Day 158: The Boy Who was Everyone

The Boy Who was Everyone!
by
Matt Zurbo

Jimmy was bored.
(Kid walking, hands in pockets, kicking a can.)

(Kid shouting at magpie that pooed on him.)

(Kid wiping off poo. Looking at wall with door in it. Lots of noises and a balloon or two coming over the wall. Can just make out the top of a few party hats. Tall, formal looking man with a thin, twirly moustache standing upright at door.)

“Ahh, the Odd Couple,” said the gatekeeper.
(Gatekeeper opening door in wall. Two strange looking people dressed as semi-human creatures, with dresses and puffy hats, walk through door.)

“The lady who only talks in letters…”
(Kid watching gatekeeper bow and make was for lady carrying the letters: Thank you.)

“Guitar Pete…”
(Kid clinging to wall, trying to look over it, while boy dressed as Elvis, with four guitars enters.)

“The girl who makes sandcastles… DO come in!”
(Little girl with plastic bucket and shovel, leaving a trail of little sandcastles. She is bending to make another as she walks. Gatekeeper looking down at her, smiling.)

“Oh dear. The Grommet Squad…”
(Boys with surf and boogie boards cheering, handstands, leapfrogging each other, etc, entering the door. One is leapfrogging annoyed kid.)

“Lady of the flowers… The bird brain… The boy who only dances….”
(Kid smiling, strutting towards open door, behind woman covered in flowers, girl surrounded by birds, dancing boy, with his own disco ball on a hospital stand.)

YO!
(Six-foot tall glove, worn by wooden beam/‘arm’ stops Kid. Gatekeeper has arms crossed, stern face.)

“Wah? Why can’t I come in?” said Jimmy.
“First tell us your thing,” said the fire-eater.
“Yes, what makes you so special?” said the man who loved fish.
(Kid, landed on bum, sitting on ground. Being passed by lady fire-eater, and man balancing several fishbowls with cute fish, who are being let in.)

“My what?” said the boy.
“YOUR THING!” boomed the noisiest kid alive. “LALALALA!”
“Wow, he was annoying,” said Jimmy.
“But at least he has a thing,” said the girl who’s head was always lost in the clouds.(Noisiest kid with beat box, shouting, walking through door. Kid covering ears looking at him. Girl with small cloud covering head walking from behind boy towards door.)

(Kid looking frustrated. Gatekeeper unmoved. All the while the snippets of a growing party can just be seen over the wall. Party hats, longhorns, someone with a long scarf and old school pilot helmet and goggles being thrown in the air, etc…)

“I don’t have any THING!” Jimmy protested.
“What, nothing?” said Pirate Penelope.
“Did he say he doesn’t have anything special about him?” said Rocket Red.
“How strange,” said the old man who keep stories in jars.
(All four walking past kid.)

(Kid climbing over wall while a gristly gold digger, boy rolling in a tire, robot with a girl curled up in its heart-shaped chest plate, lady with a dozen cats, and juggling dog walk in.)

BOOT!
(Giant boot, with wooden ‘leg’ kicking kid out of door. Five or six unique looking people pulling back to avoid being hit as they enter.)

“Just tell them your thing!” whispered the child that only whispers.
“It’s no big deal,” said the girl who likes flowers.
“Yeah, what’s your thing?”
“What? What!”
(Girl in cute dress leaning over to kid sitting on ground again, She is whispering into a megaphone at him. Also surrounding him is a girl covered in flowers, a boy in a two-legged motorised creature, an African American kid with a HUGE afro and a dinosaur.)

“I DON’T HAVE A THING! I’m just a boy! An ordinary boy, like every other ordinary boy!” shouted Jimmy.
(More unique people coming to see what the noise is. Some looking over wall, including one with a helicopter tail.)

“I just like to swim at the beach, run and play and get into trouble, like anyone!” Jimmy wailed.
(Now surrounded by a crowd.)

“The Boy Who was Everyone…” pondered the child that only whispers.
(Same image. Girl talking into megaphone, boy on bum, wide-eyed, looking at her. Everybody else still watching.)

“Well,” said the gatekeeper. “The Boy Who was Everyone. Pleased to meet you!”
(Gatekeeper shaking kid’s hand vigorously, big smile. While with other hand motioning to the door. Other unique people behind them, entering.)

“You had better come in!”
(Kid looking back at readers, baffled, as gatekeeper, friendly had on kid’s back, steers him through the gate.)

 

The End
(Gate shuts.)