A Day in the Life of Geoffrey Yerffoeg
By Andy Osborn
“Good morning Geoffrey” was quietly whispered into the ear of barely conscious Geoffrey by his mother just after sunrise. As he awoke, he stretched out his limbs and struggled to gain his balance. After a restful nights sleep, his hair had settled into a mohawk atop the dome of his head. Geoffrey had legs that seem to go on for days, and freckles that covered him head to toe. Geoffrey looked just like his mother, and his father. The only thing that really set Geoffrey apart was his smile. The Yerffoeg’s were vegetarians, but that seemed to be the norm where he grew up. “Breakfast is outside whenever you get hungry” Mrs. Yerffoeg said. “I’m not hungry ma” replied Geoffrey with a sense of nervous anticipation of what lay ahead in the day. Today was not just any day, but a very very special day. Today Geoffrey had a photo shoot, but not just any photo shoot; he was to be featured on the cover of a magazine. This company loved his smile, like most that he met, and wanted to make him the marketable face of the company. Geoffrey finally made it outside as the sun was just rising over the tops of the trees causing him to squint and wrinkles to blanket his face. His eyes finally adjusted to the sunlight, as they did he saw his mother staring back with unconditional love written all over her face. “Don’t be nervous, you’ll do great.” Those were comforting words from Geoffrey’s mother that calmed the palpitating heart of Geoffrey. The great thing about mothers is they always find the right words to say. A white van approaches to take Geoffrey and his mother to the shoot. “I’M NOT GOING!” Geoffrey demanded. After several attempts to bribe Geoffrey, she pauses then proclaims “Do it for Gino”. She could not help it. It just seemed to roll out of her mouth; she tried to catch the words with her exceptionally long tongue, but failed. It was the last straw. Geoffrey’s eyes widened and mouth dropped. Growing up, Geoffrey was very timid, soft spoken, and always seemed to be underappreciated because his brother’s success. His brother was a performer, and a dazzling one at that. He would put on a show every time he took the stage. Crowds would flock from all across the country to see Gino perform. Women would leave in tears, and adolescents teens would wait for hours just to get in a picture the Gino. Until the day, the day that changed the Yerffoeg’s lives forever. Gino was performing at his usually time 12:00pm, but this week he was trying a new, more challenging routine. Everything seemed to be going according to plan, when all of a sudden during his Goragon Full to Slap Slap Shhh Daddy, the hardest move in his routine; “CRACK!” Gino’s leg snaps, a horrific moan exits Gino’s mouth, and a simultaneous gasp from nervous spectators. The sound of silence filled the stadium, and people began praying as the medical team rushed to try and subdue the injured performer. This would be Gino’s last performance, and his last day alive. A broken leg might as well be a death sentence. His family mourned for weeks, and vowed never to mention his name again. Gino was Geoffrey’s roll model and mentor. Flash forward 5 years. “What did you say?” Geoffrey stated. “You heard me” his mother replied, “now lets get in the van.” The pair began yelling, and aimlessly trying hold back tears, but that didn’t last long. The two embraced and spent several minutes weeping into each others necks. The two walked side by side to the van, reminiscing of the good o’le days. They finally arrive at the destination, an abandoned warehouse filled with lights, umbrellas with lights in them, shiny round sun blockers, a photographer, make-up artists, and costume designers, a whole community waiting for Geoffrey. Geoffrey put on his T-shirt, and white gloves. Standing before him was twelve kids all of which filled with joy or are exceptionally good at faking a smile. Geoffrey stared into the camera, flashed his heart-melting smile and gave an enthusiastic thumbs up. KATICH, the flash burst and lens snapped. Onlookers began tearing up, because they were looking at a bright future. Hours later, the cover is complete and a star is born. The van takes Geoffrey and his mom back to their residence. On the way back, Geoffrey is struggling to stay awake. His eye lids feel like anchors pulling down on his eyes. His mom walks him out of the trailer, struggling to keep his balance; he zonks out in the middle of the field under his favorite tree. “Goodnight Geoffrey, I love you” was whispered softly to the perked ears of Geoffrey by his mom. Later Geoffrey becomes the face of Toys-R-Us. His unmistakable smile and white glove capture the hearts and wallets of millions of children and parents across the United States. The magazine shoot he did not want to go to changed his life forever. Though small and insignificant at the time, He turns into the greatest star of the late 19th and into the 20th century. No matter how distraught Geoffrey was, he had a gift, and he used his gift to reach millions of people. Can’t we all reflect Geoffrey from time to time?
By Andy Osborn
“Good morning Geoffrey” was quietly whispered into the ear of barely conscious Geoffrey by his mother just after sunrise. As he awoke, he stretched out his limbs and struggled to gain his balance. After a restful nights sleep, his hair had settled into a mohawk atop the dome of his head. Geoffrey had legs that seem to go on for days, and freckles that covered him head to toe. Geoffrey looked just like his mother, and his father. The only thing that really set Geoffrey apart was his smile. The Yerffoeg’s were vegetarians, but that seemed to be the norm where he grew up. “Breakfast is outside whenever you get hungry” Mrs. Yerffoeg said. “I’m not hungry ma” replied Geoffrey with a sense of nervous anticipation of what lay ahead in the day. Today was not just any day, but a very very special day. Today Geoffrey had a photo shoot, but not just any photo shoot; he was to be featured on the cover of a magazine. This company loved his smile, like most that he met, and wanted to make him the marketable face of the company. Geoffrey finally made it outside as the sun was just rising over the tops of the trees causing him to squint and wrinkles to blanket his face. His eyes finally adjusted to the sunlight, as they did he saw his mother staring back with unconditional love written all over her face. “Don’t be nervous, you’ll do great.” Those were comforting words from Geoffrey’s mother that calmed the palpitating heart of Geoffrey. The great thing about mothers is they always find the right words to say. A white van approaches to take Geoffrey and his mother to the shoot. “I’M NOT GOING!” Geoffrey demanded. After several attempts to bribe Geoffrey, she pauses then proclaims “Do it for Gino”. She could not help it. It just seemed to roll out of her mouth; she tried to catch the words with her exceptionally long tongue, but failed. It was the last straw. Geoffrey’s eyes widened and mouth dropped. Growing up, Geoffrey was very timid, soft spoken, and always seemed to be underappreciated because his brother’s success. His brother was a performer, and a dazzling one at that. He would put on a show every time he took the stage. Crowds would flock from all across the country to see Gino perform. Women would leave in tears, and adolescents teens would wait for hours just to get in a picture the Gino. Until the day, the day that changed the Yerffoeg’s lives forever. Gino was performing at his usually time 12:00pm, but this week he was trying a new, more challenging routine. Everything seemed to be going according to plan, when all of a sudden during his Goragon Full to Slap Slap Shhh Daddy, the hardest move in his routine; “CRACK!” Gino’s leg snaps, a horrific moan exits Gino’s mouth, and a simultaneous gasp from nervous spectators. The sound of silence filled the stadium, and people began praying as the medical team rushed to try and subdue the injured performer. This would be Gino’s last performance, and his last day alive. A broken leg might as well be a death sentence. His family mourned for weeks, and vowed never to mention his name again. Gino was Geoffrey’s roll model and mentor. Flash forward 5 years. “What did you say?” Geoffrey stated. “You heard me” his mother replied, “now lets get in the van.” The pair began yelling, and aimlessly trying hold back tears, but that didn’t last long. The two embraced and spent several minutes weeping into each others necks. The two walked side by side to the van, reminiscing of the good o’le days. They finally arrive at the destination, an abandoned warehouse filled with lights, umbrellas with lights in them, shiny round sun blockers, a photographer, make-up artists, and costume designers, a whole community waiting for Geoffrey. Geoffrey put on his T-shirt, and white gloves. Standing before him was twelve kids all of which filled with joy or are exceptionally good at faking a smile. Geoffrey stared into the camera, flashed his heart-melting smile and gave an enthusiastic thumbs up. KATICH, the flash burst and lens snapped. Onlookers began tearing up, because they were looking at a bright future. Hours later, the cover is complete and a star is born. The van takes Geoffrey and his mom back to their residence. On the way back, Geoffrey is struggling to stay awake. His eye lids feel like anchors pulling down on his eyes. His mom walks him out of the trailer, struggling to keep his balance; he zonks out in the middle of the field under his favorite tree. “Goodnight Geoffrey, I love you” was whispered softly to the perked ears of Geoffrey by his mom. Later Geoffrey becomes the face of Toys-R-Us. His unmistakable smile and white glove capture the hearts and wallets of millions of children and parents across the United States. The magazine shoot he did not want to go to changed his life forever. Though small and insignificant at the time, He turns into the greatest star of the late 19th and into the 20th century. No matter how distraught Geoffrey was, he had a gift, and he used his gift to reach millions of people. Can’t we all reflect Geoffrey from time to time?
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