The Misinterpretation

And now our first Nanofiction. I drew four character cards: The President, the superhero with unhelpful powers, the vegetarian songwriter and the slightly defective robot. Two settings: a Polynesian tiki lounge and the shopping mall slightly before closing. Two problems: the directions were misinterpreted and disagreement about something unimportant. Finally, the resolution: they spent two years in jail.

Here it goes.

One day, I think it was a Thursday but I’m not sure, The President and the Superhero With Unhelpful Powers were having a disagreement about something unimportant. The President, being the president after all, wanted the Superhero With Unhelpful Powers (or just Supe from now on to save typing) to change his costume to a different color. The President’s favorite color was blue and he thought that Supe should adopt it instead of the red he was currently using. Neither man would even consider the others argument. Supe saying "I’m the hero here and it is my choice!" With the president equally adamant in saying "I’m the President and you work for me, so do what I say!"

It finally came down to Supe telling the President "Your administration will just have to find a way to survive without a superhero Muzac creator." " I quit!" And he stormed out of the Oval Office and ran to the next pay phone booth.

Having to make a collect call to his girlfriend the vegetarian songwriter because his costume had no pockets to carry change in, Supe asked her to meet him for dinner at their usual place at eight. The Polynesian Tiki Lounge was in full swing that night. Most of the tables were full and a line ran around the building. Fortunately Supe was a bit of a celebrity and a regular customer as well, so they were able to get a table quickly.

The Maitre d’, knowing Supe’s girlfriend’s penchant for veganism, sat them at a table away from the kitchen and other diners. He didn’t want another lecture on the importance of catering to his clientele and keeping the customer happy. He also gave her a menu that he had specially prepared himself that had nothing on it that she would find offensive. Supe was also smart enough not to order the spit roasted pig and they settled into a nice supper.

Knowing about his meeting with the President earlier, Supes girlfriend asked him how it went. Supe admitted to getting in a yelling match with the President over his costume and that he was really starting to feel bad about it. It was really a silly argument after all.

"How about a compromise?" said Supe’s girlfriend. "Why not make your costume red with blue boots, gloves and cape?" "That way both of you could be happy."

"What a great idea" said Supe. "Let’s do it!"

So after dinner they hurried over to the shopping mall to get some new fabric for a cape and buy some new gloves and boots. It was just before closing when they arrived and they had to hurry to find all that they needed.

After purchasing the new pieces for Supe’s costume they realized that they needed a tailor to sew the fabric into a cape. By this time the mall had closed and nobody was left at the information kiosk. Looking around trying to figure out what to do next Supe’s girlfriend spotted something that might be useful.

It was a kiosk advertising a do it all, know it all robot. When they stepped up to the robot its eyes lit up and it came to life. "How can I help you?" it asked.

"We are trying to find a tailor to sew my new cape." Said Supe.

"How can I help you? You? You?" it asked again.

Supe and his girlfriend realized that the robot was slightly defective, but it was all they had so they kept trying.

Eventually the robot gave them directions to a tailor that could help them and they set out to find him. After driving around for about half an hour Supe and his girl pulled up at an old warehouse building near downtown.

Getting out of the car they thought it was a strange place for a tailor to set up shop and went in search of a way in. They found a door on the side of the building and Supe tried it. It seemed like it would open but was just sticking a bit in the frame.

"I think this is the wrong place." Said Supe’s girlfriend. "We should leave and look in the phone book tomorrow for a tailor."

"I’m sure this is where the robot said to go." Said Supe.

"Are you sure?" "He was slightly defective, maybe his directions were bad." She said.

"No, his directions were good, maybe I misinterpreted them." Said Supe. "Let me try this door one more time and if it doesn’t open we’ll try again tomorrow."

Giving one last heroic tug, the door flew open in Supe’s face and immediately all hell broke loose. Sirens, klaxons and lights started going off everywhere. Supe and his girlfriend were completely surprised and stood there in total confusion. About the time they started to think clearly a group of cars roared up and skidded to a stop right in front of them.

Armed men jumped out of the cars and surrounded them. "Put your hands up where we can see them!" Shouted the leader. Men ran up and pinned Supe and his girlfriend to the ground where they were then handcuffed. As they were being thrown in the back of a van one of the men said " You’ll never get out of where you’re going now!"

It turns out that Supe did misinterpret the robot’s directions and he and his girlfriend had accidentally broken into a top-secret government building instead of a tailor’s shop. When the President learned who had broken in and the story they had told he decided to help. After all, Supe wouldn’t have been looking for a tailor if they hadn’t argued about his costume earlier.

Even though the President was on their side Supe and the vegetarian songwriter still had to serve two years in jail for breaking into the building. Supe always wondered, had he had a more useful power would they have let him go? At least the prison cafeteria had a vegetarian menu for his girlfriend. And since she had plenty of free time she used the story to write a chart topping song. Although, since she was no longer speaking to him, he wasn’t sure if he could still call her his girlfriend. Or even just friend.

And so ends my first Nanofiction. I will write more as the mood strikes me. Say what you will, maybe I’ll listen.