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 again supplied by Delores and can be found here.

This week's words are:

1. configuration

2. blame

3. jaundiced

4. spend

5. destiny

6. blank

and/or:

1. cornflower

2. dusting

3. minced

4. tasty

5. afterwards

6. plump

Here is my story:

Marnie muttered to herself as she sprinkled a light dusting of caster sugar over the minced fruit tarts, “into the oven with you, then you tasty little morsels can be served up for high tea.”

“Don’t spend too much time doing all this,” grumbled Betty, who really didn’t want to be there. “It’s just a bunch of old fogeys, and I want to get to the skating rink.”

“I want to make it nice,” said Marnie. ‘and your jaundiced attitude isn’t helping. Besides, those old fogeys as you call them, were once young girls like us, then they survived the war and became mothers and grandmothers. You will be old yourself one day, you can’t fight destiny.”

Well, don’t blame me if you’re stuck with serving duty as well. I’m leaving as soon as I write the greeting on this blank whiteboard,” said Betty. “Is it a birthday or just a non-specific get together?”

“It’s a farewell,” said Marnie. “One of the really old ones died in her sleep and the funeral was this morning, so this is probably a wake, but they are all very old so that’s why the high tea instead of a pub celebration. And don’t worry about serving duty. Tammy and Julia will be here soon and what’s so bad about serving anyway?”

“They’re OLD,” said Betty with a frown. “You’ll probably have to wipe their chins when they dribble their tea and spoon feed the ones who can’t hold a spoon because their hands are shaky!”

Marnie just stared at Betty for a whole minute before saying, “Right then. Get that greeting written and get out of here. I’ll see you at school on Monday. And I WILL stay and help with the serving. Just because they are all around ninety, doesn’t mean they aren’t still people and sad when one of them dies.”

She removed the minced fruit tarts from the oven and spread them on a cooling rack as Betty used her artistic skills to create a lovely colourful greeting to the ‘Ladies of Dragonshead Nursing Home”, washed the chalks off her hands and left without even a wave goodbye. Marnie sighed. Betty just wasn’t the type for community service.  She added the tarts to the table, where cream cakes and small jellies were laid out in a pleasing configuration on the cornflower blue tablecloth. At their age, the ladies didn't need to be concerned about calories and waistlines, that's for sure. 

Tammy and Julia arrived just as Marnie was setting out napkins and teacups, letting her know the first of the old ladies was about to arrive, and as soon as all fifteen of them were settled, they could start bringing the tiny, crust-less sandwiches from the fridge. “Would you like to stay and help Marnie?” asked Julia.

“I’d love to,” said Marnie. “Betty couldn’t stay, she had an appointment to get to.”

“With the skating rink I bet,” said Tammy. “We’ve been hearing all week about the cute new figure skating instructor.” She looked over the spread of goodies on the table. "If they manage to get through all this, they’ll be feeling quite plump afterwards. Are we allowed to eat any of this?”

“Yes,” said Marnie. “I’ve set aside a couple of everything for us, and we can eat as soon as the ladies are settled and eating sandwiches. Then we help if they need it and we do all the washing up after, like we agreed. I know it was just going to be you two, but the washing up will go faster with three of us.”