Homework Assignment Four: Point of View

Continuing the series of writing exercises inspired by Susan Breen’s The Fiction Class, today we are moving on to point of view.  For more information on the book and this series of posts, please check out the original book review here.

Point of View: Think about a family gathering: a holiday, a birthday, a funeral. Write about that gathering in the first person from the point of view of a child.

Mommy’s sad today.

I don’t like when Mommy’s sad.  Mommys aren’t a’posed to be sad.  Mommys are a’posed to smile and give kisses and play.  Mommy said we can’t play today, we gotta go to the fuberal.  I don’t wanna go to the fuberal.  Mommy said we have to ‘cause Gampa died.  What’s died?

I like Gampa.  He gives me candies from his pocket, even when Mommy says no candy.  Gampa can say no to Mommy because he’s old.  I can’t.  I has to say yes to Mommy ‘cause that’s what good boys do.  Mommy told me.

I’m glad we’ll see Gampa today.  I want candy.

I told Mommy that and she cried and cried.  She said Gampa won’t give me candies anymore ‘cause he died and that means he is gone forever and ever.  I don’t like when Mommy cries.  I don’t like died neither.  I want Gampa and candies and no one to be died.  I told Mommy that too.  She cried again and said, “I want those things too baby,” and then she hugged me real big and said we had to be brave and I had to put on my coat and we had to go.

We rode in a big black car.  It was the biggest car I ever seen!  I like big things.  Mommy told Daddy to put my carseat in the big black car and then she sat next to me in back for the whole ride.  Daddy too.  I never gots to sit with Mommy and Daddy in the car a’fore.  I want to always.  Mommy put her arm around me like she was hugging my carseat.  That was nice, ‘cept she kept crying and got tears in my hair.

The big black car stopped and we went into a big big place with lots of flowers and people.  A lot of them was crying too, just like Mommy.  I don’t like this place.  It’s stinky and everyone’s sad.  There is music and it’s loud and it makes Mommy cry more.  I want the music to stop because then Mommy will stop crying more.  But it doesn’t.

I don’t see Gampa.  Mommy said he was in front but I just see a shiny box.  Gamma’s up front.  She isn’t crying.  She looks funny and her eyes don’t blink.  I try to make my eyes not blink but it hurts.  Gamma takes Mommy’s hand as a man in a dress starts to talk.  I start to laugh because a man in a dress is silly.  I try to tell Mommy that but she tells me to shush.  That makes me sad.  I don’t wanna shush.  I don’t understand.  I want Gampa and candy and Mommy to smile and tickle me and Gamma to hug me and to not be here.

But we can’t go yet.  Daddy said so.  He said we has to stay to pay our rus-specks.  Because Mommy and Gamma are sad and ‘cause we loved Gampa.  I guess I can pay rus-specks if it makes Mommy and Gamma happy.  And ‘cause I love Gampa too.

I just wish he was here.  And there was no crying.