Wednesdays 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. catch 2. hurry 3. panting 4. running 5. train 

and/or: 

1. forehead 2. minutes 3. saved 4. seats 5. sweat

Also including Charlotte's colour of the month: pebble grey

Here is my story:

Connie and Margaret were already settled in the new deck chairs when Esme came panting up the stairs. “I need to do that more often,” she said, “I’m so out of shape!” Connie and Margaret shrugged at each other, Esme had been saying similar things for years now. Just last week she had reminisced about her running days while they all ate cream puffs at Jane’s Birthday Tea. Beads of sweat peppered Esme’s forehead and she sat in the seat the others had saved for her.

“I like this new terrace,” said Esme, “the pebble grey tiles are less harsh than the white that used to be here. Is Rosalie coming up too?” “She said yes, so we’ll give her a few more minutes to get here,” said Margaret. “She’s had to catch a train from wherever her daughter’s new house is, she left last Friday to help with the unpacking, which probably means she did the baby care while the new house got organized.”

Esme said, “I’ll drag over a couple more seats and put rugs on them, for Rosalie and Brenda, who was right behind me on the stairs but seems to have vanished.” “She’d better hurry before Connie scoffs all the frosted brownies,” said Margaret. “I’ve only had two!” exclaimed Connie in mock shock. “There’s plenty more.”

“Who’s idea was it to have the Anniversary Tea up here anyway? And which Anniversary are we celebrating?” said Esme as she settled into one deck chair and put her feet on another to save for Rosalie. Margaret put her feet on one for Brenda. “It’s the fortieth anniversary of the opening day of this Senior Centre,” she said. “I remember watching the ribbon cutting on my way to work that day, it was a lot smaller then with fewer facilities.”

The door to the terrace opened and a crowd of elderly women swarmed into the sunshine, Brenda and Rosalie among them. “Over here!” shouted Connie, “we saved seats for you!” Behind the crowd came staff members pushing carts with giant urns of tea and coffee and extra trays of sandwiches and cakes.