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. Sadly, Delores has now closed her blog forever due to other problems.

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 to read it and add a few encouraging words.

This month the words/prompts are supplied by and Charlotte can be found here

This week's words/prompts are: 

1. debt 

2. impression 

3. perception 

4. grocery 

5. lake 

6. tale 

and/or: 

1. height 

2. passion 

3. security 

4. movie 

5. sample 

6. wealth

Here is my story:

Betty Thompson and Janet Hargrave sat sipping tea on the patio of the Lakeside Tearoom. Betty was just bursting with news she wanted to tell, but sat politely as Janet went on and on about a romance movie she had been watching, finishing with “just as the couple were at the height of passion, our power went off! I didn’t get to see the rest of the movie! I was so disappointed.” She gulped such a large mouthful of tea, she almost choked trying to swallow it. “Shall we order another round of cakes Betty? They are so delicious,” she said.

Betty said, “yes, go ahead and order another pot of tea too please, then come back right away, I have a tale to tell you.” Janet hurried off to order and was back soon enough, bringing with her another of their friends who had popped in to see if anyone was there to chat with. Carole sat herself in the spare chair and prepared for a chummy gossip session. As soon as the tea and cakes arrived, Betty began. “You all remember that new woman we saw at the school gates last winter?” “The one in the fluffy coat that was at least ten years out of style? And those boots! No one wears boots like that anymore! So unfashionable,” said Carole. “Yes, that’s the one,” said Betty. “Her children all wear hand-me-down clothes as the oldest grows out of them and she herself doesn’t wear make-up and never goes to the hairdresser!”

“I know her,” said Janet, “her name is Catherine and her husband is Jason, we had a chat at the school gate right before the holidays.” “You didn’t tell me,” said Betty, feeling a little indignant. “You had already left to come here,” said Janet, “but never mind that now, what else do you need to tell us?” “Well,” said Betty, “I saw her here! At the Lake Mall, shopping in the grocery store, just yesterday. Given her clothing choices and lack of hair styling, I’d been under the impression the family might be quite heavily in debt or were at least quite poor, yet she had a cart simply overflowing with fresh fruit and groceries to last a couple of weeks! I gave her a little wave as I passed her in aisle three and she smiled back as if we were lifelong friends. It was most astonishing.”

“Let me tell you the really astonishing part,” said Janet. “Put down your cups ladies, we don’t want to be choking on this news.” Betty and Carole both put down their cups and leaned in closer. “Do tell,” said Carole. “Your perception is wrong as usual,” Janet said to Betty,” they are not at all poor. Her husband, Jason Barrymore, is related to the movie star Barrymores, a cousin and quite close to them. Do you see that brand new home across the lake with all the high grade security features? It belongs to Catherine and Jason and they are arriving tomorrow to spend the summer here. Right here at this very lake. They are our neighbours now. What do you think of THAT?”

Betty and Carole were both sitting open-mouthed, in shock at this news. “But…but…the shabby clothes, the beat up old car…why would they get around like that?” stammered Betty. “They don’t like to show off,” said Janet with a big grin. “They are really very nice, down-to-earth people, who just happen to have more money than anyone else we know.” Carole said, “ We, all of us, I mean, are reasonably well off, others might call us rich and I guess they’d be right, but the kind of wealth the Barrymores have is unheard of in these parts.” “You haven’t heard the best part yet,” said Janet smugly as she sampled yet another of the tiny cream cakes. “She has invited us to a barbecue lunch at that fabulous new lake house, next Saturday. Children included.”