Confessions of an Eight Year Old Pankcake Addict

 

0700 hours any Sunday of the year…

 

I wake up in a state of uncontrolled hunger. I crave but one type of food: Pancakes. Unfortunately I am eight years old and have a good deal of difficulty speaking, so I will have to use whatever resources are available to me to get my point across.

 

First and foremost, I need a ride to a breakfast joint. I believe that I’ll employ Mike for this mission. The problem is that he’s sleeping. I suppose I could just shake him until he wakes up, but where is the sport in that? I will shake a jar of change, or hit him on the head with a whiffle bat, or perhaps just hang on one of his limbs until he realizes that he had better wake up or it will snap off… “Oh, I hit you with my robot doll? How clumsy of me. Say, as long as you’re up, get dressed I want to take you for some Pancakes.” Of course, he only hears the word “Pancakes,” but he gets the idea. Mike starts to get ready.

 

Here’s the thing: because I’m only eight…yes, I have a car per se, but I pretty much let Mike drive it and keep the keys. In return, he pays for it, gases it and insures it. No worries, I don’t have many places to go except for when I yearn for Pancakes.

 

I know this may seem like a lot of work for an eight year old kid to go through just to get a hot breakfast, but I am a man of few passions. I like my TV set to Disney Channel, I like my pets to be hyper and I like my Pancakes served often. I make no apologies for who I am.

 

So, we arrive at what is possibly the greasiest restaurant in the Western Hemisphere, but they do make a decent silver dollar, which is perfect for me, because I am small in stature. A portly waitress greets me, “Hi, Sweety,” assuming familiarity because we frequent the establishment.

 

My reply is, “Pancakes!”

 

After we’re seated Mike has this ritual of pointing out every picture on the menu other than my beloved Pancakes. I allow it to go on for a few moments before I become cross. Mike points to a burger. “No!” He then points to eggs. “No!” Next is the salad…now see here! I grab his pointing finger and force it to the picture of a syrupy stack. I look him dead in the eye, and utter the single word: “PANCAKES!”

 

The waitress arrives and I order my food myself so he won’t get it wrong, “Pancakes.”

 

“Say ‘please,’ Shawn.” Oh, of course. Where are my manners? “Please.”

 

A few agonizing minutes go by and I finally get what my heart has desired for at least an hour. I deliriously grab the bottle of syrup only to find Mike has moved it from my reach. “Are you sure you want syrup?” Oh, for the love of all that is sacred…

 

When it is all done and we are driving home, all is forgiven. I can’t wait to play with my hyper dog.

 

 http://www.myspace.com/chanceransom

 

Reviews

[Amanda Crandall]

awwww

[Buffi]

This is so sweet!

[Deborah Leah Krempa]

This is cute as a button. Nice write.

[BrightEyes]

This made me smile this morning....even before I've finished my coffee! I loved this! My son has a speech impediment and was very hard to understand until he hit about 10 yrs. old . This brought to mind all the creative ways he used to "act out" what he was trying to say! Great job here!

laura :-)

[desertraven]

This was well done. Pancakes through the eyes of an eight year old. Marvelous!
Sandra :D

[Fran Marie]

Oh how cute can Pancakes get when they are the desire of a hungry eight- year old boy~,who is addicted to them~"Oh, for the love of all that is sacred�" give that child a plate full and Stack' em high~Now where are my car keys? I'm going out to get PANCAKES!!~ I'm addicted too,only I'm a big kid who somehow got my driver's license and don't need anyone to take me~lol~Great Write !! Michael!~and good luck in the contest
~Fran Marie~

[Phil Askew]

I'm not a great reviewer of short stories, never having written any, but I know I liked this one. It was light and fluffy, deliciously sweet, and served up by a sassy eight year old. I guess I can say we associated with the main character, little addict that he is. The surrounding cast added enough to entertain. In general it was a story of tone, or maybe I should say attitude, that of Shawn carries the whole piece along. I won't say it was a thriller or a nail-biter, because it wasn't. Basically, he woke his brother and they went for pancakes, but it's how they did it, and the perspective that presents the actions, these are what carry this story along. Again, it's a six stacker, with lots of syrup. Nice one.

Phil

[Here's What I Say]

I'm not a big fan of pancakes unless it's my grandpa's, but do I understand this logic? GET ME MY SUPER STAR WITH LARGE FRIES AND A LARGE COKE OR ELSE!

[Yvonne Heidt]

"I like my TV set to Disney Channel, I like my pets to be hyper and I like my Pancakes served often. I make no apologies for who I am." This is GREAT!

This is also very different for you...

[None]

I was hungry for some good writing and stopped here. This is a winner of a story packed with delicious moments we can all relate to. This reminded me of when my son was little and would wake me up to make him pancakes, or else! A marvelous, well written piece of work.