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. bespoke
2. fence
3. poster
4. drained
5. splice
6. ergonomic

and/or:

1. bridle
2. bent
3. wallow
4. derail
5. stoned
6. savings

Here is my story:

“Dad, what does ‘bespoke’ mean?” I drained the last of my only-one-allowed after dinner beer and bent down to see what my daughter was reading. It was one of those glossy ‘rich lifestyle’ magazines where people with more money than Midas show off their mansions and yachts. Charlotte had come across an article about a bride in her bespoke gown. I explained the meaning of the word and she then said, “Oh. Like that ergonomic sleeping chair the specialist designed for Mum, with the straps to hold her spine straight as she sleeps in that forward position.” “That’s exactly right. No one else has a chair just like that, made especially to your Mum’s measurements.” “I wish she didn’t need it,” Charlotte whispered. “It won’t be forever,” I said. “Mum’s making progress, we just can’t see it yet. The Doctors all agree her breathing and heart rate are much steadier, which indicates she isn’t in a panic state anymore. And she has been moving her fingers more, so that’s a good thing.”

“If only that stupid rider hadn’t tried to jump that fence, he wouldn’t have fallen onto Mum with his horse.” “Now Charlotte, we’ve been through this. It wasn’t his fault. His bridle snapped right at an unfortunate moment.” She hung her head, saying, “I know, I just feel so bad sometimes that he was right there right then.” I rubbed her shoulder and confessed to having that same thought occasionally. “But we mustn’t wallow in self pity, Char. It doesn’t change anything, although a good cry now and again doesn’t hurt. And that rider feels the same way about Mum being right there, right then.  Remember he did come around once he had the crutches and brought her a new camera to replace the crushed one.”

“All true,” said Charlotte, “but I heard you talking to Mum last week about how all the specialists have really derailed your savings plans and the ‘progression poster’ has been taken down so you can redraw it. Was she awake when you told her? Does she know? Did you tell her Justin has left school for a year and is working instead to help out?” “Yes, I told her all of that, but I’m not sure if she was awake or not. Sometimes her fingers move when I’m talking to her, sometimes they move randomly when no one else is there but the nurses. We just have to keep talking to her.”

We heard Justin’s key in the door then and both of us scrambled up from the floor, realising how late it was getting. I put Justin’s dinner in the microwave as he excitedly told us how he’d learned to cut film today and discard the bits the producer didn’t want and splice together the remaining lengths. “I know all about the cutting room floor now!” he said. “Today we had to cut out the bits where that creepy lead actor looked like he was stoned for his whole speech.”