Example, filled in with our words
Short: Which Clock?
It was nearly midnight at Uncle Ray's party in Birch Landing. Everybody had a hat on and a horn in one hand.
"One minute," called Uncle Ray, looking at the clock on the wall.
"Three minutes," said Cousin Wes, looking at a phone.
The clock on the oven said 11:54. The clock on the microwave, RIGHT beside it, said 12:02, and had said so since the power went out in June.
"Which one do we use?" said somebody.
Nobody knew. Uncle Ray turned on the television, but it was showing a man selling a ladder. Cousin Wes went to look at the old clock in the hall, the one that chimes. It had stopped at a quarter past four, some years ago.
"There cannot be long LEFT," said Uncle Ray. "We will count from ten and hope."
So they counted. Ten. Nine. Eight. On the LEFT side of the room they were counting faster. On the RIGHT side somebody started again from ten. Seven. Four. Six.
"Zero," said half the room.
"Three," said the other half.
And just then, from outside, came the sound of every horn and pot lid on the street, and one firework going up over the roofs.
That settled it. Everybody cheered, a little late or a little early, and nobody ever found out which.
There was cake LEFT, and nobody went home until the wall clock said one. Or the oven said five to.
Happy New Year. Whatever you are LEFT holding is yours to keep.