Below is a creative short story. Enjoy!
Once in a recent time, there was an old man with three grandsons named Bradley, Leo, and Terrance. All three attended colleges near him, which pleased him greatly. He wasn’t a degree man himself, and his age didn’t help his memory keep straight who was studying what specifically. He was still proud of them, but he was concerned about a certain aspect of their futures.
One day he called them in an online group chat.
“My boys, I’m very proud of all of you being in college. You’re on your way to having great careers. However, behind every successful man in a good wife at home keeping things organized.
“Now, I’m sure you all have girlfriends, being at the age you are, but I want to make sure they’re the right women for you. So, I’ve picked three challenges for them to do. First, have them cook their favorite dish. Doesn’t matter what it is. Bring these dishes to my house next Saturday and I’ll decide who did the best.”
Bradley and Leo said this would be done, no problem. Terrance, however, was worried. He didn’t have a girlfriend, but he didn’t want his grandfather to worry about him. So he decided to cook something himself. The only trouble was that he had never made anything that didn’t come out of a box.
So Terrance consulted the internet for assistance. He read a couple blogs, watched some YouTube videos, and made a plan. On Saturday he brought a chicken pasta salad to his grandfather’s house.
The old man sampled all of the dishes. “Hmm, these are all very good, but this rice pilaf is the best. Bradley’s girlfriend wins this round.
“Now, the next challenge is in cleaning, and I don’t mean just dusting and tidying. Remember that summer house I have by the river? Well, it’s about time the I sell it, but it needs to be straightened up for viewing. Now I’m not asking your girls to clean the whole place, just one room apiece. It won’t be easy. Remember those feral cats that got in one winter, and the rust stains.
“Bradley, your girlfriend will clean the kitchen on Tuesday. Leo, yours will do the bathroom on Wednesday. And Terrance, your gets the pantry side of the basement on Thursday. I will inspect the rooms next Saturday.”
Bradley and Leo said their rooms would be spotless, no problem. Terrance was less certain. He’d never done any serious cleaning that Windex couldn’t cover, and never mind the mess those feral cats had left behind. There would certainly be rat droppings in that basement. Probably some broken bottles and spills from old canning jars too.
But Terrance was determined to do the job, so he consulted the internet again and asked a few friends for some pointers. On Thursday he drove to the summer house after class and descended into the basement. He was glad he only had to deal with the pantry side. The stained concrete floor and dusty shelves gave more than enough to work on.
The grandfather examined the rooms on Saturday and got on the group chat afterwards.
“Wow, the rooms are in great shape! Your girlfriends did a wonderful job, but I say Leo’s did the best in the bathroom. Can’t smell the cat pee anymore.
“Now, the final test is in clothing. Your grandmother, bless her, has shrunk in her old age, and many of her dresses are too long. Your girlfriends will each take one dress, hem it, and add pockets. Your grandmother’s into pockets lately, so it’ll be a nice surprise for her. Bring these finished dresses to my house on Saturday.”
Bradley and Leo said this could be done, no problem. Terrance felt excited. This was a job he knew how to do, and he could do it well. No need to consult the internet this time. He worked energetically on the dress and even patched a hole in one of the sleeves. On Saturday he presented the final product to his grandfather.
The old man inspected the three dresses. “Hmm, these are pretty good. Some crooked stitches here and there, but Terrance’s is flawless. His girlfriend wins this challenge.”
Terrance beamed at the praise.
“Well,” said the grandfather. “All your girlfriends completed the tasks very well. I believe they are good matches for you. Next week, bring them over to my house. I would like to meet them.”
Terrance frowned. He hadn’t expected his grandfather to request this. What was he going to do? He didn’t want to disappoint him, but he didn’t have the heart to ask one of his friends to pose as his girlfriend either.
His grandfather saw him frown. “Terrance, what’s the matter?”
Terrance sighed. “Grandpa, I have a confession. I don’t have a girlfriend. I did all those challenges myself. I had to look up some stuff, but not for grandma’s dress. I’m studying Costuming for my major and I’ve been working closely with the theatre department.”
The old man was shocked. “Well, I’m surprised. You should’ve said something sooner.” He looked at Bradley and Leo. “Did you know about this?”
They glanced at each other.
“No,” said Bradley, “but we don’t have girlfriends either. I won the cooking challenge, but I’ve been taking cooking classes for a couple of years. It’s a hobby of mine.”
“And my dad’s a forensic cleaner,” said Leo. “He cleans up a lot of crime scenes and things. He tells me a lot about it, so I know how to really clean up a place.”
The grandfather looked surprised. “Well, I see these challenges were completely unnecessary. You all have your strengths, you learned a couple more skills, and you’re fully capable of keeping house yourselves. If you want, I’ll teach you one more skill.”
“What’s that?” asked Terrance.
“Knitting.” the old man pulled out a basket full of yarn and needles. “Your grandmother tries, bless her, but honestly she can’t tell the difference between crochet and purl stitching.”
“What about all those socks and hats we got as kids?” asked Leo.
“I made them. Your grandmother wanted you all to have hand-made things, but she was too embarrassed to admit that she couldn’t knit. I didn’t mind giving her the credit. It made her happy and kept me busy enough to stay out of the bars. Plus, it’s a good stress-reliever.”
So the grandsons pulled up chairs while he handed them needles and yarn. Together they started making scarves for the upcoming winter.
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