Play Date

What if you wanted a play date for your kids and the only people you can get is out of this world?

Play Date

The MacMillians were always looking for a good park in the summer time. For the kids, or course, Missy and Elmer. Missy is seven and Elmer is pushing on five. Missy was a plump and short for her age and so was Elmer. In fact they had such the same dimensions and face features people thought they were twins. Because of their addiction to television and the family computer and an innate fear of outside stimuli, both of the children hated outside play. They despised it. But Jack and Lisa, being such good parents, always plan a play date for the children with other kids.

In was an August day and MacMillians found a perfect spot across town. It was a huge park. An empty open field almost except for the swing set, slide, metal see-saw and sliver monkey bars that was located in the middle. It was a very sultry yet clear day. The kids squirm back and forth in the SUV to show their resistance to afternoon excursion. Jack did not have any problems finding a space because the whole lot was empty.

“I wonder where is everyone. It such a beautiful day. I hope the Richardsons don't cancel out on us. It would be a shame for Missy and Elmer not to have a play date,” said Lisa while she was organizing the family's lunch.

“And boy those kids need it! I swear I think I should be saving up for a hernia operation every time I pick up Missy.” said Jack while putting the SUV in park.

“Jack!” Lisa firmly slaps her husband's arm.” Those are your children. Besides it is not their fault they are born pudgy. Who knows? They might be both supermodels one day.”

“Yeah! For the circus.” Jack was not usually this terrible to his own children. It was that he was in a bad mood because his big marketing account with a huge mayonnaise manufacturer fell through Friday. The lost account could cost him his job if he does not do some major groveling to his superior next tomorrow. Now he was trying to make best of it with Lisa and the kids.

“I want to go home and watch Sponge Bob!” yelled Missy.

“Me too!” yelled Elmer.

“Kids we can't. We promise the Richardsons that you will play with Mary and Mikey. Don't you want to play with them?” coyed Lisa.

“No!” the two children fiercely yelled in unison.

“C'mon, my little angels. If you behave and play nice, you will get to go to Dairy Queen.”

“That's right. Bribed them with food,” said Jack with sarcasm in his voice.

Then Lisa ring tone blasted a old Dixie Chicks tune. “That must be the Richardsons. . . Well, hello Harriet. We're right at the park now. . . What? . . . Oh . . . Oh . . . Well I hope Mikey fell better. We will rescheduled for another time. Bye Bye.” Lisa click off her cell. “Well bad news everybody. It seems like Mikey has the mumps so the Richardsons will not be joining us. So there is no play date.”

“Yeaaaaaaaa,” the two children cheered in unison.

“Yeah, lets go home. I might be able to see some of the game.” said Jack as he was ready to put the SUV into drive. “Wait,” said Lisa and she put her hand over Jack's. “Why do we make our own play date for the children. It's such a good day out.”

“Noooooooo!” yelled the children in unison.

“I don't know, Babe. It's hard enough to have this kids play with other children. To have them play with each other without a television in front of them is nearby impossible.”

“C'mon Jack. They need the exercise and fresh air. To be frank, so do you. You've been cranky since you lost the account,” spoke Lisa in an earnest tone.

“All right. All right.” surrendered Jack as he left the SUV in park.

Moments later the McMillian family strolled through the open field towards the playground. Missy and Elmer dragged their feet like prisoners of war in a old World War Two movie. Lisa had her face arched up to admire at the prefect blue sky that Mother Nature had created for that day. Jack was hunched back, both hands in his jean pockets mumbling about how he was going to miss the whole game and how Mr. Jamison, his boss, is going to tear him a new one for losing the account tomorrow.

Within minutes, they reached the playground. It seem relatively new compare to the other playgrounds they usually go to. “That's because we go to the ones in the urban areas. This playground is in the suburbs,” commented Jack.

Lisa took out lunch for the family out red cooler that “Red Sox Nation” stenciled on it. She have four sandwiches. Two peanut butter and jelly for the kids and two tuna for her and Jack. There was also Minute Maid Fruit Punch juice boxes and Hostess Twinkies for dessert. “You got any beer in there?” asked Jack. “Nooooo,” said Lisa in a obvious tone.

While Lisa was setting up the great outdoor meal, the children was sitting on the playground bench sulking like they were about to face the firing squad without a cigarette. Jack was busying trying to get the Sox game on his miniature FM radio. “Jack! Put that thing down and spend time with your family.” ordered Lisa.

“Ugh!” Jack grunted in annoyance.

So the McMillian family quietly munched on their cold sandwiches and Twinkies while the cool summer breeze hit their bodies. “Now is this great?” commented Lisa to her apathetic and miserable family. “I remember a time when my father use to take me and my sisters to the beaches on the Cape. And all we do was play to sunset. It was a wonderful times those days. You know what kids don't do is play with each other. They are so consumed with TV, and video games, and texting, and lets not forget the internet. There is no physical interaction. No real play. Jack?”

“Yeah, Babe.”

“Promise me Missy and Elmer will not end up like brain dead slobs who do not know a thing about outside play.”

“That's going to be a challenge, Babe.”

“Just promise me.”

“Sure, I promise Missy and Elmer will not be brain dead cyberbabies.”

“Thank you.”

The sky began to get dark. “Oh Zeus. The forecast did not say anything about rain.” said Lisa. Suddenly a series of rotating lights appeared flashing repeatedly on the playground. Soon a smoke began to descend. The whole thing reminded Jack of a Phish concert he went to in college but without the loud music and screaming fans.

Soon the lights dimmed out and the smoke dissipated. What replace it was a image of what look like a shiny metal green sixteen by sixteen foot cube twenty yards from the playground. The huge metal box was producing a hissing sound and a potent smell of sulfur. The whole family drop what they were eating in shock. “Whoaaaaa!” expressed Elmer. “Whoa is right, son” concluded Jack.

As the family huddle together to see what would happen next, something did. A rectangle shape formatted out of the metal cube and then fell onto the grassy field leaving a hole a shape of a doorway. “This is when the green men come out and abduct use and probe our brains for information.” explain Missy in awe.

“See Jack, this is why you do not let our kids watch so much TV,” lectured Lisa.

“Babe, This is not the time,” said Jack wondering if his little overweight daughter may be right.

Then a figure appeared out of the cube. It was a average size white man with balding black hair and brown rimmed glasses. He was wearing a green t-shirt, faded jeans and slightly new Nike jogging shoes. He was the exact replica of Jack McMillian.

“What in sweet Mary and Joseph?” whispered Jack in astonishment.

“Daddy he looks just like you?” squeaked Missy.

“Jack. What the hell is going on?” asked Lisa wondering if she should urinate in her slacks.

“I don't know, Babe. But I guess I should ask that guy.” Jack said as he slowly motioned to his alien doppelganger and the huge green cube.

Jack did not know what to say to this being. What he expected from aliens was the usual stereotypic little green men with big eyes. Or that's what he knew from comic books and 1950 science fiction movies. His brother Tim was expert in these things cause of all sci-fi books he read as a kid. Now Jack needed Tim's nerdy expertise more than ever before.

“Greetings Earth person.” Jack's alien clone said mechanically.

Jack stood three yards away from him. He froze for about ten seconds and he mustered up a “Yo!”

The alien then walked up to Jack and then extended right hand. “You must be Jack.” said the alien with a wide smile on his face. “I never smiled like that in my life,” thought Jack. Jack then shook the alien's extended hand. They both stood shaking their hands for about twenty seconds when Lisa yells from the back, “Tell him we're friendly!”

“We're friendly!” yelled Jack as if the alien was a ninety-year-old senior citizen with a extreme hearing problem. They stopped shaking hands. Jack wonders if he is going to cancer or gangrene from touching Jack 2.0.

“Jack, we were wondering are we late for the play date.”

“What?” asked Jack dumbfounded.

“The play date. You are the head unit leader of your family? Correct?” asked Jack 2.0.

“Heck no! I'm the head unit this family!” cracked Lisa as she rushed to her husband's side.

“Now Babe--”

“Don't 'Now Babe' me. Wasn't for me, you guys would be eating dirt and clubbing each other with stones. Now you said something about a play date.”

“Yes, my family unit and I come from a long way to find some beings to play with our young offspring. We hear from you telecommunication systems that your original family unit that you plan your play date cancelled out on you. So we thought we could arrive here on you planet and be your play date replacements.”

“Oh that's wonderful! Missy and Elmer would love it. Wouldn't you guys?”

The Macmillian children stood still near the playground emotionnessly.

“Ah Babe, can I have a sidebar with you” said Jack as guided Lisa five yards away from the alien.

“Lisa! What in crabs name are you doing?” whispered Jack. He then turned to the alien and smiled and then turned back to his wife. “We don't know these people!”

“What's not to know. They are from out of town.”

“They are from another planet!”

“Now Jack. Of all the years of married to you I never thought you as a bigot. Would you stop them from playing with African-American children.”

“No! That's different.”

“How so?”

“They would be human!”

“Now Jack, I just want you have an open mind about this. This could be a good experience for the children to meet kids from a different culture.” explained Lisa. “Now Mr. Alien. Uh . . . what do can we call you?”

“2,” the alien replied

“Okay 2. What do we call you life partner?”

“2”

“And you kids?”

“They are also named 2.”

“This is going to be great!” sighed Jack sarcastically.

“Open mind, Jack! Open mind!” Lisa grunted through her teeth. “How long do you want this play date to be, exactly?”

“Well calculating the time we have to be back on our home world, subtract that with offsprings feeding time, also subtract that from refueling our ship at the Betelgeuse, we can have a play date that consists a length of twenty Earth years,” said 2.

“Ahhh. That's not going to do. Missy and Elmer got college. How about thirty Earth minutes?” asked Lisa

“Okay. A little small in time length but it will suffice.”

“Great!” Lisa said in delight,

“ Great! I bring out my family unit,” said 2. “2! 2! 2! come meet the humans.”

Soon three figures emerged out of the cube. The mother 2 look exactly like Lisa. And the two smaller figures could be Missy and Elmer's twins.

“Hello” said Mother 2

“Hello” said Daughter 2

“Hi” said Son 2

Both Elmer and Missy stood there staring at their alien doubles. Then Missy spoked: “Mommy! Do we really have to play with these fat kids.”

“Shhh! Honey, they came all the away from another planet to play with you. Show some courtesy.” said Lisa.

“But Mommmiiiee! They are soooo fat!” whined the human daughter while eating a Twinkle.

Then Daughter 2 pointed her index finger and shot out a laser beam at Missy's half-eaten Twinkie. The Hostess cake disintegrated in the young human girl's hand. Missy's eyes expanded in shock. Elmer shouted, “Holy boogers!”

“Daughter, that was not nice. Now apologize to the human. Mother 2.

“Sorrryyyyy.” moaned the alien child.

“So,” clipped in Lisa trying to change an awkward situation. “How about we let the children play and we grown-ups both human and alien can chat.”

“That sounds like sufficient suggestion, human. Daughter. Son. Go play with the Earthlings while we converse with the human parental units.” said Mother 2 in a dry mechanic tone.

Lisa prodded her Missy and Elmer to the alien children. “What if they eat us?” whined Missy. “Shhh! Go play nice.” said Lisa

The four children stood there in silence.

“So, it looks like they are getting along,” chuckled Jack to his alien counterparts.

The children stood there in silence.

“So 2, 2, what do you do?” asked Lisa.

“Do?” the two aliens asked in unison.

“You know, what do you do for a living? A profession?”

“Ohhh! How do we support ourselves. We are space travelers and information gathers for our home planet, 220.” said Father 2.

“Really, That's must be so exciting.” said Lisa sounded interested.

“Yes, we been to at least five galaxies in the last five Earth years. But it does get tiring sometimes.” said Mother 2.

“Do you guys get a vacation?” asked Jack while munching on his tuna sandwich.

“No, there is constant information gathering from planets. It is hard work with little time for rest. It's what you humans say . . . tedious and boring.” said Father 2.

“I can understand that brother. Owww!” Lisa kicked Jack in the shins.

“What Jack's trying to say that work can be mundane sometimes.” corrected Lisa.

While the grown-ups were conversing the children were starting to open up.

“Have you ever play anti-gravity tag?” asked Daughter 2.

“What's anti-gravity?” asked Elmer

“We will show you human,” said Son 2 as he extended his index finger and zap both Missy and Elmer with a green laser beam. Both of the Earth children slowly began to levitate from the grassy field like helium balloons.

“Daddy!” screamed Missy as she was floating and arms flopping in the air.

“Oh Boy! Is that safe for our kids floating like that?” asked Jack in extreme concern.

“Of course human. Unless they do not know to land.” replied Father 2 mechanically.

Soon after, the two alien siblings joined the MacMillian children up in the air. Daughter 2 reach her hand out to the panicky weightless Elmer and tap his shoulder. “Tag! You are it, human.” said the alien and flew away from him. Elmer floated there confused, on what to do. “Well don't stand there, dummy. Tag somebody,” ordered Elmer's big sister. Elmer then thrust his body forward and tag Missy. Missy then went after Daughter 2. Pretty soon there was a full fledge game of anti-gravity tag. The kids flew around the air shouting, giggling and tagging one and another.

Both Lisa and Jack watch in amazement as the alien parents were sipping there nutrient supplement bags. What did not surprise them the most was that their kids were playing tag thirty feet off the ground with alien children not from this planet. What surprise them the most was that they were actually laughing and playing at the same time. Two actions that both human parents have never seen done by their children. Ever.

“Can we join in?” asked Jack.

“Jack!” yelled Lisa

“C'mon, who says adults can not have fun.”

“Sure, you humans can join in. We can assist you with adjusting to the weightlessness.”

Bullcrap, thought Jack, They want in on the fun.

“C'mon Babe, Don't be a interplanetary party pooper.”

Lisa thought for a while. Weightlessness tag can help her improve on her calves.

“Okay. On one condition: no fast flying. We just ate lunch.”

“Hot damn!” Jack playfully yelled. “Okay, 2, beam us up, brother.”

On Jack's request Father 2 pointed his index finger and shot two green laser beams to Jack and Lisa. The couple started giggling as they both levitated to the spot where the children were playing tag. The two alien parents looked at each other, nodded and the flew up to meet the rest of the tagging party.

Both families play anti-gravity tag to the sunset. At night they flew back and forth with the stars lighted in the background. Never in their lives Jack and Lisa had so much fun. In fact, they actually saw the alien parents cracked a smile. It was about 7:45pm when Lisa look at her watch and decided it was time to go home. “All right troops. I think it's time to call it quits. The 2's have a long trip ahead of them and you kids need to get to bed.”

The two kids and Jack give a “Awwww.”

The two alien parents look at each other, nodded and slowly descended the both families down to three feet from the ground and drop every one full speed which resulted in eight thuds on the grassy ground.

“2 is right. Next time we should work on the landings” said Jack as he was rubbing his back.

“Will there be a next time, Daddy?” asked Missy excitedly with a twinkle he never saw in her eyes.

Jack bend down to his daughter. “If the 2's wants us, honey?”

“You humans proved to be exception play dates,” commented Mother 2.

“Yes they will suffice for another Earth day and Earth time,” spoke Daughter 2 mechanically.

“That's great! When do you want to set up a time?” asked Lisa.

“How about twenty Earth years.” spoke Father 2.

“Remember, college.”

“Oh. How about next Earth week. Same Earth day. Same Earth time.”

“That's wonderful!”

“Our offspring can teach your children other games like “Hide and Go Time Travel.”

“Mom! Can we go back to the dinosaurs?” cried Elmer.

“No Elmer, you get eaten by raptor. Are there any other games they your children can teach our kids?”

“There's thermonuclear dodge ball but we lose so many planets that way.” commented Mother 2.

“We will stick to anti-gravity tag for the moment.” said Jack.

“Oh well. We should be departing Earthlings, said Father 2. “Again, it was a successful play date. May we have more in the future.”

“Bye Earthlings!” shouted the alien family in unison as they boarded the cube ship.

“Bye 2's!” replied the MacMillians as the watch the ship shot up in the sky and disappeared in the early evening night.

“Georgina is not going to believe what we just did when I tell her at yoga tomorrow.” said Lisa.

“I wonder how many miles they get on that cube?” asked Jack.

“Dad, did you see how many times I tag 2?” asked Missy.

“Which one?”

“The girl.”

“Well I tell you one thing guys: no eating before anti-gravity tag. All we need is vomit on the SUV's roof,” quipped Lisa as the family slowly walked to the car.   

Reviews

[Serena Tan]

For me, I feel that this story is interesting.
Anyway, let me share you a piece of my mind.
In the first line, you typed "For the kids, or course, Missy and Elmer."
I doubt your intention was to type "For the kids, of course, Missy and Elmer."
And I can find some fragment errors. But they're not very obvious, though.
Keep going, man! You've done a good job!