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. transparent
2. solve
3. theory
4. loot
5. take
6. wing

and/or:

1. demonstrate
2. graduate
3. justify
4. strain
5. stain
6. blackmail

Here is my story:

The under-graduate class sat transfixed as the debate raged on. Students in the far back rows having to strain a little to hear past the jeers and cheers as each candidate made points and counterpoints.

Justin struggled to prove that theory was the best base for learning to solve any problem, while William tried to demonstrate the power of practical experience. Both raised good points to justify their arguments. They had studied well, with an eye on the prize, a veritable ‘pot of gold’. Never before had the prize money reached such proportions. As one of the younger students had said, “That’s a lot of loot!”

The winner would also receive scholarship status at a prestigious European University. Neither Justin nor William had heard the rumour that Rudolph Mannheim, holder of that purse, had decided that in the case of a draw, both students would receive the scholarship status with the “loot” being divided between them. After all, they were his great-grandsons.

The student body had been blackmailed into silence, with promises of an extra week off over the Christmas break. Uppity Oliver Stenman thought accepting the extra week would be a stain on his character, stating that blackmail was illegal and he wanted no part of it. But still, he kept his mouth shut too. If he didn’t, his newest girlfriend would drop him like a hot potato.

As the hours ticked on, it became transparently clear that each was beginning to see the good in the arguments of the other. Rudolph Mannheim, sitting at the side of the stage, firmly gripping his walking cane, was pleased with the way things were going. He had lived many, many years, through good times and bad and knew already that Justin was about to learn that theory was fine, but practical experience to back the theory was also necessary. And William too would discover that while practical experience was a good teacher, a little book learning beforehand was a great idea too.

Once free from the burden of studies, each would take wing and fly high in the career of their choice. Just as Rudolph had intended. Listening to the debate, he decided this would be his last year as benefactor. He would make a very large donation to the university and retire to his “shack” on the beach to spend his remaining days fishing, reading and walking the sands with his wife, Glenda.