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What That’s Not

October 26, 2019 15 Comments

What That’s Not
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“That’s not an apple, Jane,” Meggy says, barely looking up from her phone. “It’s a pesticide receptacle in a cosmetically red shell.” She’s already texting again, so I ignore her and bite into my juicy McIntosh.

“That’s not yoga, Jane,” Meggy says later when I mention the new class I’m teaching. “It’s contrived poses with no spiritual balance.” She’s distracted by another text.

“That’s not funny, Jane. It’s crass.”

“That’s not true, Jane. It’s ridiculous.”

It’s not until I accidentally glance at the naked man’s photos on her phone that I can say, “That’s not your husband, Meggy. It’s his brother.”

By John Adams

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Kim Hart says

    October 26, 2019 at 9:03 am

    Hahaha. Nice final line, John! Don’t we all have someone we can ‘ping’ like this?
    Another great submission.

    Reply
  2. Gip Plaster says

    October 26, 2019 at 9:20 am

    Very well done. It’s nice to expect a twist but not know exactly what the line will be.

    Reply
  3. Haley Hwang says

    October 26, 2019 at 10:00 am

    No one needs a friend like that! Great ending! Loved it!

    Reply
  4. Lisa Verdekal says

    October 26, 2019 at 10:28 am

    Humans are great at being ethical or know it all perfect and then having a questionable side. Well written..Clever how much you got in for the 101 words.

    Reply
  5. Holly Rae Garcia says

    October 26, 2019 at 10:33 am

    Hilarious!!

    Reply
  6. Alex Grey says

    October 26, 2019 at 11:02 am

    Hilarious (oh I know too many like Meggy!) but what struck me was your confidence in repeating names to make your point so clearly, as if you had all the words in the world – impressive 🙂

    Reply
  7. Lin Morris says

    October 26, 2019 at 11:09 am

    Methinks Meggy has a future in politics, if she uses the current administration as her business model. This is a great little zinger of a story. I like it when bad people get their comeuppance in snarky ways.

    Reply
  8. rachaelclarke12 says

    October 26, 2019 at 11:33 am

    Oh my, I bet her face was red! Or maybe not. Haha. Great story. ?

    Reply
    • rachaelclarke12 says

      October 26, 2019 at 11:34 am

      That question mark was supposed to be a smiley face. Seriously, great story! Haha

      Reply
  9. rachaelclarke12 says

    October 26, 2019 at 11:34 am

    Oh my, I bet her face was red! Or maybe not. Haha. Great story. ?

    Reply
  10. Rebecca Wilson says

    October 26, 2019 at 1:12 pm

    Really well done, John. A big story in a smal package.

    Reply
  11. Rosemary Reader and Writer says

    October 26, 2019 at 2:09 pm

    I loved it, John. If only we could think of one-line put downs like this at the time, not several hours later!

    Reply
  12. Kristin says

    October 26, 2019 at 2:16 pm

    Awesome story! Loved the read. Always amazed why you can do with so few words.

    Reply
  13. John Adams says

    October 26, 2019 at 6:31 pm

    Thanks, everyone, for your comments. And thanks to the 101words.org editorial team for choosing this and also really helping me make the ending to this one shine!

    Reply
  14. Carol says

    October 29, 2019 at 11:14 am

    I think we all know someone we would like to put into his/her place. I recently accomplished this with an “always right” person when she tried to correct my pronunciation; I suggested that she look up the word, and this time I was right! That clammed her up for a while!
    Nicely done, John!

    Reply

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