Wednesday's Words on a Friday


The original Words for Wednesday was begun by Delores and eventually taken over by a moveable feast of participants when Delores had computer troubles.

The aim of the words is to encourage us to write. A story, a poem, whatever comes to mind.

If you are posting an entry on your own blog, please let us know so we can come along and read it.

This month the words are once again supplied by Delores and can be found here.

This week's words are:

1. left
2. bachelor
3. dripping
4. movies
5. doorway
6. mansion

and/or:

1. bunion
2. forlorn
3. estate
4. plush
5. clump
6. rags

Here is my story:


I’d walked through the rusty, once white, wrought iron estate gates and now stood staring at the wreck that was once my Uncle Christopher’s mansion. It looked very little like the photograph I held in my hand. Uncle Christopher had died a decade ago and the estate had only just become mine after a long futile search by lawyers for any other remaining members of his family.

The house looked forlorn, with its sagging upper porch, the lower porch lying on the ground in pieces, although the steps leading up to where it had been were still in place and looking strong.

(not quite what I pictured in my head but you get the idea, thanks google images)

Window glass was mostly broken, with the tattered rags of what appeared to be red velvet curtains fluttering through them. A flagstone path led the way through wide, shady oak trees, dripping from the recent rain, and flower beds dotted the large lawn areas. The grass was much too long now to be called a lawn, but a few weekends of work would soon sort that out.

I still wasn’t sure if I would sell the place or live in it after I’d fixed it up. It reminded me of the plantation houses I’d seen in movies, with a huge double doorway entrance, presumably for old-fashioned skirts with wide hoops and many petticoats to swing through.

A clump of bright blue off to my left caught my eye, and I pushed through the long grass to find a bed of bachelor’s buttons, easily recognised because my mother also grew them. Maybe they were a sign I should stay? 

(bachelor's buttons, also known as cornflowers, thanks again, google images)


I could see the potential in the bones of the house.

I could also see the miles and miles of fields behind it. That was far too much land for me. Perhaps I could sell those fields to farmers on either side? Just keep the acre the house stood on and a small section behind it for a vegetable garden.

I sighed and walked back to the path leading to the porch. I climbed the steps, thankfully they were as strong as they looked and leaped across the gap to the doorstep. Clinging to the handle, I managed to turn it and push the door open. A large, solid object moved aside as I pushed and I soon found it to be an overturned plush green sofa. I stood it upright and sat down a moment to relieve my aching feet. I’d definitely have to get something done about my bunion if I was going to work at restoring this place.

As I walked through, inspecting each room in turn, I came to a decision. Sell the fields, use the money to restore the house and live here for at least a year before making any final decision.


Comments

  1. I love it (once again)!!

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  2. Well written and worded! Great imagery.

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    Replies
    1. Susan Kane; thank you, I followed the pictures in my head for this one.

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  3. I hope that he/she stays.
    And was totally absorbed (as always) in your take on the prompts.

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    Replies
    1. Elephant's Child; I love hearing that my writing absorbs people, thank you so much. He does eventually stay, I just have to work out how and why.

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  4. The older i get, the more i would like the idea of staying out in the country if such a thing happened to me.

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    Replies
    1. messymimi; I used to want to live away from the city, but now, instead of heading to the country, I'd much prefer to be where I can see and smell the ocean.

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  5. The money from selling the land should allow for a good refurbishing of that big house!

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    Replies
    1. Val; yes it should, good quality land that has lain fallow for a decade or more should be worth more than enough to refurbish the house. Possibly even enough to redecorate the interior and do the gardens.

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  6. Sell the lot get rid of its ghosts and take a long deserved holiday.Or die trying to restore it for the benefit of lazy relatives who will probably sell it anyhow when you have gone upstairs. Good thinking.

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    1. Vest; I don't think there's any ghosts there, just an old house waiting for a new family. and there are no other relatives, the lawyers searched for a decade before giving the estate to the current young man.

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  7. You did it again! Another terrific story spun from the words. You did a great job making us "see" the house, even without the pictures. The only thing that caught me by surprise was your comment that referred to the character as a he. I was picturing a woman.

    I love Vest's comment, too. Now there's a pragmatist!

    Have a terrific weekend.

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    Replies
    1. Susan; I'm glad you could "see" the house as clearly as I could. I still haven't fully decided if the character is male or female.

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  8. That sounds like a great plan to finance turning the forlorn mansion into something livable. Still might be a money pit.

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    1. Arkansas Patti; I'm not picturing a money pit (have you seen that movie?) The house structure is basically sound.

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  9. Replies
    1. only slightly confused; with enough time and money, I'd enjoy doing up an old house too.

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  10. Wish someone would leave me a big house in the country , i would do it up and live there hope she stays.
    Merle..........

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    1. Merle; I'd love someone to leave me a big house by the ocean. Unfortunately, I have no older relatives left who can die and leave me anything at all.

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  11. This comment has been removed by the author.

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  13. Sorry I am failing at in line commenting. Anyway I enjoyed your story, here is mine https://cmlk79.blogspot.com/2018/09/words-for-wednesday-writing-prompt.html

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  14. Christine; welcome to drifting. Failing is when you give up trying, so this is a win for you. I'll be over a bit later to read.

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