Jazz Age Wednesday — Pip & Artie, Epilogue

Posted on by Teagan Riordain Geneviene

Wednesday, May 22, 2019 

Fone_Bone
Fone Bone for Get Caught Reading

It’s still May and #GetCaughtReading Month!  Chris Graham, the Story Reading Ape, and I got together to support this initiative that promotes the fun of reading for all ages.

I meant our short story last week to be a single episode.  However, with an ongoing (and itchy) allergy problem distracting me, I’m having trouble getting my head into the Pip-verse so that I can finish preparing A Ghost in the Kitchen for launch.  So, I hoped writing a little more on this story would help. 

Artie, the genius time traveling chimpanzee is back today.  If you missed Pip and Artie Aghast at a Ghost, click the link.   I hope you Get Caught Reading this!  All right then, let’s get a wiggle on and head to the Jazz Age!

Pip and Artie — Aghast at a Ghost

Part 2 — Epilogue

Artie sketch thinking color steampunk
Artie, courtesy of Chris Graham

Nothing ever kept my grandmother down for long.  Arty looked brooksy in his time-travel uniform.  That and his kind eyes won Granny Phanny over pretty quick.  Although she persisted in a profound denial about the prankish poltergeist.

“A bird got in the kitchen,” she insisted.  “I chased it outside with my broom, but I slipped and hit my head when I fell. What?  I beg your pardon!  Why of all the gall, Paisley.  I have never swooned in all my days.”

Phanny Irene Peabody was determined to introduce Artie to southern cooking.  Granny was so caught up in showing off that she barely let me help her, suspending my cooking lessons for the day. 

She limited the meat in her dishes when Artie admitted that it wasn’t his favorite thing.  However, Granny laid out a mouthwatering spread with cornbread-dressing, collard greens, light-as-air biscuits, chicken and dumplings (easy on the chicken), mashed potatoes, and some fried chicken for Andy and me.

Even though it didn’t fit with the rest of the meal, she made some hushpuppies.  You see, Artie had asked about them, wanting to know if they really included puppies.  Andy and I were too surprised to completely hide our laughter.  Granny, however, was downright professorial as she explained that hushpuppies were only bread, with no meat of any sort.

When Granny had us all move to the parlor for dessert, Andy and I saw the ghost sneak back into the kitchen, but we kept our lips buttoned.  I knew the spirit wouldn’t beat it for long.

1920s Kitchen Bouguet ad

Then my grandmother ensured future visits from Artie by producing one of his favorite desserts – a Mississippi mud pie.

When he laid eyes on the chocolaty confection, Artie couldn’t help showing a big toothy grin.  Granny’s smile faded for a second when she saw the length of his teeth, but a look at the genius ape’s delighted eyes put her at ease.

Artie offered Granny Phanny one quick time travel adventure.  At first, she protested that it was too great a gift.  Yet an imploring gaze from Artie caused her to relent.  However, Granny swore him to secrecy about where and when she wanted to go.

Phanny Irene Peabody hopped onto the back of the motorcycle-looking time machine.  She moved as if she was an old hand with motorcycles.  Then I remembered the time she and Dr. Vincent Vale (and everybody else I knew in Savannah) went looking for me on his vintage vehicle.

The traveling duo returned about twenty seconds after they left.  Granny was misty eyed.  She gave Artie a tight hug as he bade us farewell.

The end.

Heartfelt thanks to Chris Graham for being such a willing participant in these shenanigans.  Our Story Reading Ape is a marvelous storyteller.  If you want to get caught reading another treat, check out his mom’s book.

Chris Graham (for Agnes Mae Graham)

My Vibrating Vertabrae cover

Don’t forget my mysterious new serial, Brother Love.  Chapter 5 will go live on Saturday. 

I’ll see you at the crossroads! 

***

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This is a work of fiction.  Characters, names, places, and incidents are either the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, business establishments, locales, or events is entirely coincidental.

Copyright ©  2019 by Teagan Ríordáin Geneviene and Christopher Graham

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50 thoughts on “Jazz Age Wednesday — Pip & Artie, Epilogue”

    1. Haha. Thanks Diana. Granny Phanny has quite an (unwritten) backstory. I haven’t seen how to make the tone of it fit with the Pip-verse. Someday…
      I’m so happy you could visit. You’re the katerpillar’s kimono!

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  5. Cornbread-dressing, collard greens, light-as-air biscuits, chicken and dumplings, mashed potatoes, fried chicken and let’s not forget the pork chops. I’m hungry for artery clogging goodness. I know you’ve been suffering allergies and other issues; I’m always impressed by your ability to write a good story.

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      1. I had a best friend whose Mom adopted me. I ate with his family almost every night. His Mom made
        the best soul food in Charleston. Fried chicken, fried pork chops, black-eyed peas and fatback, mashed potatoes, and handmade biscuits with butter butter butter…

        I wonder how I lived past thirty.

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    1. Haha! I’m sorry Jan. This post should have come with a warning. If it makes you feel any better, I’ve been Jonesing for those foods ever since I was silly enough to write it — and I’m not likely to get any of them. o_O Thanks for visiting. You’re the berries!

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  7. Yowzer! Granny came back ‘misty eyed’….you can’t let it end there Teagan. 😳 If May is GetCaughtReadingMonth, may I remind you we still have one more week! So you need to sharpen your pencils, or boot up the computer, and write, write, write!! Lol.

    What’s wrong with this picture? I’m reading about all this delicious food that has my mouth watering and my stomach gurgling and I’M eating saltines! 🙄

    Sure hope the allergy problem is under control, or better yet, actually cleared up.
    🐾Ginger 🐾

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    1. You are so kind Ginger. Thanks for making me smile.
      One of the things I *should* be working on is getting the 3rd novel about Pip and Granny ready to publish. I had to stop work on that around the first of the year, getting ready for the relocation, and I haven’t had a spare minute since, even though I’m finally in my new home.
      The rashes and hives are much better today. Dare I hope they might eventually go away completely? Pollen is still stopping up my sinuses, but that’s old news and I can cope with that.

      I hear you about the food. I had a truly unhealthful lunch myself. LOL
      Thanks for visiting the 1920s with me today. You’re the cat’s pajamas!

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    1. Deborah, me too! I’ve been Jonsing for all those foods, ever since I got silly and wrote that ending. LOL.
      Thanks about the allergies. My old friend’s husband, who has lived here all his life, keeps saying my body is still adjusting to my new climate. Maybe he’s right…
      I’m sorry about your damaged cabinets. You, John Howell, and I all relocated around the same time. I’d call us the Settling In Club, but you both are way ahead of me. 😀
      Thanks for visiting. You’re the oyster’s earrings!

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  14. Aww, great ending! I not sure were she went, but I know it was special.
    P.S….got a kick out of the hush puppies and Artie wanting to know if they included real puppies. Too funny!

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  15. I do hope you get a handle on those allergies. I love your description of the food. I can feel and taste those “light-as-air biscuits” – WANT! We don’t have any place that serves good hushpuppies up here. My wife makes very good corn fritters, but I’ve been disappointed every time I’ve ordered hushpuppies in a restaurant.

    I would like to point out that thee is one more Wednesday in May…I’m sure I speak for many when I say, we’d like to know when and where Granny went.

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    1. I’m sure those fritters are delicious!
      I’ve never tried to make hushpuppies, Dan, but they are a yummy memory from backyard fish-fry socials when I was a child.
      Haha! Granny would probably say that asking that question was about like asking a lady to tell her age. 😉
      Thanks so much for your encouragement. You’re the cat’s pajamas!

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    1. I’m so glad you could visit, Fraggle. Yes, maybe Granny went to look in on Alastair Wong the elder where he moved to the Pacific coast to get over her. Maybe she went to the future to see how Detective Dabney Daniels progressed in his career. Or… who knows. Thanks for reading and commenting. You’re the cat’s meow!

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  17. I hope you feel better soon, Teagan. Love to get more adventures from Granny Phanny and Artie. I also wonder where they went, but some things should be kept private. 🙂

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    1. So do I, Denise. She had a number of suitors, even before the timeline of the stories. Perhaps she went to look in on Alastair Wong the elder where he moved to the Pacific coast to get over her. Maybe she went to the future to see how Detective Dabney Daniels progressed in his career. Or perhaps she went to the future to look in on Pip and see if she ever became a great-grandmother. 😉 Thanks so much for visiting. You’re the cat’s meow!

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