The J curves

/ Editor, Witcraft

This piece was written for the weekly Six Sentence Challenge with the prompt word of ‘rivalry’.

All of her sons (Jebediah, Jared, Jehosophat, James, Japheth and Jonah) stood at the open grave of Judith Johannson (nee Jericho), where she would finally rest adjacent to her late husband, Joshua.

The rivalry between the sons was legendary and they had already begun arguing about who had travelled further (Junee or Jerilderie), who was going to inherit Jacaranda (the family farm), the JBar in the nearest town, and the Jumping Juniper Jin distillery.

The officiating priest was well aware of the antipathy between the sons and had taken the precaution of providing each of them with their own identical shovel so there wouldn’t be an argument about who got to throw the first sod on to Judith’s coffin.

After the requisite amount of God-bothering from the priest, the sons drew lots to decide the speaking order for the eulogies, with each, of course, wanting to deliver their own.

All went well until Jebediah concluded his heartfelt words with ‘… and you always told me I was your favorite son’, and then all hell broke loose as the sons attacked each with the shovels and, one by one, fell dead or mortally wounded into the grave, on top of their mother.

As the priest wept at the carnage, there was a hand on his shoulder and he turned to see a raven-haired beauty in a tight black dress topped with a Grand Canyon-esque cleavage who said, ‘Father, I’m the only daughter, Jezebel.’

29 thoughts on “The J curves”

    • Many thanks, clark. ‘God botherer’ is originally a British term for an over-zealous clergyman and hence it’s journey to Australia, which is of course Godzone, as in God’s own country. 🙂

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  12. Jumpin’ Jack Daniels! I love a happy ending (for the only survivors, the priest and Jezebel?).
    So much to lololol here, but this somehow made me splutter coffee: “After the requisite amount of God-bothering from the priest…”
    and then the very cool “Jumping Juniper Jin distillery” I thought gin then djinn, either way we’re in the domain of spirits.
    A J-tastic Six!

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