CLEANING DAY

Timeline: Post Ep.III/Pre-ANH

Genre: Humor

~*~

A middle-aged man slowly dragged his moist rag over the few pieces of furniture in his small home. Or rather small cave. He softly hummed to himself as he worked at his spring-cleaning.

He walked back to his small sink and cleaned off the rag. Slowly, he turned around and surveyed his home. It was small, but quaint. Everything in the universe that he own was in his small abode and he really did find it to be his new home. With a flick of his wrist, he put the rag back in the sink and moved to a chair in the middle of the room.

He had just sat down and begun to rest his eyes after fifteen minutes of strenuous cleaning, when he heard the ever-present voice.

"You missed a spot." Suppressing a groan, the man opened one eye and found himself staring into the ever-present figure.

"I did not." With that answer the man closed his eye again.

"Yes, you did. Right there." Knowing his peace was over the man rose to his feet and placed his hand on his hips.

"Where?"

"There." He followed the given direction and tried to find his supposedly 'missed spot.'

"I cleaned it."

"No, you missed it."

"It's clean."

"Dirty."

"Clean."

"Dirty." Realizing the argument could carry on for hours, the younger man let out a large sigh and moved back to the sink. With groans, grunts, and humphs, he removed his rag and went over to the offending 'dirty' spot. With as much violence as he could muster, he scrubbed the spot till it shined.

With a smug expression, he turned back to his companion. "Better?"

"I suppose."

The younger of the two threw his hands up in the air. "I give up!"

The older man turned. "What?"

"Never mind."

Moving back to his chair, the young man sat down again and rested his eyes in hopes of catching a brief nap.

His hopes were quickly shattered.

"You know, I thought you were a better cleaner than this."

"What?" He opened his eyes and leaned forward towards his companion.

"Well, look around," the older man turned his neck to look at the whole house. "I mean, it looks like a dump! I bet even a Hutt wouldn't live here."

A younger man ran a hand over his face. "Thanks. Thank you so much. Anything else you want to insult?"

"Well..." Quickly, the comment was cut off.

"I was kidding!"

Silence entered the small room and the younger man thought perhaps the older man was done with his criticizing.

"You need a hair cut."

He was wrong.

"It's fine."

"No, it's way too long. Just a little trim. I can do it for you."

Through his teeth the man gave his response. "Get. Away. From. My. Hair."

"Geez, okay."

Again silence fell in the room.

"When was the last time you did your wash?"

The young man jumped to his feet. "That's it! You know, at first this arrangement was working out fine. I mean you were here and kept me company. But now, I think I'm going insane!"

"How so?"

"How so? HOW SO? You are driving me crazy!"

"What do you mean?"

"AHHHH! Just stop it now!"

Yet, again silence fell into the small home.

"I'm just trying to help. You know, keep you company, help out, keep you busy and all that." The older man let his head fall some.

"Oh, now don't get upset. I didn't mean it. It's just been a rough day."

The older man said nothing.

"Please don't be mad."

A sad, long sigh escaped the older man.

"Okay, okay you can stay, Master."

Qui-Gon's head snapped up. "Thank you, Padawan. I must say the afterlife is very boring. I mean one can only hear so many knock-knock jokes from Jedi before they get old."

Obi-Wan looked over at his Master's ghostly blue form. He had to admit Yoda was right. 'There was no death, only the Force.'

"Oh, you missed another spot of here, Obi-Wan."

Because if there was death, then he would be living a normal, quiet life.

"And here's another one. Did I ever teach you how to properly clean?"

He looked over at his blue-shaded Master, who was pointing to a dusty spot on his wooded chest, and smiled. It could have been a quiet life, but it would have been a lonely one.

"Good Lord, look at the state of you robes! You are doing wash tonight, Padawan, and there's no argument allowed."

And, apparently, a dirty one.

The End.