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 Elephant's Child and can be found here

This week's words/prompts are: 

1. wife 2. comfort 3. time 4. book 5. doors 

and/or: 

1. certificate 2. appreciation 3. elephant 4. olive 5. major

also including Charlotte's colour of the month: water blue

Here is my story:

Gracie walked through the open double doors holding a blue frame, slightly water damaged, and containing a pale olive sheet of paper. “Grandpa,” she asked, who is Cecelia Everett-Smith?” Robert startled a little, just enough to spill some of his cup of tea. “Why do you ask?” he said. ‘We are clearing out the attic as you asked and found a lot of old papers and a Book about Elephants in the big black trunk. The one under the window and some rain must have got in at some time because this frame is damaged.”

“Show it to me,” said Robert. Gracie brought the frame to him and he stared at it glumly. ‘Who was she Grandpa?” Gracie asked again. “My wife,” said Robert. “My first wife. She died soon after receiving this Certificate of Appreciation from the Zoo where we met, she helped with the care of the elephants, every single day for years. That’s where I met her.”

“You have never mentioned her,” said Grace. “Not once.” “I thought it best,” said Robert. “There was an accident soon after our wedding, we were celebrating her getting this certificate and on the way home there was a storm and a tree was hit by lightning. It fell on our car, causing fairly major damage and Cee-Cee was in hospital for weeks. I spent time with her every day, but she didn’t wake up from her coma.”

“That’s terrible,” said Gracie, glancing back towards the doors where several cousins had gathered quietly to listen. “Your Grandma Helena was her nurse and talking with her every day gave me some small comfort as I sat with Cee-Cee and after the funeral we kept meeting and eventually married.” “But your name is not Everett-Smith,” said Gracie. “It was Cee-Cee’s name before we married and on the registration for Zoo volunteers, that’s why the certificate has it,” said Robert.

The cousins all moved into the room, ready to hear more and ask questions of this very old man, the last of the grandparents.