My Best Friend’s Website

By Jim Harrington

“Hey, Jim. What’cha you doin’?”

“Lookin’ at my new website.”

Jim and I met every Saturday for lunch at Mimi’s Bistro. It used to be called Mimi’s Diner, but Gerald, the guy who owned the place now, thought calling it a bistro would attract a better clientele. So far, his plan hadn’t worked.

“I didn’t know you were computer literate.”

“I don’t throw trash on the ground, ‘specially computers. They’re expensive.”

Having no response, I watched Jim scratch at the pad on his laptop like a cat pawing a toy and then tap twice. Just after the second pat he smiled and looked up at me. Since I didn’t see any strings attached to him, I wondered if the pad had magical powers.

“You want to see?” Jim asked.

“Sure.” I wasn’t sure, but Jim was my best friend.

“See, here’s what’s called my Home Page.” Jim pointed an ink-stained finger at the screen.

I hadn’t seen him this animated since Maybell Smithers accidently set his pants on fire while roasting marshmallows at the lake last Fourth of July.

“And this here page has links to my stories.”

“You write stories?”

“Sure do. Even got me a couple of them published.”

“Congratulations.” Was this the same Jim who nearly failed eighth-grade English? “I can’t believe you didn’t tell me you were writing stories.”

Jim blushed. “Yea, well...I didn’t want to embarrass you cause you ain’t never written anything that got published.”

“Hey, Carol’s got to see this,” I said. “What’s the URL?

“The what?”

I willed the approaching smile to stay hidden. “What do I type to get to your page?”

“Oh, that. www.jimharringtononline.net.”

“That’s easy.”

“Tell your wife to let me know what she thinks of my site. All she has to do is click on Contact Me at the top of the page.”

“Will do,” I said.

By the time I arrived home, I’d decided I was going to learn how to create a website. Hell, if Jim can do it, it can’t be that hard.

Jim Harrington is a retired librarian embarking on a new journey. His stories have appeared in Apollo's Lyre, Baker's Dozen Review, Bent Pin Quarterly, Brilliant, Long Story Short, Laughter Loaf, MicroHorror, and WTFmag.