Thursday, November 15, 2007

Fiction Friday: Sadie the Cleaning Lady

[Fiction] Friday Challenge for November, 16 2007
Pick an existing character. Give them a nickname, but don't wimp-out and make it a common one.
Now tell the story of how the nickname came about.

Ah , Sadie , the cleaning lady
Her female mind would find a way of trapping
Though as gentle as a lamb , Sam the elevator man
So she could spend the night by TV napping

Vi hummed unconsciously the tune to Sadie the Cleaning Lady, as she walked back to her room. With her stomach growling and the promise of French cuisine gone, Vi thought back to the name her high school girlfriends had given her. ‘Sadie’ they had called her.

It began after they watched Pulp Fiction for the first time. Vi had commented that her favourite character in the movie had been the efficient and unflappable Victor the Cleaner. When the situation got out of control, they called in the Cleaner. Someone commented that it wasn’t surprising that Vi had an affinity with the Harvey Keitel character. Vi was forever stepping into the fray in the hormone charged high school years to clean up the mess that others made, whether it be in their relationships, their homes, their school work – you name it and Sadie was able to fix it.

She kept her head and her distance as many buckets were offered, relationships were broken up or started, unobtainable extensions were granted, spare rooms were offered when a parental meltdowns loomed and appointments were needed at the family planning clinic. There had definitely been no skull fragments pulled from the back seat or roof of the family car though.

And now Sadie was back at work again, but in a much bigger fish pond and they were playing for keeps. She hoped that there would be no brain or bone fragments this time either, as she worked to remove Abby’s high profile, but secret lover from the country, before he became a huge and unfixable campaign liability.

“Efficient and unflappable,” she reminded herself, “ just like Victor the Cleaner, and it will be all OK.”

7 comments:

Anonymous said...

Oooh, I think I like Vi. :D Waiting for more to come.

Anonymous said...

I sometimes wonder with people that clean up after other peoples messes, whether they defer attention to their own lives that way... (says reformed queen fixer of other peoples messes)

And Jodi, I like the way you've been able to trigger off a good character study through the fiction friday that segues into the novel well. Top marks.No red pen. Heh.

OldLady Of The Hills said...

Very interesting character, indeed! I am unfamiliar with yourc writing but I assume this is an existing character from something you have written or are still writing! As I said, it is very VERY interesting and intriguiging(sp!!)

Michele sent me on the early Friday morning here in Los Angeles!

Anonymous said...

I love the metaphorical elements in this--along with the connection to Pulp Fiction. (He's my favorite, too).

The "buckets" are clever; very visual and very meaningful.

d sinclair said...

Jodi - i think this is the shortest piece I've ever read of yours!?! But I love it, of course. I also love your down-to-earth style and how real your characters are. xx d

Anonymous said...

One visual piece, I must say. Made good reading..

Anonymous said...

Jodi, I agree this is the shortest thing I've known you to write! Hee, hee. You really do have a talent and I'd love to read a novel of yours one day soon! You go girl!! Love BlueSugar