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.



Comments

  1. Nice story--Happy Thanksgiving!!

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    Replies
    1. fishducky; thank you. Happy Thanksgiving to you! We don't do Thanksgiving, we splurge on Christmas.

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  2. A lovely story - and I hope that Rudolph and Brenda have years to enjoy their shack by the water. It sounds just about perfect to me.

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    Replies
    1. Elephant's Child; Rudolph and Glenda have plenty of years by the beach.

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  3. Awww! Good for him, and them, that they learn from each other.

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    1. messymimi; that was his plan all along. He knows that education needs to be more than black&white learnings. There is plenty of grey that encompasses both sides.

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  4. I'd love a shack by the beach...shared with my two mates, Remy and Shama.

    Words put to good use, River.

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    Replies
    1. Lee; thank you. I'd love a shack by the beach too, with more than two feet between me and any neighbours.

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  5. Sure wish our politicians could be so open minded. Bet that "shack" is much more.

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    Replies
    1. Arkansas Patti; you're right, the shack is not what I'd call a shack, but not quite in the same league as the Hamptons either.
      Politicians open-minded? That's a pipe dream.

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  6. I think I know what he feels there are times when you are part of something and you no longer can make sense of anything and leaving it all behind is the only way to go.
    Merle........

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    Replies
    1. Merle; he is getting on and it's time to retire.

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  7. Good use of the words, River.

    Regarding your reply to my comment on Lola (last post), we were getting cortisone shots for our Lulu for asthma. It got worse, so now we are giving her a daily pill instead. I always dreaded the day we would have to try to give her pills, because she is very bitey, but the vet's office suggested putting the pill in something very fishy like tuna or sardines. I tried her with tuna and it's like a miracle, she eats it right up. The easiest cat we have pilled, EVER. Maybe you would be able to try this with Lola because a daily pill gives better relief than a shot every 4-6 weeks (according to my vet, anyway). Hope Lola is feeling better and that it is by now a moot point.

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    1. jenny_o; Lola came to me fully grown and almost 9 years old. I managed to give her a pill only once, for fleas, by hiding it in a chunk of raw beef. When I tried it again with a worming tablet, she wouldn't go anywhere near the raw beef. Yesterday I lured her from under the bed with tuna so I could get hold and put her into the carrier to go to the vet. Today she is much, much better, but won't go near the tuna that I put out this morning.

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    2. Oh no! A very smart cat! Ours seems to have upper respiratory congestion as a part of her asthma, and I wonder if it's keeping her from smelling the pills. Sorry that Lola is not as easily fooled.

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  8. My elder son and I live in a 4 Bed @ 2 Bath, D G. Brick and tile shack with 2 cats within 250 yards of a beach. we employ a gardener and a weekly cleaner.
    We are both reasonably with it and have a few nice friends, but aging is the ever present problem.
    We both attended the school of hard Knocks and our degrees in intelligence were gathered during our lifetime.
    A book you should all read about what the rich teach their children. that the poor and middle classes do not. " RICH DAD POOR DAD." by Robert T. Kiosaki.
    ISBN O-9643856-1-9 Pbk.
    My father did little to educate me being he passed away 88 years ago come Dec 30. .. No sad violin music- Please.

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    Replies
    1. Vest; I wouldn't call that a shack, it's far too nice and a bit too big. To me a shack is small, a bit run down, very little in the way of amenities, but even I wouldn't want to live in my version of a shack.
      I never attended any hard knocks school, I had a fairly easy life and still do, but neither parent taught me anything about money, living, communication. I'm a self-taught person, trying to teach my kids. I have a copy of that book somewhere on my kindle.

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  9. A good story with a good lesson. Life is a balance, both for the future businessmen, and the one who's already made his fortune.

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    1. Val; thank you. Life does bring its own lessons but a little help from schooling doesn't hurt.

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  10. Very clever! That grandpop has the right idea about teaching his grandsons such a valuable life lesson, but I don't blame him for being ready to step back as benefactor.

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