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- Story Listed as: Fiction For Adults
- Theme: Family & Friends
- Subject: Comedy / Humor
- Published: 10/30/2018
Just Be Cos
Born 1944, F, from Melbourne, FL, United StatesJust Be Cos
by
Valerie Allen
“Cosplay?” Emma asked.
“Yes, Cosplay,” Henry said. He adjusted his bifocals. “That's what Ginnie said. Would we please pick her up at Cosplay by 4:00.”
“Where's Cosplay?”
Henry rose, pushing both hands against the kitchen tabletop to ease himself to his feet. “I don't know.” He looked at his wife. “I thought you knew.”
“Never heard of it,” Emma said. “If she said to pick her up there, it might be a store of some kind.”
“Beats me, but we better find out and quick.”
Emma wiped her hands on the dishtowel that draped over her shoulder. “If it's too far away, we won't make it by 4:00.”
Henry scratched behind his ear. “She said something about being at the Mall. Said she'd be at 'Yon Foo Mein'.”
“Never heard of any place like that in the Mall. Are you sure that's what she said?”
“Well, not really. You know how kids mumble. It sounded like one of those Chinese restaurants. You know, like Egg-Foo-Young or Moo Goo Gai Pan or one of those,” Henry said.
“I don't think there's a Chinese restaurant in the Mall. I'll call Tina.” Emma rolled her eyes. “That woman spends half her life at the Mall. If anyone would know, she's the one.”
Henry raised his hands, palms out, as if responding to a robber and approached his wife. “Oh, no you don't! Let's not do that. She already thinks we're two brainless old coots—behind the times and all. We'd never hear the end of it. At our funeral, she'd still be talking about the time her in-laws couldn't find their own granddaughter at the Mall and how she had to come to the rescue.”
Emma nodded. “You're probably right about that. No sense to give her more ammunition to shoot us with.”
Henry began to pace.
Emma watched him walk aimlessly around the kitchen table, stop briefly to look out the window and return to stand in front of the sink.
She intercepted him on his third pass. “I know how you hate to use the computer, but we could probably search for a list of stores in the Mall.”
Henry frowned, deep wrinkles spread across his forehead. “I hate those dad-blasted things!”
“Now, now. We're not so old we can't learn something new.”
“Who wants to learn something new?” Henry grumbled.
“Let me put it this way.” Emma placed her hands on her hips. “We need to learn about Cosplay and that's certainly new to me.”
Henry looked at her. “Okay, okay. I'll go turn on that stupid machine and hope it doesn't explode.” As he walked away he called over his shoulder, “It's more like a confuser than a computer to me.”
“Now Henry, we have to keep up with the modern world. We can't stay back in the days of buggy-whips.”
He stopped and turned around to glare at her. “Just how old do you think I am?”
She waved her hand to urge him on.“Okay, in the days of the typewriter.”
They walked toward the desk in the extra bedroom. Henry yanked off the beach towel that covered the computer and a small cloud of dust emanated into the air. He began to cough and wave his hand in front of his face.
Emma ignored the drama and sat on the wooden straight-back chair in front of the desk.
Henry caught his breath, dragged a matching chair toward the desk and placed it next to his wife.
They sat side by side staring at the keyboard and blank monitor.
“So, what are we supposed to do?” Henry leaned in.
Emma looked around and motioned to the plug on the floor. “Maybe we should start with that,” she said.
Henry frowned. He touched the electric cord with his shoe and dragged it closer to the outlet. Slowly he bent forward and grasped it with his hand. He fingered the end of it and finally pushed it into the wall socket.
Emma hesitantly flipped the toggle switch on the computer, they heard a ping, and the screen lit up. “So far, so good,” she said with satisfaction.
“Okay, now what?” Henry asked.
“We have to Google.”
“Google?”
“Yep. It's no problem. I've watched the kids do it a hundred times. Now we have to find that instruction list Ginnie wrote for us.”
Henry ran his hand along the monitor casing and tugged at a sheet of lined paper taped to its side.
“Start reading,” Emma said. “I'll work the keyboard.”
Henry cleared his throat and began to read. “Find and click on the internet logo.”
“Okay, what next?”
“Find the search box.”
“Search box, search box,” Emma whispered. “Okay, I see it.”
“Type in one or two words about what you want to find.”
“See, this isn't so confusing,” she said, with a sense of accomplishment. “What should we type in the search box?”
“Try 'Yon Fair Mein' and see what happens,” Henry said.
They watched intently. Instantly an error message came up. Do you mean Yondu, Yon KA Cream, Works of William Shakespeare, Hither & Yon?”
Frustrated, Henry ran his hand through the silver strands of his thinning hair. “See, this is what I mean about these computers. When I was a boy we opened the encyclopedia and found whatever we were looking for—none of this 'do you mean this', or 'do you mean that'.”
Emma moved her chair a bit closer to the computer desk, her face a few inches from the screen. “Hmm. None of these make any sense to me, except William Shakespeare. At least I've heard of him.”
Henry frowned. “Type 'Find the Mall' and let's see what happens.”
In an instant, a list of Malls across the United States filled the screen and stated it was page one of 564.
“Good heavens!” Emma shook her head. “Who knew there were so many malls. I wonder if we can narrow it down to our Mall?”
“Maybe,” Henry said. “Give it a try.”
Emma bent forward and tapped her fingers on the keys and typed in Westspring Mall. “Well, would you look at that! It's our mall. Do we want directions?”
“No, we don't want directions,” Henry said annoyed. “We know how to get there. We need to find the Cosplay store or the Yon Foo Mein restaurant.”
Emma reached for her eyeglasses dangling from a beaded chain around her neck and slipped them on. “They have a list of stores, but nothing for Cosplay. I wonder what kind of store it is?”
Henry pointed at the blue circular arrow button on the toolbar. “Click on that and see if we can go back to the beginning.”
Emma followed his directions. “Now what?”
“Type in Cosplay. Maybe it will give us a clue.”
Emma read aloud from the screen. “Cosplay: a type of costume play begun in Japan.” She turned to look at Henry. “Does Ginnie have any friends from Japan?”
“How would I know? She doesn't chat with me about her friends.”
“She's never mentioned them to me either,” Emma said. “Did she say she was at a costume party at the Mall?”
Henry slapped his hand on the desktop. “No, she didn't say anything about being at a party. She said she's at Cosplay and she was with Yon Foo Mein.”
“Calm down, calm down,” Emma said patiently. “There's a place on the computer where we can look up information.”
Henry shook his head. “Okay, so type in 'encyclopedia'.”
“No Dear, it's something like Wicked Kia.”
“Kia? Isn't that a car?”
“It is. I don't know why they would name a look-up reference after a car, but I hear Ginnie and the other grandkids talk about it all the time.”
“Okay, okay, so type Wicked Kia in that search box and see what happens,” Henry said.
Emma made the entry and a message appeared. “Do you mean Wicked Rides, A Place for Kia, Kia Buzz, Finding Kia, Kia Rio after market?”
Henry stood and his chair tipped backward. He grabbed it before it hit the floor. “Enough, I'm done with this foolish machine!”
“Now Dear, mind your blood pressure. This Cosplay thing's not worth having a stroke.” She glanced at the clock. “We have two hours. We'll figure it out.” She reached out and patted his hand. “You're sure Ginnie said she was at the Mall? The Mall by us?”
“I didn't nail down the details. She was in a hurry. She just wanted to know if we'd pick her up by 4:00.”
“Sounds like you were too embarrassed to ask her for more information. If you asked her where Cosplay was she'd know that you didn't know and you wouldn't want your granddaughter to think she knows more than you.”
He glared at her. “Kids now-a-days think they know everything.”
Emma raised her eyebrows. “You were one of those kids, back in the day.”
He swatted his hand in the air. “There must be someone who knows about Cosplay.”
Emma nodded. “Yes, there probably is someone who knows and likely it's some 12-year-old kid.”
* * *
“Hello, Betty,” Emma greeted her neighbor as the woman opened the door. “I remember you said your grandkids were visiting, so we thought we'd bring some ginger cookies for them to enjoy.”
“Hi, Emma, Henry. Come in. It's so nice of you.” Betty took the platter of cookies and walked toward the kitchen. Emma and Henry followed.
Betty laughed. “Never have enough treats when the grandkids are visiting.”
Emma craned her neck for a better view into the living room. “Where are your grandkids?” she asked.
“At the Mall.”
Emma and Henry exchanged glances.
“Ed just left to pick them up,” Betty said.
“What's going on at the Mall?” Emma asked.
“They're at that Cosplay Party.”
“Cosplay Party?” Emma's eyes widened as she looked at Henry. “What's that all about,” she asked.
“I don't really know,” Betty said. “The kids get dressed up in costumes, meet up with each other, and hang out at the Mall.”
Emma smiled. “That sounds like fun, doesn't it Henry.”
He struggled to offer a sincere smile and nodded at his wife.
Betty raised her eyebrows. “The kids all seem to enjoy it.” She leaned in as if to speak confidentially. “It gets them out from underfoot for a while.”
“What kind of party is it?” Emma asked.
“Today they were in some Medieval group.”
“A Medieval group? Did you hear that Henry?”
“Sure, sure. A Medieval group. What kind of Medieval group?” he asked.
“I think it was something like Young Fair Maidens.”
Emma rolled her eyes at Henry. “Young-Fair-Maidens,” she repeated, carefully enunciating each word, her voice raised.
Henry shrugged; contriteness spread across his face.
“This Cosplay thing is all the rage these days,” Betty said.
“So it is,” Emma agreed. “Our Ginnie is into it too. Isn't she Henry?”
“Sure.” He nodded. “She sure is.”
“Well, we've got to run, Betty. I hope the children enjoy the cookies,” Emma said.
Betty showed them to the door and gently closed it behind them.
Henry stomped across the lawn toward their house, Emma close behind.
“Get the keys, Henry,” she called to him. “Let's get to the Mall before the party's over.”
Henry shook his head. “Cosplay! What a bunch of crazy nonsense. You know, in my day, we just called it Halloween.”
# # #
Thank you for taking the time to read
Just Be Cos
If you enjoyed it,
please consider telling your friends
and posting a review on
Amazon.com or other online sites.
Word-of-mouth referrals are
an author's best friend
and much appreciated.
Just Be Cos
by
Valerie Allen
Copyright by Valerie Allen 2017
Amazon.com/dp/B0777K49N1
All rights reserved
For More Information, please contact:
Valerie Allen
VAllenWriter@gmail.com
ValerieAllenWriter.com
Amazon.com/author/valerieallen
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are either the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or events, is entirely coincidental.
Printed in the United States of America. All rights reserved. No part of this story may be reproduced, stored in or introduced into a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means (electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise) without the prior written permission of the author.
Short Stories
by
Valerie Allen
A Good Thing on a Bad Day
A License to Practice
A Marriage of Convenience
A Mother's Love
A Tooth for a Tooth
Best Wishes
Brotherly Love
Conditional Love
Doggie Tales
Father's Day
Fire Engine Red
Fit for Life
Future Plans
Holiday Traditions
Home for the Holidays
I Remember Momma
Just Be Cos
Ladies in Waiting
Leisureville
Love is in the Air
Match-maker
Mother Knows Best
Potty Talk
Puppy Love
No Goin' Home
Second Chance
Small Steps
Split Second Timing
Thank You! Mr. Jackson
The Garden of Love
The Penalty Box
Words of Wisdom
Valentine's Day
Visiting Day
~ ~ ~
Just Be Cos(Valerie Allen)
Just Be Cos
by
Valerie Allen
“Cosplay?” Emma asked.
“Yes, Cosplay,” Henry said. He adjusted his bifocals. “That's what Ginnie said. Would we please pick her up at Cosplay by 4:00.”
“Where's Cosplay?”
Henry rose, pushing both hands against the kitchen tabletop to ease himself to his feet. “I don't know.” He looked at his wife. “I thought you knew.”
“Never heard of it,” Emma said. “If she said to pick her up there, it might be a store of some kind.”
“Beats me, but we better find out and quick.”
Emma wiped her hands on the dishtowel that draped over her shoulder. “If it's too far away, we won't make it by 4:00.”
Henry scratched behind his ear. “She said something about being at the Mall. Said she'd be at 'Yon Foo Mein'.”
“Never heard of any place like that in the Mall. Are you sure that's what she said?”
“Well, not really. You know how kids mumble. It sounded like one of those Chinese restaurants. You know, like Egg-Foo-Young or Moo Goo Gai Pan or one of those,” Henry said.
“I don't think there's a Chinese restaurant in the Mall. I'll call Tina.” Emma rolled her eyes. “That woman spends half her life at the Mall. If anyone would know, she's the one.”
Henry raised his hands, palms out, as if responding to a robber and approached his wife. “Oh, no you don't! Let's not do that. She already thinks we're two brainless old coots—behind the times and all. We'd never hear the end of it. At our funeral, she'd still be talking about the time her in-laws couldn't find their own granddaughter at the Mall and how she had to come to the rescue.”
Emma nodded. “You're probably right about that. No sense to give her more ammunition to shoot us with.”
Henry began to pace.
Emma watched him walk aimlessly around the kitchen table, stop briefly to look out the window and return to stand in front of the sink.
She intercepted him on his third pass. “I know how you hate to use the computer, but we could probably search for a list of stores in the Mall.”
Henry frowned, deep wrinkles spread across his forehead. “I hate those dad-blasted things!”
“Now, now. We're not so old we can't learn something new.”
“Who wants to learn something new?” Henry grumbled.
“Let me put it this way.” Emma placed her hands on her hips. “We need to learn about Cosplay and that's certainly new to me.”
Henry looked at her. “Okay, okay. I'll go turn on that stupid machine and hope it doesn't explode.” As he walked away he called over his shoulder, “It's more like a confuser than a computer to me.”
“Now Henry, we have to keep up with the modern world. We can't stay back in the days of buggy-whips.”
He stopped and turned around to glare at her. “Just how old do you think I am?”
She waved her hand to urge him on.“Okay, in the days of the typewriter.”
They walked toward the desk in the extra bedroom. Henry yanked off the beach towel that covered the computer and a small cloud of dust emanated into the air. He began to cough and wave his hand in front of his face.
Emma ignored the drama and sat on the wooden straight-back chair in front of the desk.
Henry caught his breath, dragged a matching chair toward the desk and placed it next to his wife.
They sat side by side staring at the keyboard and blank monitor.
“So, what are we supposed to do?” Henry leaned in.
Emma looked around and motioned to the plug on the floor. “Maybe we should start with that,” she said.
Henry frowned. He touched the electric cord with his shoe and dragged it closer to the outlet. Slowly he bent forward and grasped it with his hand. He fingered the end of it and finally pushed it into the wall socket.
Emma hesitantly flipped the toggle switch on the computer, they heard a ping, and the screen lit up. “So far, so good,” she said with satisfaction.
“Okay, now what?” Henry asked.
“We have to Google.”
“Google?”
“Yep. It's no problem. I've watched the kids do it a hundred times. Now we have to find that instruction list Ginnie wrote for us.”
Henry ran his hand along the monitor casing and tugged at a sheet of lined paper taped to its side.
“Start reading,” Emma said. “I'll work the keyboard.”
Henry cleared his throat and began to read. “Find and click on the internet logo.”
“Okay, what next?”
“Find the search box.”
“Search box, search box,” Emma whispered. “Okay, I see it.”
“Type in one or two words about what you want to find.”
“See, this isn't so confusing,” she said, with a sense of accomplishment. “What should we type in the search box?”
“Try 'Yon Fair Mein' and see what happens,” Henry said.
They watched intently. Instantly an error message came up. Do you mean Yondu, Yon KA Cream, Works of William Shakespeare, Hither & Yon?”
Frustrated, Henry ran his hand through the silver strands of his thinning hair. “See, this is what I mean about these computers. When I was a boy we opened the encyclopedia and found whatever we were looking for—none of this 'do you mean this', or 'do you mean that'.”
Emma moved her chair a bit closer to the computer desk, her face a few inches from the screen. “Hmm. None of these make any sense to me, except William Shakespeare. At least I've heard of him.”
Henry frowned. “Type 'Find the Mall' and let's see what happens.”
In an instant, a list of Malls across the United States filled the screen and stated it was page one of 564.
“Good heavens!” Emma shook her head. “Who knew there were so many malls. I wonder if we can narrow it down to our Mall?”
“Maybe,” Henry said. “Give it a try.”
Emma bent forward and tapped her fingers on the keys and typed in Westspring Mall. “Well, would you look at that! It's our mall. Do we want directions?”
“No, we don't want directions,” Henry said annoyed. “We know how to get there. We need to find the Cosplay store or the Yon Foo Mein restaurant.”
Emma reached for her eyeglasses dangling from a beaded chain around her neck and slipped them on. “They have a list of stores, but nothing for Cosplay. I wonder what kind of store it is?”
Henry pointed at the blue circular arrow button on the toolbar. “Click on that and see if we can go back to the beginning.”
Emma followed his directions. “Now what?”
“Type in Cosplay. Maybe it will give us a clue.”
Emma read aloud from the screen. “Cosplay: a type of costume play begun in Japan.” She turned to look at Henry. “Does Ginnie have any friends from Japan?”
“How would I know? She doesn't chat with me about her friends.”
“She's never mentioned them to me either,” Emma said. “Did she say she was at a costume party at the Mall?”
Henry slapped his hand on the desktop. “No, she didn't say anything about being at a party. She said she's at Cosplay and she was with Yon Foo Mein.”
“Calm down, calm down,” Emma said patiently. “There's a place on the computer where we can look up information.”
Henry shook his head. “Okay, so type in 'encyclopedia'.”
“No Dear, it's something like Wicked Kia.”
“Kia? Isn't that a car?”
“It is. I don't know why they would name a look-up reference after a car, but I hear Ginnie and the other grandkids talk about it all the time.”
“Okay, okay, so type Wicked Kia in that search box and see what happens,” Henry said.
Emma made the entry and a message appeared. “Do you mean Wicked Rides, A Place for Kia, Kia Buzz, Finding Kia, Kia Rio after market?”
Henry stood and his chair tipped backward. He grabbed it before it hit the floor. “Enough, I'm done with this foolish machine!”
“Now Dear, mind your blood pressure. This Cosplay thing's not worth having a stroke.” She glanced at the clock. “We have two hours. We'll figure it out.” She reached out and patted his hand. “You're sure Ginnie said she was at the Mall? The Mall by us?”
“I didn't nail down the details. She was in a hurry. She just wanted to know if we'd pick her up by 4:00.”
“Sounds like you were too embarrassed to ask her for more information. If you asked her where Cosplay was she'd know that you didn't know and you wouldn't want your granddaughter to think she knows more than you.”
He glared at her. “Kids now-a-days think they know everything.”
Emma raised her eyebrows. “You were one of those kids, back in the day.”
He swatted his hand in the air. “There must be someone who knows about Cosplay.”
Emma nodded. “Yes, there probably is someone who knows and likely it's some 12-year-old kid.”
* * *
“Hello, Betty,” Emma greeted her neighbor as the woman opened the door. “I remember you said your grandkids were visiting, so we thought we'd bring some ginger cookies for them to enjoy.”
“Hi, Emma, Henry. Come in. It's so nice of you.” Betty took the platter of cookies and walked toward the kitchen. Emma and Henry followed.
Betty laughed. “Never have enough treats when the grandkids are visiting.”
Emma craned her neck for a better view into the living room. “Where are your grandkids?” she asked.
“At the Mall.”
Emma and Henry exchanged glances.
“Ed just left to pick them up,” Betty said.
“What's going on at the Mall?” Emma asked.
“They're at that Cosplay Party.”
“Cosplay Party?” Emma's eyes widened as she looked at Henry. “What's that all about,” she asked.
“I don't really know,” Betty said. “The kids get dressed up in costumes, meet up with each other, and hang out at the Mall.”
Emma smiled. “That sounds like fun, doesn't it Henry.”
He struggled to offer a sincere smile and nodded at his wife.
Betty raised her eyebrows. “The kids all seem to enjoy it.” She leaned in as if to speak confidentially. “It gets them out from underfoot for a while.”
“What kind of party is it?” Emma asked.
“Today they were in some Medieval group.”
“A Medieval group? Did you hear that Henry?”
“Sure, sure. A Medieval group. What kind of Medieval group?” he asked.
“I think it was something like Young Fair Maidens.”
Emma rolled her eyes at Henry. “Young-Fair-Maidens,” she repeated, carefully enunciating each word, her voice raised.
Henry shrugged; contriteness spread across his face.
“This Cosplay thing is all the rage these days,” Betty said.
“So it is,” Emma agreed. “Our Ginnie is into it too. Isn't she Henry?”
“Sure.” He nodded. “She sure is.”
“Well, we've got to run, Betty. I hope the children enjoy the cookies,” Emma said.
Betty showed them to the door and gently closed it behind them.
Henry stomped across the lawn toward their house, Emma close behind.
“Get the keys, Henry,” she called to him. “Let's get to the Mall before the party's over.”
Henry shook his head. “Cosplay! What a bunch of crazy nonsense. You know, in my day, we just called it Halloween.”
# # #
Thank you for taking the time to read
Just Be Cos
If you enjoyed it,
please consider telling your friends
and posting a review on
Amazon.com or other online sites.
Word-of-mouth referrals are
an author's best friend
and much appreciated.
Just Be Cos
by
Valerie Allen
Copyright by Valerie Allen 2017
Amazon.com/dp/B0777K49N1
All rights reserved
For More Information, please contact:
Valerie Allen
VAllenWriter@gmail.com
ValerieAllenWriter.com
Amazon.com/author/valerieallen
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are either the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or events, is entirely coincidental.
Printed in the United States of America. All rights reserved. No part of this story may be reproduced, stored in or introduced into a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means (electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise) without the prior written permission of the author.
Short Stories
by
Valerie Allen
A Good Thing on a Bad Day
A License to Practice
A Marriage of Convenience
A Mother's Love
A Tooth for a Tooth
Best Wishes
Brotherly Love
Conditional Love
Doggie Tales
Father's Day
Fire Engine Red
Fit for Life
Future Plans
Holiday Traditions
Home for the Holidays
I Remember Momma
Just Be Cos
Ladies in Waiting
Leisureville
Love is in the Air
Match-maker
Mother Knows Best
Potty Talk
Puppy Love
No Goin' Home
Second Chance
Small Steps
Split Second Timing
Thank You! Mr. Jackson
The Garden of Love
The Penalty Box
Words of Wisdom
Valentine's Day
Visiting Day
~ ~ ~
- Share this story on
- 9
Help Us Understand What's Happening
Valerie Allen
11/04/2021Gail ~ happy to hear you got a laugh out of this story. The older I get the more befuddled I am with the "confuser" computer.
Help Us Understand What's Happening
Bernardo Mendes
11/02/2021Hahahaha :D! So true sometimes it can be confusing but we adapt. Very funny story. Congrats
ReplyHelp Us Understand What's Happening
Valerie Allen
11/02/2021Thank you, Bernardo for your comment Glad you enjoyed my story. I was not raised in the world of computers and had many of these confusing moments trying to figure it out!
Help Us Understand What's Happening
Lillian Kazmierczak
10/30/2021Oh Valerie I laughed through the whole thing! I have 2 kids that were into cosplay, I remember the first time they went and how irritated they got as I asked questions. What a great story. Life experiences are always comical if it's not you.
ReplyHelp Us Understand What's Happening
Valerie Allen
10/31/2021Lillian - thank you, so glad you enjoyed this story. I was inspired by my grandkids and I too laugh every time I read it!
Help Us Understand What's Happening
Kevin Hughes
11/01/2018I too, had to GOOGLE parts of this story! Amazing at so many levels.
Smiles from a guy who wouldn't have known to go to the Mall either. Smiles, Kevin
Help Us Understand What's Happening
JD
10/31/2018I really enjoyed this story about grandparents not wanting to be thought 'UN-hip' and therefore going to extraordinary lengths to figure out what their granddaughter was trying to tell them as she ran out the door.... Really fun funny story! Thanks for sharing your stories on Storystar, Valerie! :-)
Reply
COMMENTS (5)