December 2, 2007
If you weren’t around last year for the Musical Hanukkah Celebration, NOW is the moment to catch up! Hanukkah starts Tuesday night, and I’ll have a little gift for you this year, too, along with some fun posts.
It hadn’t been hard to raise the sixty dollars. Take the girl out to Roach’s instead of Big Bucks. Skip a movie here, work an extra overnight there. And soon, Springer had tucked that sixty bucks away inside that one pair of underwear his grandma had given him, the flannel boxers with reindeers on them that she’d thought were so cute, she couldn’t resist. Even Springer’s mom resisted so much as touching them, making them a safe place to hide every important thing he owned. It wasn’t much: a pipe, his ShapeShifter guitar pick collection, and his precious sixty bucks.
If Grandma had given him the cash instead of those dreadful boxers, he’d be able to make up the difference he was now facing. Boomer at KRVR had gone on the air two weeks ago and said that since last year’s show sold out so fast and since it’s all for charity, ticket and jam prices went up. It was worth it, Boomer said. It was a chance to help kids who needed help.
What about him, Springer wondered. No one was helping him that he could see. He had to stop over at Grandma’s once a week and mow her lawn and take out her trash and do anything else around the house that she needed him, even though baiting the mousetraps in the basement grossed him out. Emptying them made him yak, every time. And then he had to clean that up, too.
It wasn’t fair. And what made it worse was that here he was, spending a year ponying up the cash he thought he needed, only to hear that nope, he needed fifteen bucks for the ticket and seventy five for the jam instead of ten and fifty.
He needed thirty bucks, and fast. Tickets were going on sale in a week, up at KRVR’s studios again. No lines, no sleeping out, no nothing. The only good news was that this year, there’d be an extra fifty people allowed in. But still, only fifty allowed to jam. They couldn’t bend on that one, or they’d be going all night long.
It wasn’t fair. If only Springer could get up there with ShapeShifter and show them how good he could play, they’d come up to him after and help him out, the way they’d helped out those guys in Deadly Metal Hatchet, who sucked. But because they’d toured with ShapeShifter, they were someone. Same for Hammerhead, even though they didn’t suck.
Thirty bucks.
Springer leaned over to the radio. Boomer was talking about it some more. People had questions. She was answering.
“The way the jam session will work is that if you want to jam, you’ll get a lottery ticket. If we pull your ticket, you have twenty-four hours to get your seventy-five big ones down here to the KRVR studios or we pull someone else’s name.”
Springer figured that meant he had a week and a day to round up that extra thirty bucks. Maybe his girl would front him the cash if he promised to take her to Big Buck’s once he paid it back. She had the cash. She always had cash, even though she wouldn’t buy dinner when they went out. Thirty bucks shouldn’t be hard. Maybe he’d cut back on the cigarettes. Work a few more overnights, as much as he hated them.
There had to be a way. Because once he got up there with ShapeShifter, it’d all start to happen for him. He just knew it. He could taste it.
Let me know if you like Springer and want to see more of him! I sort of like the dude, myself.
Robin
December 2, 2007 11:47 am
Go Springer, I’m rootin’ for you. Any kid who works at his Grandma’s every week has to be a pretty decent kid, and since you’re (he’s? how does one respond to a fictional character in comments?) a musician too you deserve that shot.BR/BR/And while I’m here, Happy Hannukah Susan. May it be a great one.
Sara
December 2, 2007 12:20 pm
Susan,BR/BR/That was pretty good! I was about half way through the post when I realized it was a work of fiction – maybe because I didn’t read the header! I just dove right in!
gautami tripathy
December 2, 2007 12:21 pm
I don’t know anything about Hannukah. I am willing to learn.BR/BR/Like Robin, I too root for springer!BR/I am here for MPT and Michele pushed me too.
Susan Helene Gottfried
December 2, 2007 12:22 pm
I’m not sure how much of the holiday I’ll be teaching you, Gautami. But you’ll learn a lot about the party! BR/BR/Sara, thanks!! Dive on in anytime!
Maddy
December 2, 2007 12:41 pm
No math challenge there then! Great motivation.BR/Cheers
Darla
December 2, 2007 12:48 pm
Heck, yes, I want to see more of Springer. Who’s his girl? What does he play? How long has he been playing? Gimme more! 🙂
Jill
December 2, 2007 1:36 pm
I actually want to know more about Springer!BR/And poor you Springer!! Those damn money problem!
Amy Ruttan
December 2, 2007 3:08 pm
Ooh I like Springer. BR/BR/And Happy Hannukkah Susan!!BR/BR/It’s a great time of year isn’t it?BR/BR/Now, back to work in the cave!!!!
Susan Helene Gottfried
December 2, 2007 3:50 pm
*laugh*BR/BR/What do you think I’ve been doing in there, Amy??
Ann
December 2, 2007 4:09 pm
Happy Hanukkah, Susan! I like Springer too, and hope he gets his chance. 🙂
Megan
December 2, 2007 4:39 pm
I like Springer and would definitely like to read some more about him! But then, how couldn’t I want to? This was a tease – just enough to whet the appetite! 😉
Shelley Munro
December 2, 2007 5:42 pm
Yeah, Springer!BR/BR/Hey, Susan. You can’t leave me hanging like this. I need to know if Springer gets his $30 or if disaster happens and someone steals his reindeer boxers.
bunnygirl
December 2, 2007 6:33 pm
You need to at least let us find out if he got the $30! He strikes me as the sort who isn’t easily put off once he’s on a mission.
julia
December 2, 2007 6:37 pm
Happy Hanukkah, Susan! I’m glad we get to share this with you.BR/BR/Springer has a strong voice for a newbie character. Sara nailed it when she said she hadn’t realized she was reading about a fictional character – that’s how it is over at West of Mars. I laughed when Shelley wondered if the reindeer boxers would go missing! Now you’ll have a bunch of writers plotting out the maybe’s for Springer until your next post appears.
pussreboots
December 2, 2007 8:59 pm
Happy Hanukkah. We’re celebrating this year. The kids are thrilled to have two things to celebrate. Or maybe they’re budding pyromaniacs. LOL.
L^2
December 3, 2007 12:38 am
Another new guy! How do you keep up with all these characters’ intermingling stories? I’d have to make myself a giant diagram or something. LOLBR/I think I like Springer though, and I’m looking forward to seeing how he ends up getting the money. Since it’s a Hannukah story, I’m assuming something good is gonna happen for the kid. 🙂
Mel010100
December 3, 2007 12:41 am
Happy Hanukkah, sweetie! I do love reading your words! You put them together so well…..and if Springer’s grandma likes him well enough to buy him reindeer underwear, she must think he is a good guy!
Hoyeya
December 3, 2007 12:47 am
More Springer! More Springer! More Springer! Hey everybody, help me out here! More Springer! More Springer! … Uh, I think I need to stop that before my voice goes. 😉 I look forward to learning if he gets the $30.
Tempest Knight
December 3, 2007 9:59 am
Woohoo! Go Springer!
Lynnette Labelle
December 3, 2007 1:06 pm
Happy Hannukah!BR/BR/This is really neat. I’ve heard it’s a good way to get to know your characters and to whet the appetite of your readers. I’m not sure what your intension is exactly, but I enjoyed reading your blog all the same.BR/BR/Could you do a newbie a favor? I have posted my query letter on my blog because I’d like feedback before I start to send it out. When you get a chance, could you take a peek and let me know what you think? Sanks.
FRIGGA
December 3, 2007 2:49 pm
Yes, we need to find out if he’s able to raise the extra cash!!
Rhian
December 3, 2007 11:14 pm
Enjoyed it much and yeah – would like to hear more about him please!
Red Garnier
December 4, 2007 1:13 am
GO SPRINGER! WOOT WOOT! Of course we love him. And Susan we want more! I love the name, btw. 😉
anthonynorth
March 1, 2008 7:04 pm
Go, Springer. Appreciates life at both ends – young and old 🙂