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 Sean Jeating and can be found here

This week's words/prompts are: 

1. consider 2. rather 3. superstitious 4. paraskevidekatriaphobia 5. table 

and/or: 

1. bigots 2. different 3. gender 4. hyperbolise 5. teeth

Also included is Charlotte's  colour of the month Dahlia Yellow.

Here is my story:

Sean approached his father’s home office with a puzzled look and a piece of paper in his hand. Knocking gently, his father’s voice answered, “come in son, how can I help you?” “Our teacher wrote this word on the blackboard and asked us all to find out what it means,” said Sean. “That’s a mouthful, a bit like alphabet soup,” said his dad. “I’ve never heard of it, but why don’t you just google it?”  Sean said glumly, “I’m not allowed to use the internet for a week, remember? Mum said it will be longer if my grades don’t come up. It’s such an old-fashioned punishment! It’s unfair.” Kevin typed in ‘paraskevidekatriaphobia’ on the google page. “There you are,” he said to Sean. “It’s a fear of Friday the 13^th.”

“Why would anyone be afraid of Friday the 13^th? And what about any other day that falls on a 13^th? What makes a Friday so special?” asked Sean. “Consider the source,” said Kevin. It has “phobia” right there in the word and phobia means great fear. These sorts of things were very common a couple of centuries ago. People were rather superstitious about a great many things that we no longer believe in.” “Like what?” said Sean. “I suggest you go to the history books for information, you’ll need to look as far back as the twentieth century and further, it makes for interesting reading, I think you’ll find some fascinating tid-bits to share with your classmates.”

“Like what?” asked Sean again. “Well, way back then, people were afraid of anything that might be a little different from what they were used to, or anything new that they didn't understand. There were people called “bigots” who tended to hyperbolise over any and all differences and stirred up all kinds of trouble,” said Kevin. “There was great superstition about the number thirteen even without the added worry of a Friday, tall buildings were built and the floors were numbered without a thirteen being included, people would have dinner parties and have twelve or fourteen people but it was considered bad luck to have thirteen sitting around your table, some really weird things back then were considered bad luck.”

“I’d heard about some of the kerfuffle about gender differences back then, but none of this other stuff,” said Sean. “Maybe I’ll ask mum to lift the internet ban just for tonight so I can research and do a few printouts. Where is Mum anyway?” “Down on the beach, she felt the need for wind and waves and salty air and took off right after breakfast. She should be back soon, this sort of thing is what she studied for years, ask her about black cats and ladders. But first go and brush your teeth, they look like your mum’s yellow dahlias. What have you been eating?” “Cheetos,” said Sean with a big grin. One of those old-fashioned things that made it this far into the future.”