Twits and Ten Pins

An audio version of this post can be found at:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y1J8xPoP-jg&feature=youtu.be


   "Well, congratulations, Eb!" I said.
   Uncle Billy frowned. "Ssssh ... Hank needs to pick this spare to give us any chance at all."
   We watched Hank launch his ball down the lane.
   Eb turned back to me. "Thanks, Chris ... but I'm surprised you hadn't heard about it."
   I watched Hank's ball rolled harmlessly past the ten pin. "How would I have?"
   Eb ignored the action on the alley. "I Tweeted it yesterday."
   "Nice goin', Hank ... that outta ice the loss," shouted Billy.
   Hank walked back toward us. "Sorry, guys ... I guess this just isn't our week."
   "Not the way you're rolling 'em," said Billy. "You sick?"
   Hank sat on bench next to Billy. "Hey, I rolled a one eighty-two, for Pete's sake."
   "Forget about it, Hank," I said. "Uncle's upset because he rolled a one fifty-six."
   "What was that, mister one-forty?" asked Billy.
   I turned back to Eb. "I don't really follow Twitter all that closely."
   "Really? I would've thought you'd be big Twitter fan," said Eb.
   "What's on Twitter?" asked Hank.
   "Eb and Becky are getting married," I said.
   Hank perked up a little. "Hey, congratulations, Eb."
   "Thanks, Hank," said Eb.
   "You guys didn't know that?" asked Billy.
   "You knew, Uncle?" I asked.
   "Of course I knew ... don't you monitor your Twitter account?"
   "No," I said. "I don't have a smart phone."
   "But you do
have an account?" asked Eb.
   "Yeah ... but I just check it once in a while ... when I'm on the computer."
   "What? Like once a day?" asked Eb.
   "More like once a week," I said.
   Eb shook his head. "I imagine it's pretty hard to stay current with your followers like that."
   "I suppose ... but I really don't have have very many anyway."
   "Like how many?" asked Eb.
   "I don't know ... maybe twenty or so ... how many do you have?"
   "Gee, it's over two-thousand now."
   Billy looked at him. "You have two-thousand followers on Twitter?"
   Eb blushed. "Yeah."
   Billy shook his head. "Why on earth would two-thousand people follow you, Eb?"
   I answered for him. "He does have successful book, you know."
   "It's a children's book ... kids don't have Twitter accounts."
   "Yeah, but their parents do," I said.
   "Too bad their parents don't read thrillers, eh, Ace?"