Fifteen Minutes
By Ollie Bear
I do not own Starsky and Hutch, but I sure have fun with them.
Thanks to Bobbie and Strut for the beta.
Dedication…Dearest H, this one is for you.
September 1953
Brooklyn Elementary School
None of the students in Mrs. George's fourth grade English class was excited about the slip of paper being handed to them today. The paper would reveal to each child the name and address of their pen pal. Not only would the ten year olds be required to write to their "new best friend" weekly, but they would have to interview their pen pal and write a two page report due right after Thanksgiving break.
David Starsky sulked at his desk. What a waste of time. What could I possibly have in common with some kid that does not even live in New York City? Be my luck that it'll be some country club snob who cares nothing about cars, baseball or moms homemade chicken soup. I'll bet his dad is a doctor and his mom plays tennis everyday.
As Mrs. George approached each desk there was many a grumble from the boys but some of the girls squealed in delight when they found out their new friend shared their passion of Elvis.
David glanced quickly at the information in front of him. Even worse than I expected. The kid's dad is a lawyer, his mom plays bridge and the kid collects rare coins and likes classical music. What a bore.
Mrs. George announced that the class had fifteen minutes to write an introductory letter to their pen pals.
What can I write that will never make this kid want to hear from me again?
Present Day
Bay City
Dave Starsky looked fondly through the contents of a box his mom had sent. The box held his childhood baseball collection and old car magazines. A slip of paper fell to the ground when he emptied the box on to the table. As he picked up the paper, a smile came to his face.
Dear Friend,
My teacher told me to introduce myself. I am Kenneth Hutchinson and I am a student at Duluth Academy in Duluth, Minnesota. I have one sister who is younger than me. She is in second grade. My dad is an Attorney at the District Attorney's Office. My mom is the school PTA president and she and my dad play bridge every Saturday night.
I belong to the school chess club and I also have a coin collection. I hope to begin a classical record collection soon.
I look forward to hearing all about you.
Sincerely,
Master Kenneth Hutchinson
3 Sussex Lane
Duluth, Minnesota
19402
Starksy sent a silent prayer of thanks to Mrs. George and was grateful that Hutch wrote him back in spite of the fact that David told him that he hated attorneys and that coin collections and classical music were for sissies.