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 supplied by Elephant's Child and can be found here.

This week's words are:

1. miniature
2. nightfall
3. oval
4. perfect
5. quirky
6. rush

and/or:

1. sudden
2. tenacious
3. under
4. violent
5. weak
6. yellow

I haven't used all the words (again), but here is what I have so far, with a couple of unused words from previous weeks also in there.

Tom's Memories Chapter Twelve

 Bill Money was pleased to meet Tom's parents and very happy that Tom had got on so well with Ed and Sara Saunders. "They could use a new young face around there," he said. "They've been looking after that place for Stephanie Hammer since her parents died, but that girl just isn't the happy-go-lucky spirit she used to be. She's been real quiet, traumatised they say, since that happening here all those years ago. Used to be a bit quirky, and a real flirty type, but a good girl, nothing slutty about her."  " 

"What happened?" asked Vanessa. 
"Well, I don't remember so much about it, but a woman was accidentally killed and her husband hasn't been seen since then either. I heard it was a violent argument going on, but I was away at the time, doing a marketing course at the college in the city and studying management too, because I wanted this job when I got back. They say a little boy went missing."  
"Oh, that's just awful." said Vanessa. 
"Things have been pretty quiet round here since then, a lot of the tourist trade didn't come around after the ceramics factory blew up over in the next town." said Bill.

"We're interested in history like that," said Robert. "How can we find out more about these things?" 
"Well, the Saunders, Ed and Sara up at the Retreat, they know a lot, Tom went up and met them yesterday, and there's probably old newspaper files at the library, but that's closed this week. Mrs Gardiner who runs it, she's in the city visiting her daughter and a new grandbaby, little girl it is."

"Do you have a map of the town at all?" asked Tom. "Like you'd give out to tourists so they can find their way around, you know, to restaurants and a museum maybe." 
"There should be a few left over in the cabinet here," said Bill, going over to a cupboard under the window. "We've sent away for new ones, now there's a few new places around and that new street off to the east, past the old football oval, that isn't on the old maps,  but I can draw it in for you." 
"What's on the new street?" asked Robert. 
"Nothing much yet, it's still under construction, but there's going to be a little fun fair thing with a miniature train ride and a small merry-go-round, things like that. It's going to be for kids, for birthday parties and such."

"That sounds wonderful." said Vanessa as Bill drew the new road onto a couple of maps and put a yellow star sticker by the library building, then handed them to Robert and Vanessa. 
Tom led the way into the market area of the Post Office and they shopped for fresh fruit and some of Vanessa's favourite instant coffee, then Tom suggested they head up the hill to the Retreat. 
"I know it's early yet, but I know you both want to meet the Saunders and there's going to be lots of conversation, probably hours of talking, in between cups of tea and you'll want to look around on the way there too."

Robert and Vanessa just nodded and looked at him during this sudden show of enthusiasm and Tom grinned at them. 
"Alright," he said. "I have an ulterior motive. I want to be back up there well before nightfall, the sunset over the ocean is the most perfect thing I've ever seen and I want to get more photos from different angles up there." 
Robert said, "You said Cherie, that's your mother? you said she was a photographer too?" "That's what Sara said," said Tom. 
"No wonder you're so comfortable with cameras," said Vanessa.

"I thought that right away," said Tom as they walked back to the hotel. "It's nice to know some of the things I got from them. Ed says I look a lot like Frank, I have his height, and Sara says my hair and smile are all Cherie." 
"Now I'm really looking forward to meeting them." said Vanessa. "Can we drive up there? Is there a good road?" 
"There is a road," said Tom, "let's have a look at the map here and see where it starts. I've only seen the Retreat end of it, I walked up the "goat track" yesterday." 

"Goat track?" said Robert, with raised eyebrows. "Easy or hard?"  
"Depends how agile you are and how much time you have I suppose. I think you could do it Dad, but not Mum. We'd better drive today and I'll show you the track tomorrow. We need to find the Police Station too, Sara said now that I've been "found" they'll have to know, but there's no rush. We can all sit down and talk everything out first."

"Well alright then. Let's not linger, we can always come back down and look around once we settle in a bit. We'll just get a few things from our room and get going," said Robert. 

"There's something else," said Tom as they got into the car. "Ed brought out an old shoebox, sealed with duct tape, he said it was everything left in the room where Frank and Cherie and I stayed when we were all up there. I didn't open it yet, I wanted to, but then Sara had a fall and I forgot about it until later. Now I want all of you there when I open it."  

"Is Sara alright?" asked Vanessa. "What happened?" "She caught her toe against the saucepan stand and it crashed over on her, she seemed alright this morning though." 
"Let's get up there," said Robert. "I want to meet them, they sound like a wonderful old couple."