Friday Fictioneers is hosted by the wonderful Rochelle, the undisputed master of what I call Sound Bite Fiction.
She sets the weekly challenge, and the standard.
And she does the most wonderful interviews.
I am grateful for your time, patience and kindness, my lady.
Today’s brilliantly conceived photo by Ted Strutz made me think of salmon fishing and the Three Bears.
But the leap was too great, so I wrote about something more comfortable.
The idea, as always, is to write a story of around 100 words based on the picture, below.
© Ted Strutz
Click here to hear me read this 1-minute story:
Grandma’s Chair
Grandma’s chair sits empty now.
No one ever dares to use it.
She ruled the world from that chair, like some Highland Cleopatra.
She was a dour woman, rarely smiling, even at the youngest of the grandchildren.
But she smiled at the traveller who mended her pots.
Every three or four weeks we’d hear the creak of his caravan’s wheels.
Then she’d stand, smooth back her hair.
If Grandpa noticed anything, he didn’t say.
But the traveller’s black eyes would flash at her.
One day Grandma wasn’t in her chair.
We haven’t seen the traveller in the six months since.
Sound Bite Fiction 
Sounds like Grandma found something to smile about.
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Excellent characterisation of Grandma, and then making us rethink her. It seems there was more to her than a dour matriarch exterior, but only for the right person!
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Grandma is quite a gal, sir, a child’s view is sometimes blurred by the age difference.
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Oh those gypsies. Love it. (Now to lock up my daughters.)
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I don’t think we are allowed to say that any more, Patrick, but you are quite safe, nobody reads this stuff anyway
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I like this CE, Either Grandma finally ran off with the traveller and lived happily ever after so to speak, or Grandpa finally had enough and offed them both. I’m not sure which way we’re meant to take it. Interesting for sure 🙂 Hugs CE enjoy your weekend ☺️
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Glad you enjoyed, Amanda.
If it gave you pause for thought then I am happy.
Hugs
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You absolutely did CE. Hugs 😊
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Whoa, Grandma has a saucy side! Hope she’s smiling now (Unless I read it wrong and she’s dead, but it seems to me that she’s run off with another man!)
Either way, it’s a very entertaining tale 🙂
-Rachel
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You read it as i intended it, Rachel, but that doesn’t necessarily mean that’s what happened.
I know nuttin’, usually
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Lucky Grandma having the courage run off like that! She must have been very fed up with her lot to find the motivation and energy to uproot at that age. I wish her all the best 🙂
PS Funny that you should be thinking about the three bears, but decided to write this story instead. Great minds think alike, considering there isn’t a bear in sight and I actually did write about the three bears before I read your post.
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Jings, Sarah, she is only 41 years old, hardly an auld yin!
Did your bears catch any salmon?
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I was thinking older, forgetting that some women start younger than I did on the reproduction front!
I imagined Goldie catching trout, but I know that salmon is another favourite of bears. But I should think they did plenty of their own fishing and didn’t need a human bringing them any more.
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At first I thought the empty chair signified her death. I was pleasantly surprised she had run off with the pot mender.
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Laughing. Pleasantly surprised that she is an adulteress.
You ladies this week, I don’t know!
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I suppose our permissiveness is due to her old age. She’s still got it! 😄
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I wonder if this was Grandpa’s life? Treated with contempt while she played elsewhere. Tough did she really run away or Grandpa hid the evidence? Nicely done.
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Good questions, sorry I can’t answer them, I already used my 100 words.
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This story is timeless… nice.
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And so, apparently, is Grandma.
Cool photo, Ted
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It takes dark eyes to make grandma change… hope it’s all for the best. At least she left the chair behind.
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Maybe it wasn’t the colour, Bjorn, but what lay behind the eyes?
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Oh I love it! Go Grandma!!!!
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What is it with you ladies all supporting abandonment and adultery?
What a shower!
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Hahahaha it’s a conspiracy.
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So, this is the tale of the Pot-mender calling the Granny back?
And people say I write twisted fairy tales.
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Laughing.
Comment of the week, Russell.
Oh, and you do.
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When I read your title, I was half thinking our stories would be similar …. 🙂
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And they were not at all…
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A gypsy soul beneath the dour exterior – long may she roam!
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You ladies are a raunchy collection, not a word of criticism, I am amazed!
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One never thinks (at least THIS one never thinks) of a Grandmother running off. Good for her. Tired of that old chair, I suspect.
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Hey, Alicia, Grannies are people too, y’know!
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You might say Grandma gave up being a “wee Free” for being an all-free. 🙂
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Hmm, I guess you might!
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Loved the opening, everything. The last lines were terrific. I got a sense the old lady was a bit of a female rogue. Halfway through, I was thinking she might run off with the traveler … and wasn’t I right?
Great job, C.E.! Your interview with Her Purple Majesty was really good, too. Thanks for sharing bit of yourself.
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Glad you enjoyed, Kent, looks like you and the traveller saw more than met the eye!
Yes, the interview was fun, five out of five Johnny Carsons for her Purpleness.
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Ooh, what a hussy! I hope she manages to continue smiling in her new life!
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She is laughing like a crazy woman!
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She’ll be back. Who else is going to to do Grandpa’s washing?
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The buxom milkmaid from the neighbouring farm (see below)
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I read this as a story of romance. Nicely done, I could picture the dour woman sitting in her chair.
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Indeed it is, LLDL, glad you enjoyed
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I wonder if Grandpa is happier now. Interesting take on the prompt.
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Yep, he set up home with the buxom milkmaid from the next farm along the river
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Saucy Grandma.
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Some girls do, some girls don’t
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Lochinvar with his trusty caravan. Dunna fash yersel’ If Grandma’s as you’ve described her, he just might bring her back the next time he comes around. 😉
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She might not let him!
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Beware travelling men with black eyes and a nice line in pot mending – they turn a girl’s head. I love the way Grandma is shown as strong and domineering, Grandad as quiet and toleratn in just a few words. I wonder if Grandad was a little pleased when she ran off? Lovely tale, C. Really enjoyed this one
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Thank you, Lynn, for actually commenting on the story rather than just Grandma’s somewhat wild activities! Glad you liked.
Oh, but no, Grandpa was devastated, hanged himself in the cowshed, quite turned the milk for almost a week.
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I loved the story – such a strong one, a hunk of family history, the sort of story that gets passed down through generations 🙂
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Well done Grandma, seized the day and perfect pots for the rest of her life
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Does no one care about poor Grandpa?
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My heart must have skipped a beat. I’m a little breathless, and I haven’t even listened to you read it yet. Not sure I can take it. Well done, sir, well done.
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Oh Kecia, I just love romantic ladies!
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With a chair like that I am not surprised that she took off. 😉
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Um, yes, okay, Michael!
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Ooohhh… Grandma! Rock on, lady! It’s never too old to start again!
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See my comment below, although I don’t expect any better from you!
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Go Grandma!
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You ladies are a fickle crew, aren’t you!
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Never too old to be a young girl in love. I hope she and the traveler have great life together.
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Getaway, you soppy romantic!
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Surprised me! Who would have thought dour old Grandma had it in her 🙂
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Books and covers, Granonine, maybe you have time yet!
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There was more Cleopatra about her than the chair then 🙂
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She might have been a bit of a gal, yes
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Go Grandma! (And no-one died, imagine that!) Good one.
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C’mon Sandra, I don’t always kill someone. Remember in May 2015 I had a week with no fatalities!
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I’ve been missing your intrigue over the last month while I’ve been travelling around Tasmania with the family. I’d had a bit of intrigue in my story tonight, too. It’s become contagious.
Hope you have a great week.
xx Rowena
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Thank you, Rowena, I trust you had a fun trip and stayed healthy.
Hugs to you
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Dear C.E.
The way I read it was that Grandma probably hadn’t been happy for some time. I’d like to think that she’s happy with the traveller. You leave us with questions. Good job.
Shalom,
Rochelle
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You picked up on the clues, m’lady.
Seems like granny is still a bit of a gal!
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A nice chuckle. I’m with Jessie in wanting to see this as a story of elderly romance and passion. On the other hand, I am familiar with the author’s previous works…
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Aye, granny ran awa’ wi’ the tinker!
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Ooooh, is the traveler a lover? A murderer? Or is he Death himself? I like to think he’s her lover and Grandma’s off having a wild old time in some tropical destination.
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Your interpretation was my intention, Jessie.
I am an old romantic at heart!
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A fine tale of love and kidnap. A fully highland tale once the revenge killing happens
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Thanks, Neil, but you are reading more than I intended this week.
Although I do like when a reader writes his own denouement!
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It’s a reader’s privilege and responsibility. Once you put a story out there it takes on a life of its own.
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