Sweetcherrie Posted March 24, 2005 Report Posted March 24, 2005 She had been looking for an answer for a long time already, but she had simply not been able to find it. This is why she had come to this market today, hoping that between all the ordinary items she would find that one, special answer she was looking for. It was Easter, and the stands were nearly all decorated with yellow and orange ribbons. This was a special market though, held only once a year, and they sold the weirdest objects. She had seen several different stalls that had chicken and Easter bunnies for sale, and although they were cute, they were not what she was looking for. She didn’t even know what it would look like; she just hoped that she would recognize it when she saw it. She passed stands with freshly baked Easter bread that made her mouth water, and she stood still to look at fluffy little chicks that were squeaking “Happy Easter!”. She walked on, and was getting slightly disappointed. She could see the last stands of the market, and she still hadn’t found what she’d been looking for. Just when she was about to give up she heard shouts coming from an alley. “Questions! I have Questions! Philosophical, geographical, hard, and easy questions! Questions of live! Silly questions, 5 for the price of 3!” Her hope flared, if they had questions, they would maybe be able to answer hers. She walked over and waited until the man behind the stand had stopped shouting. “Yes young lady, what can I do for you?” The man had little twinkles in his eyes, and he rubbed his long grey beard as he looked down on her, making her feel very little. “I have a question-“ “I’m sorry I sell questions, I don’t buy them.” The man said, and he threw his grey beard over his shoulder, blowing himself up to start shouting again. “But I don’t want to sell my question” She said quickly, “I would like an answer.” The man let his breath escape, which made a wheezing sound as if someone had let go of a full balloon “I’m sorry miss, I don’t sell answers, only questions.” “But would you know where I can find the answer to my question?” “You have a question without an answer?” he seemed to think this over for a while, “Maybe I should offer you a deal, questions without answers make a good price, people seem to love them.” “But I really don’t want to sell my question, I was just hoping that you could help me.” “Are you sure you don’t want to trade it for some other questions? I can give you 10 silly questions for your unanswered question.” “No thank you.” She wanted to walk away, but the salesman was determined to help her now. “Maybe you’ve just been asking the wrong question. What sort of answer are you looking for?” he shouted after her. She turned back, “I don’t know sir, and otherwise I wouldn’t have an unanswered question.” “Hmmm, is it an open ended question? Or more of a closed ended question?” “Definitely more open ended.” “Who have you asked your question, and where have you looked for an answer?” “Everywhere, I looked at school, and I looked in all my books. When I couldn’t find it at home, I started looking in shops and on markets like this one.” “So you just haven’t met the person with the answer yet.” “Well he’s part of my question, sir.” “Do you mean to tell me that you’ve had the answer all along?” “No sir, but if I would meet the person who was the answer to my question, than I would not have to look anymore.” “So are you looking for a person, or an answer now?” “I’m looking for the person that will be my answer” “I don’t sell people, missy. That is forbidden you know!” She shook her head, this way she was getting nowhere, “Thank you sir, I will look a bit further,” and she wanted to walk away. “Wait a minute, I have counted 10 questions in our conversation, somebody is going to pay for those used questions, and it sure ain’t me.” “Are you saying that I should pay for those questions?” “That makes 11, and yes somebody should pay for them, I can’t just leave them lying around now can I? Nobody wants used questions, they all want their own unique questions, and that makes 12 by the way.” She was getting more confused by the minute, “But are you counting the questions that I ask as well?” “Sure I am, they’re being answered aren’t they, and afterwards they’re useless.” “But how much would they cost?” “Including the one you’ve just asked it would cost you one unanswered question.” “But I only have one unanswered question,” she objected. “Well, you’d better hand it over, or I’ll call the police.” She had no choice. She didn’t have enough money to pay for all those questions, so she gave the man her unanswered question, and left. Turning around she bumped into someone, and fell back wards on the floor. The man who had bumped into her, bend down and helped her up. She looked into his eyes, and realised she no longer had an unanswered question.
Quincunx Posted March 25, 2005 Report Posted March 25, 2005 Weird little gem. I particularly liked the deflation of the unshouted advertisement.
Wyvern Posted March 25, 2005 Report Posted March 25, 2005 I found this is a refreshingly original story, Sweetcherrie. :-) The entire dialogue that occured between the vendor and the protagonist was very thought-provoking and interesting to read, and your humorous moments in their interactions worked nicely as well. I especially liked when the vendor mistook the protagonist as someone trying to sell him a question when she initially approached him, as the line "I’m sorry I sell questions, I don’t buy them." was a very witty and original manner to start off their exchanges. I also really liked how you never directly revealed what the protagonists question was, and instead insinuated it through what the answer of it might be in her dialogue. The only part of the story that I didn't like as much was the final paragraph, as I felt that it offered a solution to the protagonists conflict in too abrupt and too perfect a manner. If that paragraph were simply dropped and the story ended with her handing the vendor the unanswered question and leaving, I think it would make for a more intriguing conclusion to the piece. Once again, great stuff Sweetcherrie. Your eye for odd details and original approach never cease to impress me.
Sweetcherrie Posted March 27, 2005 Author Report Posted March 27, 2005 Thank you both I thought about leaving it unfinished, but I guess I'm just a sucker for a good, romantic ending.
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