Katja 09: Enjoy the Silence (-/f)

[Jenny_1972]

This is part of a growing series of Katja stories:

Katja 00: Prolog 1 - Early Signs viewtopic.php?t=23922
Katja 00: Prolog 2 - When TUGs were simple viewtopic.php?t=23905
Katja 01: What's a collar without a leash? viewtopic.php?t=23816
Katja 02: Making the shopping mall less boring viewtopic.php?t=23853
Katja 03: A question of peg and chain viewtopic.php?t=23881
Katja 04: Caged Birds Do Sing viewtopic.php?t=23931
Katja 05: How not to dance viewtopic.php?t=23950
Katja 06: A Bald Decision viewtopic.php?t=23963
Katja 07: The Big Red viewtopic.php?t=23977
Katja 08: Grandma's Wooden Spoon viewtopic.php?t=24038
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Katja 10: Among Sheep viewtopic.php?t=24067
Katja 11: Reading Tolkien viewtopic.php?t=24096
Katja 12: All about David viewtopic.php?t=24109
Katja 13: Boxing Katja viewtopic.php?t=24151


Katja 09: Enjhhoy theh Shhhilenss

This story was told to me by Katja, but was confirmed by her mother and later by her friend Chloe.

"Daddy, do you remember when I had to wear those awful permanent braces for almost two years?"

"Yes, right. I had almost forgotten. You must have been around eleven, and I felt so sorry for you with your mouth full of wires. Didn't some boys at school call you 'wire face'?"

"Some did. Some seemed rather fascinated by it." Katja grinned. "Did I ever tell you about my very special private TUG with my braces?"

"No, at least I can't remember."

"On weekends that promised to be boring — meaning I'd spend them with Mom and my little brother — I’d tie my jaws shut."

"You never told me, but it totally sounds like you."

"Coming home from school on Friday afternoon, I’d first brush my teeth. Then I’d take a piece of kite string and thread it through the braces of my upper and lower jaw. I’d clench my jaws shut and tighten the string. Finally, I’d tie a strong knot and trim down the loose ends. That way, I couldn’t untie the knot; to get my mouth open again, the string had to be cut. But my self-imposed rules were: only one tie and only one cut per weekend."

"That's such a typical Katja stunt. What did your mom say?"

"She didn’t really mind. She found it odd — but just another one of my oddities. As long as a small pair of scissors was always nearby, it wasn’t particularly dangerous. And I could definitely last until Monday morning without solid food*. She just wanted to know in advance if I’d be tying my mouth again so she could adjust her weekend shopping."

"Knowing your mom’s cooking, that wasn’t the worst idea. But you couldn’t speak?!"

"Yes, and both my mom and my brother loved my self-imposed Shhpeechh... 'mpedimen'.
At first, I wouldn’t speak at all — much to their joy. Later, with some practice, I learned to mumble a few intelligible words or even short sentences. But speaking always remained cumbersome and sounded awkward. So nobody minded if I stayed silent. Not having to talk to my mom or my brother for the entire weekend was one of the perks of this TUG.
My dentist once told my mom I was his only patient who never asked when her braces would finally be removed."

Katja and I had a good laugh.

"This jaw-TUG even brought about a rare bonding moment with my little brother." Katja continued

"You and your brother? That does sound rare indeed."

"One Friday afternoon, after I’d returned from school, my brother asked whether I planned to keep my mouth tied shut that weekend."

"'Tha’ no’ yourh... conshurn' I answered." Katja did her best impression of speaking with her mouth wired shut.

"If you do, may I ask you for a small favour?" he ignored me

"No."

"It’s about that guy Marvin in the class above me." he ignored me again

"'Marbh’n... the asshh-hol’?' He had built up a bit of a reputation."

"The very same. I know that next week he has an appointment at the dentist to get the same permanent braces you have."

We grinned at each other — highly unusual!

"I’d like to invite him over to play with me." my brother surprised me

"Invite the asshole over?"

"Yes. And while we’re sitting in my room, you come in — you're never short on excuses. Then you mumble around with your mouth tied shut and drink one of your disgusting green smoothies through a straw."

Now we were both still smiling.

"And when Marvin the Asshole asks questions, you struggle to tell him that getting permanent braces inevitably means getting your mouth wired shut — just like you."

"Maybe I should even reassure him that i’ noth ash ba’ ash it shoun’s. You gehh to drrrink ash many shof’ drin’sh ash you wan’, an’ you’reh ekscused fr’m theh shchool choirr."

"Brilliant! I totally trust you," said my brother.

When Marvin came over on Saturday, he totally bought it. Pale, and with tears in his eyes, he had to cut his visit short. My brother and I high-fived each other — maybe for the first time ever.

(* Another reason might have been a comment from Chloe that Katja was getting fat: "Better I tell you before Christie or Marcel do." Of all people — Chloe. Talk about bad karma...)

[Killua]

That is quite a mean prank but still funny especially if that boy behaved badly. A fun and creative gag-idea too.

[Jenny_1972]

That is quite a mean prank but still funny especially if that boy behaved badly. A fun and creative gag-idea too.

I really don't know where Katja gets these ideas from ...