Wednesday's Words on a Friday

On Wednesdays, assorted people have been taking monthly turns at putting up a selection of six (or twelve) words which is called “Words for Wednesday”.

We have taken over this meme from Delores, who had been having computer problems. 

This month the meme continues here, at the most - - of every moment. 

Essentially the aim is to encourage us to write.   

Each week we are given a choice of prompts: which can be words, phrases, music or an image.   What we do with those prompts is up to us:  a short story, prose, a song, a poem, or treating them with ignore...

Some of us put our creation in comments on the post, and others post on their own blog.  I would really like it if as many people as possible joined into this fun meme.  If you are posting on your own blog - let us know so that I, and other participants, can come along and applaud.

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. album

2. lunar

3. sparkle

4. furry

5. sconce

6. inquire

and/or:

1. builder

2. contract

3. attend

4. ultimately

5. landline

6. fall

Here is my story:  

you may notice I haven’t used any of the words. The story has got away from me, some of the words are making their way into Chapter Seven which is only just begun. I’ll finish it tonight and publish it on Tuesday instead of my usual time-out Tuesday nothingness.

Chapter Five 

Three weeks later, Gloria called Ted at work and told him the time had come, “Snuffles” was on the way. Ted apologised to the couple sitting before his desk, asking if they’d mind him leaving to see his first child born, if they came back tomorrow, he’d knock a hundred dollars off his fee. They agreed and Ted locked the papers in the office safe and they all left the building together. 

Ted arrived home after several finger-tapping moments of impatience when he’d been caught behind what seemed to be every red traffic light between him and home. He found Gloria gripping the edge of the kitchen sink and taking very deep breaths. Her suitcase was waiting by the door. 

Ted said, “I’ll put this in the car and come back to you, okay?” Gloria nodded, then said, “the contraction is passing, we’ve probably got lots of time, but hurry please.” Ted was gone to the car and back in a flash, giving Gloria a quick hug, then checking all the doors and windows were locked before helping her to the car. 

He talked about his current clients, they wanted him to sort out their receipts for their tax return, “they have no system at all,” he said. “I have in my safe two shoeboxes full of crumpled bits of paper and one of those plastic grocery bags, the big kind meant to be reused. I’ve never seen such a mess.” 

He glanced at Gloria in time to see her grimace and clutch her abdomen. “Another contraction? Are you timing them?” “Yes,” said Gloria through clenched teeth, “but this one has come sooner than I expected, maybe Snuffles is in a hurry.” “That could be a blessing,” said Ted, this will all be over sooner rather than later.” “I hope so,” said Gloria. “Mrs Dickson was telling me her cousin’s daughter was in labour for three days, that’s a scary thought.” “’Three days? THREE?” Ted was shocked. “THREE? How can hospitals let that go on?” “Apparently Dierdre was determined to have a natural birth and was refusing offers of a caesarean, she finally gave in when they told her the baby’s heart was failing,” said Gloria.

Chapter Six

They made good time getting to the hospital and Gloria was whisked away in a wheelchair, puffing and panting through another contraction. She’d had five in the car, increasingly painful and longer lasting, she was looking forward to a little pain relief and a speedy delivery. Ted filled out the necessary paperwork at the desk, then phoned his parents. Alan answered the phone and told Ted they’d be there as soon as they could. 

 

Ted was shown into the room where Gloria was red-faced and groaning through another contraction. He wet a washcloth at the sink and wiped the sweat from her face. “Can I do anything else?” he asked. “Not just yet,” Gloria said, "I asked the sister about pain relief, but apparently I’m too far along, anything I receive now will make the baby sleepy at birth, slow his responses.” She gasped and rolled a little to her side, breathing hard. As she rolled back, the contraction over, she said to Ted, “all those books we read, the video and talks at the ante-natal clinic, none of it prepares you for this. They tell you it will hurt, but not like this, this excruciating pain that seems to be screwing itself into my bones.” Gloria panted through another contraction, quite a long one, as Ted rinsed the washcloth and wiped her face and hands again. A nurse came in with an old-fashioned trumpet style earpiece and pressed it against Gloria’s abdomen. “Uh oh,” she said, “wait a minute, let me listen again.” Ted blanched and his eyes got a panicked look. “What, what, what,” he didn’t seem to be able to get any more words out. 

“The nurse said, ”either there’s an echo, or another heartbeat, you may have two babies in there. I’ll get the portable ultrasound and Doctor Jackson, we’ll soon know one way or the other.” Ted and Gloria were both stunned. “Two? We only have things ready for one!” A few minutes later, twins were confirmed. Doctor Jackson explained that sometimes one baby is so perfectly aligned behind the other, he or she isn’t discovered until the birth. “You’d be surprised how often this happens,” he said. “It’s probably why your labour has progressed so rapidly.” A quick check confirmed full dilation and Gloria was told to push with the next contraction or sooner if she felt the need. 

Within thirty minutes, Gloria and Ted were proud parents of a son, Ryan, and a daughter, Megan. They each held a baby while the nurse prepared things for their first baths and first clothes. Ted gazed in wonder as his son stared deep into his eyes as if wanting to get to know everything about his father as quickly as possible. Gloria marvelled at the expressions crossing Megan’s face as she alternately scrunched her little face and stared at her mother. 

“Ted, we have twins, an instant family, we have to tell Carol and Alan.” “We’ll tell them as soon as all the baths are done,” said Ted. He handed Ryan to the nurse, who showed him how to support Ryan in the tub and gently splash water over the tiny body, before lifting him onto a warmed fluffy towel and patting him dry. Then he repeated the procedure with Megan while Nurse Jenny dressed Ryan in his very first clothes. The baby wasn’t happy about all this and yelled lustily until he was placed back in Gloria’s arms.