3031. Wall clock © Bruce Goodman 2 August 2024

Wilhelmina and Christopher Poremski should never have bought a pendulum wall clock that chimed. They had long longed for a chiming clock; either that or a cuckoo clock. In the end they opted for the chimer. At first the chimes were charming. “It’s just like the old days,” declared Wilhelmina. “I remember a clock like this in my grandparents’ house.” “Do you think,” wondered Christopher, “that the chimes on the hour begin exactly on the hour or is the exact time on the final dong?” Wilhelmina thought the initial bong indicated the exact time, but Christopher preferred the final dong. It was only a few seconds difference but quite frankly it lead to the occasional argument. Of course they were very nice about it, but underneath both were seething at the ignorance of the other. Cousin Claude would know. He fixes clocks. He’s a wizard at it. Next time he comes they will ask him. In the meantime, Wilhelmina and Christopher astutely avoided divorce. Cousin Claude did come for a visit. They proudly showed him their chiming wall clock. “Very nice,” said Claude, “but why is it seven minutes slow?” Contact Author Back to Index Next Story Previous Story