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.absolution  2.Auschwitz  3.love  4.resistance  5.without

and/or:

1.dancing  2.dreams  3.ears  4.eyes  5.talking

Here is my story:

Jim, Maggie and Nanna Ruby went to visit William at the retirement home a few days after he had moved in. “I can’t wait to tell him about the museum,” said Jim. “I want to make sure he is well settled and happy!” said Nanna Ruby.

They found William in the common games room, where tables and chairs were set out for jigsaws, chess and colouring pages for those who preferred to draw or paint. A cosy corner with armchairs had a bookshelf nearby and there sat William deep in conversation with a man he introduced as Josef Mickleberg. “Come, sit,” said Josef, “there is room and morning tea is coming soon, coffee and cakes!” he said with a happy smile that shone also from his sparkling blue eyes. “We are talking here about our youth,” he explained as Maggie and Jim pulled a few chairs closer to the corner.

“It’s fascinating,” said William. “Josef is a survivor from Auschwitz! The tales he tells are exciting and horrifying all at once.” “I would like to hear about that said Nanna Ruby, “I was a girl at the time of war, my head was filled with dreams of love and dancing at my wedding.” “I too was a boy back then,” said Josef, “and we tried to hide from the soldiers who broke into houses and took all Jews they could find. My father had friends working with the resistance and they helped, but eventually they were caught and we too were caught.”

A general hubbub arose in the room as wheeled trolleys arrived with the promised morning tea. Three cheerful young kitchen staff members made sure everyone had either tea or coffee then brought around plates of assorted small cakes from a nearby bakery. “Ah,” said Josef, rubbing his hands with excitement. “The cream cakes today, my favourite. Cream is something we never saw in Auschwitz, not much food at all there.” He took an extra cake and set it aside, “for later.”

“It’s awful to do without food,” said Nanna Ruby. “I remember those days, very little flour, no butter or sugar if you used up your ration too quickly and then for a while no sugar at all.” Jim was all ears, taking all this in and writing notes as he listened. “I would love to hear more about this,” he said and asked of Josef, “may I visit again one day?” “Of course,” said Josef, “I am here always, but on Sundays I go to pray, I pray those who were once my enemies found absolution with their God, and I pray too that such a war may never happen again.”

Some of the older people were beginning to nod off by then and the three staff members returned to wheel them back to their oms for naps, before coming again to take away the cups and plates. Hugs and kisses were shared around and handshakes with Josef too before they said their goodbyes and promised to return. “You might like to hear about the shipwreck I found,” said Jim to Josef. “Indeed I would,” said Josef. Nanna Ruby told William arrangements had been made to erect the wooden cross at the site near the excavation and promised to bring him to see on the day it would be installed.