Gaston was a terrible gardener and equally appalling cook. The latter of these annoyed him the most. With a name like Gaston he felt sure that his lot in life was becoming a head chef in a French bistro or some swanky London hotel.
He had all the tools. Expensive japanese knives, copper-bottomed pots and pans, specialist slicers for bananas, garlic, carrots and eggs. He even started his own allotment to encourage creativity and healthy eating. Alas, it was to no avail. After 5 full seasons all he had managed to grow was impatient, a ginger beard and five mushrooms.
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Catch up with the rest of the Friday Fiction stories over at Rochelle’s blog. 1 photo. 100 words. Endless possibilities.
me.you.coffee 
Dear Peter,
Perhaps it would be easier for Gaston to change his name and seek another career, one that he truly enjoys. 😉 Fun story.
Shalom,
Rochelle
🙂 A wise move. Thanks for reading.
Dear Mr. Binks,
Great last line, for a number of reasons. Well done. (An order to a chef?)
Aloha,
Doug
Thanks for reading, Doug. Glad you liked it.
Hehe poor Gaston! Cute story 🙂
He’s rubbish 😉
I don’t know. A guy named Gaston should be able to cook. So what if he kills a few people? That was what Typhoid Mary did!
She sounds like a nightmare at dinner parties.
I’m sitting here trying to figure out what other profession a man named Gaston could succeed in. I got nothing. We’re all doomed.
My point exactly!
Love your last line. At least he hasn’t, at least so far, cooked the wrong sort of mushroom and killed his guests and himself.
janet
Thank you, very kind.
Really snappy last line – loved it. I’m with the others, changing the name would be a better bet.
Thanks Sandra!
I like that: grow impatient and a ginger beard. 🙂 Hopefully the mushrooms aren’t poison or that really would be the final nail in the coffin.
Cheers, David.
What a great story and that last line was to die for. 🙂
Sounds like you liked it? 🙂
I think the ginger beard will at least give an everlasting value.. Gaston there’s a hair in my soup!!!
Eewwww.
Fun last line. He DOES need to change jobs. Japanese knives do not a chef make!
All the gear and no idea!
That was a simple story… Smoothly conveyed!
That’s me. Simple and smooooooth.
I love that one of the things he could grow was a ginger beard – great last line.
Claire
This was in no way a story about me. Nah ah. Nope.
Ahem.
I guess the name doesn’t make the man!
Lily
Indeed. Unless your name is, Man Manninson.
Poor Gaston! I loved the conclusion of the story: all he had grown was impatient…. Well done, Peter!
Thanks Jan.
Alas, I too am a frustrated gardener and part time chef. I liked Gaston.
🙂 Thanks for reading.
The last line said it all – impatient, a ginger beard and 5 mushrooms. If however, it took him 5 seasons to become impatient I would say he was a highly patient man. Nice tale.
Ooh, that’s a very good point actually! Am I allowed to change it?
I’ve no idea – too new. Perhaps the impatient referred to getting old (which the person has done waiting out 5 seasons) and most men become increasingly impatient. Not being sexist just honest and factual. 🙂
Poor Gaston. Good story, made me chuckle. 🙂
What a fun story – I loved the last line! Well done!
Reminds me of me! Great little tale.
At least he was able to grow mushrooms in that poop garden. 😀
Could be worse, Gaston could be poisoning his customers with toadstools that he thought were mushrooms…
With a name like that, he was always setup to fail
Very entertaining. I feel sorry for Gaston – at least he keeps trying.
Just goes to show it’s not the tools it’s how you use them.
Peter,
Especially nice use of those mushrooms in the photo.
All my best,
Marie Gail
I saw Gaston and instantly thought of the character from Beauty and the beast. Gaston is good at everything, but cooking. That’s what Belle is for.
I guess you can’t be good at everything. Perhaps, a restaurant owner with hired chefs would work for him. I liked your interpretation of the story very much. : )
we often try being what we are not destined to be
Fantastic last line!
The best laid plans of mice and men, eh? I’ve just taken on an allotment. I was born impatient, the allotment has lots of ‘mushrooms’ already. All I have to do is not shave, though my beard will undoubtedly be white, rather than ginger. Pity.