Wednesday's Words on a Friday
On Wednesday’s, Delores,
from Under The Porch Light, has a meme which she calls
“Words for Wednesday”.
She puts up a selection
of six words which we then use in a short story, or a poem.
I’m hopeless at poetry
so I always do a story.
It’s a fun challenge…why
not join in?
This week's words are:
1. window
2. dimple
3. agitate
4. entertain
5. flannel
6. dumpster
here is my story:
Mike's job was to entertain the baby while his mum foraged through the supermarket dumpster for that day's dinner. He'd half filled the bucket with water and a squirt of bubble bath from a bottle salvaged at another dumpster last week. As he washed her face and hands with a flannel, Mike kept watch through the car window.
That beat cop had noticed the car again yesterday and was becoming suspicious, Mike had seen him staring at the licence plate. If he found out Mike and Ally were living in the car with their mum, there'd be social workers coming to take them away.
Mike agitated the soapy water to create more bubbles and watched Ally's dimple appear as she laughed and clapped her little hands.
When his mum came back with a loaf of day old bread, and some over ripe fruit, Mike mentioned the cop. His mum sighed.
"Time to move on then," she said. "Maybe I can get a job in the next town."
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Definitely engaged this reader. Nicely done!
ReplyDeleteOh. Excellent writing describing such a desperate existence.
ReplyDeleteWell done.
That is a sad sad story and probably too close to the truth for many. Great job.
ReplyDeleteYes, definitely hangs together and definitely makes a vignette.
ReplyDeleteVery well-written. Very real. x
ReplyDeleteHi River,
ReplyDeleteI really enjoy the way you utilise those words into such a thoughtful story. Thank you.
Gary :)
Go; thank you.
ReplyDeleteSusan Kane; thank you. It's a difficult time living from one dumpster to another.
Delores; I don't often do sad, I'm glad it came across as real.
Friko; thank you.
Cassandra; I was hoping it would feel real.
klahanie; thank you.
Well done River, what a fantastic story, fired my imagination.
ReplyDeleteThe Wicked Writer; thank you. My own imagination is working on this one too. Tying it in to something I wrote earlier.
ReplyDeleteExcellent story, River. I felt slightly queasy when I read the first sentence, then that quickly turned to sympathy for that poor family.
ReplyDeleteWell done. You just keep getting better and better with these exerciss,
ReplyDeleteHappy weekend!
Marie; sorry to make you queasy. do you know there are people who go dumpster diving on purpose as a protest against the supermarket wastage? They don't need to, they can afford food, but choose to eat what gets thrown away.
ReplyDeleteSusan; thank you, I enjoy the challenge every week. Sometimes Delores puts up some really tricky words.
Yes, we have dumpster diving people here in Sweden. The supermarkets have been deliberately destroying the food in dumpsters by pouring bleach over it. They say it's to prevent disease but really it's to discourage those wanting the free foos.
ReplyDelete