Storytelling week 7: Eddie's first date

Eddie was a tremendous football player. He was well liked by all of his coaches at the university. He was the fastest running back that any of them had ever seen in their careers. Athletically he was at the top of the food chain, but with the ladies he was not as popular. He only knew how to play football. He hadn’t had a father figure to tell him how to treat a woman.

His teammates teased Eddie about his awkwardness around girls. Prom was coming up soon and Eddie figured he just wouldn’t go. He thought he would pick up an extra shift at the local 7/11 where he worked on the weekends. His teammates wanted to help Eddie get a date. They knew he wouldn’t do it on his own.

 They knew Eddie had his eye on Sabrina. She was captain of the cheerleading squad and the most popular girl in school. The boys knew exactly how they were going to get Eddie a date. He needed a new sense of fashion. Eddie looked like his mother still picked out his clothes because he wore clothes from the local thrift shop. 

The boys thought they could help Eddie if they created him a new image. So they took Eddie to the mall and bought him new jeans and a collared shirt. They also took him to get a haircut and got him some gel to put in his hair.

 The next day the boys encouraged Eddie to ask Sabrina to prom. Eddie was super nervous and did not even know how he would talk to such a pretty girl. Finally he found the courage and he walked up to her on his way to class.

 “Hey Sabrina! How’s it going?” Eddie said.

 Sabrina turned around shocked at Eddie’s appearance. “Um.. good.. Eddie?” she asked.

 Eddie knew by the look on her face she was shocked that he could clean up well. “Would you like to have dinner with me tonight, around 7?” Eddie asked. 

Sabrina still had an astonished look on her face but she managed to mumble a “sure.” 

That night Eddie and Sabrina went to the Dairy Queen for dinner.

 “Sabrina, there something I wanted to ask you…” She turned her head and looked at Eddie “ask away,” she replied. 

Eddie took a deep breath, “Would you go to prom with me?”

Sabrina looked at Eddie confused “is that why you went and bought new clothes?” 

Eddie looked at his plate, because he knew for sure her answer was no. 

Sabrina continued the conversation, “because you could have asked me with that dorky haircut and I would have said yes. Appearance isn’t everything Eddie.”

Author's Note: 

I wrote this story based on the idea of Anansi and Nothing. In the West African Tale, Anansi and nothing set out to find wives. Nothing was dressed in fancy clothes and Anansi was not because he was poor. Anansi convenience Nothing to switch him clothes, and of course Anansi received all the attention. Later when they brought their wives home the ones of Anansi soon realized they were fooled and had picked a poor husband. Nothing's wife tried to share the wealth with the others and Anansi got jealous and killed Nothing. I thought this story was a good representation that looks may make a person appealing, but they are simply not everything.  

Bibliography:

“Anansi and Nothing” by William H. Barker and Cecilia Sinclair from West African Folktales (1917).

Anansi and Nothing


I thought this picture was important to remember because Anansi is supposed to resemble a spider in most West African Tales.
Picture Link