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Newport City Radio – Live Right here, Right Now
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Episode 78: What'll be in the box at Elimination Chamber?
Marcus & Nelson: The Jelly Eye Incident
It was party day at school, and Marcus Harris was buzzing with excitement. His curly red hair bounced as he skipped through the gates, balancing a tray of sausage rolls that smelled so good even Mr. Jenkins the caretaker gave them a sniff.
Marcus’s sparkly green eye twinkled with joy — but his other one, a certain blue-green glass eye named Nelson Haddoc Popeye Harris the XXIV, had that familiar gleam of mischief.
“Stay put,” Marcus whispered sternly as he adjusted Nelson into place. “No nonsense today, alright?”
Nelson gave a slow blink. Innocent. Too innocent.
The classroom looked like a rainbow had exploded. Balloons were tied to every chair, streamers zigzagged from wall to wall, and Mrs. Pritchard — who loved a good theme — had even made the fruit punch match the school colours. The air was filled with laughter, squeaky shoes, and the smell of crisps and chocolate cake.
But the star attraction sat right in the middle of the snack table: a giant bowl of red jelly, wobbling proudly as if it knew it was important. It shimmered under the classroom lights, making everyone who passed stop and grin.
While Marcus joined in a game of pass-the-parcel, Nelson’s patience began to wobble — just like the jelly. The eye twitched. Then rolled. Then — before anyone noticed — popped free from Marcus’s face!
Down his cheek Nelson tumbled, bounced off a paper plate, skimmed across a sausage roll, and — plop! — belly-flopped straight into the jelly.
SPLAT!
For one second, silence. Then Georgia from Year Two screamed, “THE EYE IS IN THE JELLY!”
Chaos. Absolute chaos. Kids shrieked with laughter. Someone dropped a cupcake. Even Mrs. Pritchard, who tried very hard to stay serious, let out an undignified snort into her clipboard.
Nelson floated proudly in the middle of the wobbling dessert like a shiny blue-green olive in a sea of strawberry goo. The jelly jiggled so much from all the laughter that it nearly toppled off the table.
Marcus slapped his forehead. “Oh, Nelson! You promised!”
But Nelson wasn’t listening. He was posing — spinning slowly in the jelly like he’d planned the whole thing. The other children started chanting, “Jelly Eye! Jelly Eye! Jelly Eye!” and even Marcus couldn’t help laughing.
Before long, the teachers were taking photos, the jelly was declared “The Star of the Party,” and Nelson had achieved celebrity status. One brave classmate even claimed touching the jelly eye brought good luck.
By the time the bell rang, the great Jelly Eye Incident was already legend. Marcus fished Nelson out with a spoon, carefully wiped him on a napkin, and held him up to the light.
“You’re impossible,” he said with a grin.
Nelson blinked cheekily.
Marcus sighed. “A glass eye is for life, Nelson. Not just for parties.”
Nelson gave a slow spin in Marcus’s palm, glimmering with pride. He didn’t look sorry at all.
And as they left school, the chant followed them down the corridor —
“Jelly Eye! Jelly Eye! Jelly Eye!”
By Mark “Hawkeye” Harris
Mark Harris has been a valuable and popular member of the Newport City Radio volunteer crew since 2014. He’s been the proud owner of a glass eye called Nelson since he was a small child. Despite many health challenges throughout his life, Mark has always maintained a wicked sense of humour , poking fun at himself and enjoying practical jokes. It’s one of the things we love most about him!
Mark has ticked many a surprising goal off his bucket list, all due to the fact that he believes in his own ability to make good things happen.
He keeps the crew here, entertianed with true tales about a life with Nelson the naughty eye and has agreed to share some of them as children’s stories.