#99Word Stories; “Not my circus, not my monkeys”

The November 28, 2022 story challenge from Charli Mills at Carrot Ranch is to: In 99 words (no more, no less), write a story using the saying, “not my monkeys, not my circus”. What is the situation that would spawn that aphorism? Have fun with setting and characters! Go where the prompt leads! Submit at Carrot Ranch by December 3, 2022. 

Here is another pair of 99 word stories that continue the “Oh my” pair from last week that continued a Six Sentence Story, On the Verge. These flashes do not answer the question of who the woman is that is housing the father and daughter but is where this prompt led. Besides, I still don’t know.

Balancing Acts by D. Avery

In the casinos I always stayed close to Daddy and stayed out of his way, not interrupting or interfering with his work at the slot machines or roulette table. In the diner there wasn’t room for me behind the counter by the grill where he worked, plus daddy said it was dangerous. When the waitress came in and saw me sitting on a counter stool, she rolled her eyes. “Really?”

“Really,” the owner said.

The waitress tied her apron and sighed, “Not my circus. Not my monkeys.” Whatever that means.

“That’s right,” the owner said. “I run this zoo.”

XXX

It sure seemed like it was that waitress that ran the diner. She was everywhere at once, which made staying out of her way hard. Every time she walked around me or told me to move out of a regular’s spot she’d sigh. “Not my circus, not my monkeys.”

She was never still. If she wasn’t tending to customers or clearing tables she was rolling silverware in a napkin, just so. When she got busy with customers again, I stood on a bucket and rolled silverware, just like I’d seen her do.

“Clever monkey!”

I smiled back at her.

Carrot Ranch is undergoing technical difficulties so we can’t yet read the “Oh my” collection from last week. But there’s always the Ranch Yarns with Kid and Pal’s responses HERE. And you could always check out the Saddle up Saloon. Read Sherri Matthew’s article, For Queen and Country, or go to the Cowsino to try a fun writing prompt brought to you by Kid and Pal.