventh ♦ Eighth
Earful of Cider 
Okay, I had to go back and read a bit to see what this was all about. The sign of a good plot!
Or the sign that six sentences is a really small amount of text . . . But thanks, Downith!
I don’t care what world, or time, you’re in, there will always be people who blame others for their own shortcomings!
Except for the exploding book part, this is very close to an exchange that took place with a parent who didn’t realize that her three-year old had climbed the stairs to the non-fiction section and headed straight for the, ah, marital manuals.
She was very upset when she found him holding a ripped page from one of them. So were we.
Isn’t there any way you could insert a teeny tiny little inappropriate word in that exchange? I’m on a cursing binge lately. I love listening to a (usually upright) citizen just let it all hang out.
About two sentences before this one, the mother calls Nicky a little shi—bad boy. but I couldn’t fit it in if I wanted all of Frieda’s speech!
Oh, I want to know the rest of the story that the last line reveals. Great six! 🙂
Thanks, Jessica—I feel the way way about your passage this week!
I’m still giddy over the exploding book! I love that. 🙂
There’s a line somewhere about “Archival Quality explosives.” 😀
Gah, so typical of a me-generation Mom, good job! I wanted to slap her. Love the comeback 🙂
Seriously. You know, it’s probably a good thing that librarians aren’t armed . . .
That’s what makes this snippet so good–the fact that you know and have definitely encountered people, even mothers, who will not take responsibility for their own actions. To the extreme. Sadly, we don’t always have a card like Frieda to “encourage” people to pay what they owe, whatever it may be. And I love that she called it a family “unit.” Little details like work for the world so well.
Thanks, Lisa. I wonder who showed me the importance of details? 😉
I love the last verbal volley! This whole snippet is more real than fiction, I think, LOL! Great six!
Except for the splattering part, I hope! Thanks! 🙂
Well. I’m remembering this. Don’t f#$! with the librarian.
P.S. I paid my .75 fee yesterday for the late return of Coraline.
That’s what we like to hear! 🙂
This is why I only write at the library. I’m terrified to face the librarians if I forget to return something. And now that I see your inner darkness, I feel completely justified.
Fear Not, Averil! For you are under our protection!
Seriously, we hardly ever execute people anymore . . .
Okay, how many times have you wanted to call DCFS on a patron? Hehehehe…
This is a great story…
Many, many. We usually call the police, though, and let them handle it.
now i want all of Frieda’s speech (i love the name frieda too)
I didn’t cut much, but she has a bit more when the woman storms off,to pay, swearing they’ll never come back to the library again.
Again, not so much fiction in that . . .
I love the name Frieda—you rarely see it anymore, but you know who she is when you do! 🙂
gosh, well done and what a nice bunch of comments too.
very compelling.
Thank you!