LIZZIE
“Pick one,” he said, looking at the box with small dividers. “They are seeds.”
Seeds always have this promise of a future in them, she thought.
“I choose these. Are they poisonous?”
“No! They are berries, I think.”
She smiled again. She could fall in love with him, she thought.
“I don’t know how long they’ll take to grow.”
She nodded.
Years later, the bush was still there. She had no idea what kind of berries they were but she never touched them.
He did. Needless is to say that he never saw the plant grow.
Temptation is a bitch.
RICHARD
Brains
We used to joke in school that when God handed out brains, Jim thought he said trains, and when asked to pick one, he went for old-fashioned and slow.
Whilst I forged ahead, achieving academic success and accolades, Jim plodded on at his own pace, almost certainly one of life’s losers.
Didn’t work out that way though.
He’s now a multi-millionaire and owns the company I slave away for to make a pittance.
And the secret to his success?
Focus on old-fashioned values, work the problems slowly, and methodically, and – ironically – always use your brain!
SERENDIPIDY
My sister’s a bitch!
You’d think identical twins would get along, but not us. If ever there was an evil twin, it was her, and I was always the nice one.
I could give you hundreds of examples when she stitched me up, but I’ll just pick one: The time she slept with the love of my life by pretending to be me.
I’ve barely spoken to her since.
Until today, when she turned up in tears because he’d dumped her.
Although those tears did nothing to stop me lacing her coffee with strychnine!
So, who’s the evil twin now?
NORVAL JOE
Sabrina’s eyes went wide. A silly smile crossed her face. “Sorry. I forgot to tell you to bring a ring.” She reached into her pocket, pulled out a handful of rings and held them out to Billbert. “Here. Pick one. They all fit me.”
The other boys were already slipping their rings onto their partners’ fingers.
Billbert shook his head. “I’m not going to marry you.”
Sabrina rolled her eyes. “Of course not. We’re just combining our magical strength. To make us complete. I have a ring for you. Now, pick one of these and put it on my finger.”
PLANET Z
Mindy wanted a puppy, so we went to the shelter to pick one out.
“Play with them all,” we said. “But you can only pick one.”
So, she picked a fluffy little mutt, she named it Cindy, and we brought it home.
A few months later, the puppy had grown.
“I said I want a puppy,” said Mindy. “I don’t want a dog.”
She bashed the dog’s head in with a frying pan.
We buried it in the back yard alongside the other dogs.
Eventually, we signed on to foster puppies.
And adopted them out before they incurred Mindy’s wrath.