It was a fairly sunny day. Bruce, retiree, thought he’d sit on his veranda and have lunch. No one had phoned. No visitors had called in. He was on his own, so why not make lunch special and sit on the veranda and enjoy the sunshine?
But who is this coming through the gate? Three young guys, gangly teenagers, probably from the local high school. But they weren’t dressed for school; they were wearing work clothes.
“Good afternoon, sir,” they said.
“Goodness! Is it afternoon already?” How Bruce hated being called Sir. It made him feel old. It made him feel overbearingly authoritative.
“We’ve been bad boys at school,” said one of the lads. “The principal’s sent us out to do an hour of community work. Have you got any jobs?”
“You can mow my lawns,” said Bruce. Their faces dropped. “Don’t worry. It’s a ride on.”
The three young guys had the time of their lives; out of the classroom, working in the sun, driving the lawn mower, wielding the weed-eater, rotary-hoeing the garden, water-blasting the mossy paths… They were there for three hours. They loved it.
“You’ve made our day, sir,” they said. “It’s better than school. Can we come back?”
Bruce had supplied them with cold drinks throughout the afternoon.
(And I might add, they ate all of my birthday cake too. Finished it off in no time.)
To listen to the story being read click HERE!
Whoa!! Happy Birthday, Sir. May I come and play with your ride on mower, please?
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My ride-on is otherwise engaged… Thanks you for the lovely good wishes, Yvonne!
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Well, let me know when it’s dis-engaged, Sunshine!
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Happy Birthday to you,
Happy Birthday to you,
Happy Birthday, dear Brucie,
Happy Birthday to you!
[you’ll have to imagine the fact that I’m singing it aloud ]
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Thank you, Cynthia. I can hear you singing it in two ways – and one of them is quite delightful!
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Happy Birthday! If you put cake out for three growing boys they most certainly will eat it all!
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I know! Unfortunately, in reality, it’s raining here, and I didn’t even get a cake! 😦 Thanks for the good wishes!
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A little birthday gift; “…someone left the cake out in the rain…” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wadrAU6baV0
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Thank you – and I’ll never have that recipe again!
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You can take the man out of education, but not the education out of the man. Still got it, I see! All the best, Bruce!
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Thanks, Chris. I replied to your kind message somewhere but it seems not to have appeared – and now I’ve forgotten what it said! So thanks again!
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Not to worry!
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Happy Birthday Bruce (Joyeux anniversaire)
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Thanks, Sylvie. Another 600 years and I’ll be 666!
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God knows where I’ll be in 600 years !
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You’ll probably reach Timaru if you start walking now!
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lol :0
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Well now Sir, was it really your birthday, and did three naughty boys really turn up to do community work for the elderly and infirm? But most importantly do you really have a ride on mower? It was lovely here, but today it isn’t though I expect tomorrow or possibly this afternoon it will be lovely again.. Happy belated Birthday Sir, just in case part of this story is true ❤
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Thanks, Pauline. My b’day is just beginning! There was/is no one to mow my lawn. And, no, I don’t have a ride on and these days mow the lawn between showers. Raining today, raining yesterday, raining the day before… Lit the fire two days ago! We always have French Onion Soup for my birthday – so the weather today is appropriate!
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Well, Happy Birthday dear Bruce – and may there be many more bowls of French Onion Soup! 🙂
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Thank you!
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Happy birthday lovely Bruce, hope your day is fantastic! 🙂
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Thanks, Bianca. It’s cold and miserable here – somewhere in between Australia and Finland in weather I’d say…
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That is ironic as I am in between Australia and Finland as I write this…Hong Kong airport! Missing the cold already 😦
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HAPpy BIRTHday! HAPpy BIRTHday! Happy birthday! Happy Birthday! HAP-PY BIRTHDAY!! (sung to the Hallelujah Chorus in Handel’s Messiah). French onion soup! Lovely. I hope someone shows up with a pie if there’s to be no cake. Many happy returns!
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Thanks Lisa. I think the only pie I will get is Pie in the Sky. But we shall set fire to some grapes sprinkled with cognac. That should take the place of birthday candles – if it doesn’t burn down the house!
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That actually sounds really good. Good luck with that…
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Thanks!
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Happy Birthday! Happy Birthday! Boys and machines are a match made in heaven.
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Thanks! LOL! We guys are waiting for the day Robots can take over!
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Happy birthday, Bruce. I could do with some kids like that, but my ride-on (a Snapper, as driven by F-forest Gu-ump) is hors de combat at present, waiting for me to get off my fat behind and fix it.
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Well Keith, as you know I write only fiction, so when it comes to lawn mowers I push the f***ing thing. And at present – in the antipodean spring – that’s three times a week for an hour and a half (between rain!) Oh – and thanks fir the b’day wishes!
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You mean you were telling fibs?
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I enjoy telling fibs! That’s what story-tellers (such as yourself) do! But it really is my birthday (and I’m still accepting presents).
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Happy birthday, Bruce. Maybe you could put a notice up at the school to make your fibs come true
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Too late! The school year NEARLY ALWAYS finishes on my b’day!
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Sod’s law
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I spent a lot of time in detention, if that happened to me, I would have spent more.
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“Detention” at my high school involved rolling the cricket wicket (that’s the area of field that cricket is played on!) with a huge roller because the person in charge of discipline was also the head cricket coach!
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Damn. I missed the party! Is your birthday Dec. 5 or 6th? Anyway, hope you got a slice of something sweet whichever day it was.
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Thanks Susanne. It’s the 6th – so you know for next year, although the overseas mail can be slow so it would pay to post my present early.
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Happy belated birthday!
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Thank you! It’s never too late!
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Happy birthday. Nice you didn’t grass them up in any way 😉
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Thank you! Actually, they didn’t even exist!
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Happy birthday Bruce. I think you did a very good deed. I’m sure the boys will behave impeccably in future.
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Thank you for the good wishes, Andrew!
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Billions of Blue, Blistering Barnacles! Of all days, I had to miss your birthday! Many, many happy returns of the day, Bruce!
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Thank you! Although as one gets older the more others forget ones birthday the happier the day! I can only conclude from your “Blistering Barnacles” that you are a Tintin fan!
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Elementary, Sir!
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PS: Incidentally, I’m also a Sagittarian.
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Then I must wish you a Happy Birthday for whenever as well!
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Thank you, My friend!
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