Alphonse by Carl Sever

Author:Carl Sever
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: SparkPress
Published: 2017-02-15T00:00:00+00:00

_________

THE YOUNG BROTHER’S SNOW DAY

THE BROTHERS TRIED THEIR HARDEST to concentrate on a checkers game atop the rickety kitchen table. Wearing a great smile, Alphonse hovered at Zach’s back; all the while, heavy snow kept piling up outside his shack.

Zach had a finger on a piece in his back row, but his focus was clearly on the snow outside when Alphonse instructed, “Never move from your back row. It’s the key, Zach.”

Alphonse tapped Zach’s shoulder for emphasis. “Without a king, your enemy’ll have a shit time winnin’.”

“Sometimes ya just gotta, Alphonse.”

“Sacrifice everything, but don’t ever leave your back row open.”

“Hurry up, Zach!” Francis skittered from the table to the window and back. “Just make your stupid move.”

Zach sacrificed a piece, which Francis jumped with relish.

Zach couldn’t take his gaze from the window as the snow continued falling fast. Already several inches deep on the sill, he couldn’t contain himself and popped from his seat, asking, “Do ya think it’ll snow all day, Alphonse?”

“Now Zach, I ain’t in charge a snow.”

“She looks good for packin’, Francis!”

Francis suddenly charged the window again and pronounced with certainty, “I think snow days are better ’n regular vacation days. It’s like they’re free, Alphonse.”

Zach rolled his eyes. “Geeze, Francis. They’re just a surprise is all. Think we’ll get another snow day tomorrow, Alphonse?”

Alphonse, his expression dead-pan, cocked his head toward Zach. “I’d say if she doesn’t stop snowin’, we could be in fer a shit ton a snow.”

Zach thought for a minute, then turned toward Alphonse with a silly grin. “Goll, Alphonse, that’s a stupid thing to say.”

“Seein’ if ya were payin’ attention is all.”

While Francis whipped from the table to the window and back again, Zach couldn’t take his attention from the outside. He finally announced, “It’s too nice outside to be playin’ checkers, Alphonse. Hey Francis, wanna build a fort?”

Francis grabbed his coat, yelling, “We’ll make two!”

“You comin’, Alphonse?” shouted Zach, shoving his hands in his gloves. “Snow’s gettin’ deep! We can all make a fort!”

“Every job needs a foreman.” The warm smile that Alphonse beamed declared that this day was all he ever needed. “I’ll supervise.”

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.