Light Bulb

by David Barron

Light Bulb

  By

  David Barron

  Copyright©2011-02-24David Barron

  All rights reserved

  This is a story of pure fiction and all characters are from the authors own imagination

  And any characters portrayed are fictional

  Table of Contents

  School Days

  Ron Shines a Light at College

  Ron and Roff go to a Rock Concert

  School Days

  It had been a rather dismal day in Liteopolis, and the falling rain had not improved matters for the little bulbs that lived there. Two friends Roff Bulb and Ron Bulb who had lived there all of their lives, were sitting in their glass containers looking out at the gray coloured sky, and wondering if the Great Light would ever shine, it had been dark and dreary for days.

  Ron was the brighter of the two bulbs and was rated at one hundred watts, but poor old Roff hadn't been able to shine since his mother had given birth to him in the factory. He had blown not long after they had tried to switch him on. His mother had tried to tell the Electrolyte, that he was over rated but he never listened, and had went ahead, damaging Roff's filaments. Of course his mother had tried to sue the factory for negligence, but her lawyers weren't able to shine any light on the case, so it had been dropped. Poor Roff was always a bit dull, because of that and only really came to life when the Great Light shone directly on him. It was at these times that Ron and Roff would have long meaningful conversations about life and the Great Light and what it was, and where it might have come from. The two Bulbs had been friends from childhood, and Ron never seemed to mind that his friends thought that Roff was dull and boring. They just seemed to get along together, and he'd been told by his mother anyway that opposites were attracted to each other, and that he was to take no heed of what his friends thought, they didn't pay his electric bills. All anyone ever talked about at school anyway was the day they would leave and go to college.

  They had been off school now for two days as it was the weekend and tomorrow they would have to return, not that he disliked school, but he did hate the way some of his classmates teased Roff. Next day Ron's mother got him up bright and early for school, and made him eat all of his breakfast before letting him out to go to Roff's house to pick him up. He always went to Roff's on a school day to make sure he was up and ready to go, Roffs mother was not so chirpy in the mornings as his mother, and would still be in her box, not really bothering to wake poor Roff. Ron went around the back of the large carton he lived in and made his way through the garden to the hole in the fence, which led through to Roff's garden and went in through the open lid.

  "Roff it's me Ron are you up and about yet, we have school today?" From somewhere up the stairs Ron heard a shuffling noise, and a head peered over the railing on the top landing.

  "Yeah I'm up Ron, be down in a minute."

  "Ok Roff but hurry the bus will be here soon." Ron waited fidgeting with his school blazer, he didn't want to be late, Mr Brightly didn't like his pupils to be late, and he could be quite mean. At that Roff came bowling down the stairs and grabbing his bag from the hook near the front door, stood up and looked at Ron.

  "Well that's me ready let's get going." Ron looked at his uniform it looked like he had been wearing it in his box.

  "Hasn't your mum ironed your trousers and shirt Roff, they look pretty bad mate?"

  "No she gets pretty tired now Ron and I am sure she's growing dimmer."

  "You don't think she's going to blow do you?"

  "Well her last check up with the Electrolyte said that she was still quite bright, but these past few days I've started to see a change."

  "Was a time when I could read the paper the Light News quite easily when mum was sitting next to me, but now; well it's just getting harder."

  "I'm so sorry Roff, but you know it happens to us all, were only rated for so many hours before we pop our filaments."

  "Yeah thanks Ron; gosh I'm glad I have you as a friend." Roff opened the front door and they went out onto the pavement and waited for the bus to take them to their school, Bayonet Fitting Elementary.

  At school they were met by a few Bulbs hanging around the front gates, and Ron was sure that the classroom bully was amongst them. They walked by trying to ignore them but the bully who was one of the new breed of bulbs Energy Savers was determined to goad Roff.

  "Hey Roff we heard your mum is getting a bit dim."

  "Yeah she'll soon be as dim as you." Roff looked like he was ready to cry so Ron stepped up and pushing his glass right up against the bully pushed him clean over onto his back.

  "You might get turned on by riling my friend but don't ever try it round me or I'll show you whose dim ok." The bully got such a shock that he couldn't think of anything witty to say in return so Roff and Ron entered the school and went to their class. As soon as the bell went the teacher entered the classroom and hauled down the blackboard and gave the surface a wipe with a wooden duster.

  "Today I want you to take out your wattage tables and study them; I'll have some questions for you before lunchtime." The class opened up their desks and took the books out and laid them on the desks in front of them and opened the first page. They sat silent reading the tables until at last they heard the bell for play time. The desk lids were opened wide and the books threw back in and then they all half walked half ran from the classroom, out into the playground. Some bulbs played around with an old leather football, whilst others played pitchy toss. This game was really only for the older bulbs, as it started quite a few arguments, and fights often broke out. The game itself was easy, first you stood back from a wall say ten feet away, then tried to throw a coin as close to the wall as possible. The one who got closest got to pick up all the coins and than had to toss them up into the air trying to catch them on the back of his hand. However many you caught you kept, and there were some who made an art of it, and could win quite a lot, from the less experienced players. Ron and Roff would try their hands at football or sometimes they liked to play a bit of cricket with the stumps drawn onto a wall with some chalk. After the break they got back to the books and just before the lunch bell the teacher stood up and asked them to put them away, it was time for the exam.

  "Now who can tell me the maximum wattage for a domestic light bulb?" A flurry of hands shot up and she picked one of the energy savers, to tell her the answer.

  "I think it's a sixty miss brightly."

  "No I'm sorry that's wrong sit back down; does anyone else know?" Ron put his hand in the air, and she pointed to him to stand and give his answer.

  "Is it a two hundred and fifty miss brightly?"

  "Yes that's correct Ron; I'm glad someone's been paying attention to their books." She asked lots of questions about wiring and colour and fittings, and Ron did rather well with his answers. At the end of the day Ron and Roff made their way to the bus stop to wait with the rest of their friends for the bus that would take them home, everyone was so excited this was their last week at junior school, next week they all started at college, and the ones who passed their exams all through the week would get the best choices from the courses on offer. The rest of the week went by in a haze of writing in exam papers and answering question in the classroom. Ron was sure he had done well but was a little bit worried for his friend Roff.

  Roff had not done so well, and would not make college, and Ron would have to make some new friends, but he would not forget his best friend Roff that he would never do.

  Ron Shines a Light at College

  The start of the first day at college Ron was very nervous; he didn't know anyone there at all. He had spotted a girl who had looked at him over her shoulder as she made her way into the entrance on the arm, of her friend. She had smiled at him, and Ron had smiled b
ack, feeling rather foolish, since he didn't even know her, although he did hope she was going to be in at least one of his classes, as he quite fancied her. Ron made his way inside to the reception and waited beside a group of people who were all waiting to get their ID cards before they were allowed to go to their respective classes. Then it was his turn and he stepped in front of the camera while the Photo Bulb took his picture, then handed him some booklets and told him to go to Mrs Candela Bras class on the second floor. He hurried up the stairs and down the corridor till he came to Mrs Bras class, and entered the room. There were seats aligned very informally in a semi circle and there were quite a few students there already, so he looked for an empty seat and sat down. As he did so he heard a slight giggle and looked about him only to see the same girl and her friend who had smiled at him out in the