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.
This week’s prompt comes courtesy of JS Brand, and takes me back non-fictionally to a simpler, pre-Katrina world.
The idea, as always, is to write a story of around 100 words based on this picture, below.
© JS Brand
Click here to hear the author read his tale:
There is a House
New Orleans is fabulous.
We cruise on a Riverboat, eat jambalaya, listen to jazz in Jackson Square, chill on Bourbon Street.
I sit on a balcony in the French Quarter, remembering Elvis in King Creole.
It is all I imagined.
Except for the company.
My companion is a bitter lady who finds fault everywhere.
The relationship will be short-lived.
We ride a horse-drawn buggy, the driver pointing out sites of interest.
‘The building to your left was made famous in a song by English band The Animals’.
It is our hotel.
I stayed in The House of the Rising Sun.
I love that song and it would be very neat to stay in that hotel, jus for the fun of it. I must admit, kept waiting for his lady friend to disappear somehow. Maybe a consequence of the house of the rising sun, somehow!
Nice one but now I have that song playing in my head 🙂
Oh mother, tell your children
Not to do what I have done…
Does that help?
(Chortle, chortle)
I like the way you wove this story. I guess Ms. Grumpy might be thrown overboard if she keeps complainging. Of course, like others before me have said, I love the song.
Isadora 😎
I always smile when I see you here, Isadora.
I am glad you enjoyed my little tale, and remembered a great piece of music.
Aahhh … music and dance are my passions. Anytime, I hear a great song it makes me happy. I’m glad I bring a smile to you each time I visit. I hope I bring a smile to your heart too. My blogging goal has always been to touch the hearts of those out there in the great atmosphere of the WWW with my gentle spirit.
Happy Sunday to you … Isadora😎
You have always touched me, dear lady, thank you
~~~~ : – )
Ahhh..so now I have that song in my head. that’s okay, it’s a good one, as is your story.
Thank you, Dawn, it is one of the great songs, I think
It is indeed.
I presume it did not prove to be his ruin.
Hell, no!
Although there are some who think that ship had long sailed😁
Perhaps there is a rising sun in his house somewhere. How? Who knows? Some people have a way of finding fault in others, especially their husbands or only their husbands.
The narrator is fortunate to always see the sun rising in his house.
And, more fortunately, he was never married to the lady described here, so the relationship ended relatively painlessly.
I hope the sun is indeed rising for him. I loved your short comment on her!
Thank you.
And less said the better!
I’m very amused by the comments to this story today.
I actually chuckled at the line “The relationship will be short-lived.” She’s lucky she made it through the end of the story. Not all of your characters do. Great piece, C.E. I really enjoyed how you captured the essence of New Orleans. You painted a very vivid picture.
I am amused by your comment, Mandie, and happy that you enjoyed the story so much. Considering how short my time there was, New Orleans is still high on my list of favourite places.
Ahh, wonderful jambalaya! Too bad your companion was such a dud 🙂
That’s life, ma’am, sometimes things just don’t work out
I wonder, am I meant to read irony in the story when applied to the lyrics of the song? Either way, I really like this story, as it’s got a lot of things I enjoy in it (The Animals, jazz, Elvis)… but I’ve never tried jambalaya. I wonder if I can find a vegetarian version recipe and try my hand at cooking it?
Happy you found so much to enjoy, TUS, but you are asking the wrong person for a vegetarian recipe.
I am a Scot, we eat the things that eat vegetables, and our only fruit is apple pie with custard.
It’s okay, I found one on the interwebs 😉
How close to the waterfront is this hotel? Somehow I think the young man may have made his miserable mistress disappear.
Laughing. She did not disappear until they got back to Scotland.
And that is another story!
Ceayr, sounds like the sun is rising on a new chapter for him. A new love interest perhaps? Great story.
xx Rowena
There is always a new love interest, Rowena, the narrator is a moving target.
Glad you enjoyed.
I can hear Eric Burdon’s raspy voice even now… it’s been the ruin of many a poor boy and god I know, I’m one. Brilliant CE
One of the great songs, Keith.
Glad you enjoyed.
Dear CE,
Some people can be so negative they suck the life from all around them. Good story. Now I have that song bouncing around my head…”There is a house in New Orleans…”
Shalom,
Rochelle
She did have that effect, although fortunately the magic of Nawlins rose above it.
As always, a wonderful twist of words. Hope you find a better woman at the hotel.
Alas, basic chivalry forbids abandoning even the meanest of ladies until she is home safely.
Ha… maybe there are less grumpy ladies to be found at that hotel…
Do they have an exchange service?
Not nowadays, Bjorn!
Ha ha – that was a great little read! Brilliant take on the photo prompt. (And I hope he ditches Moaning Minnie soon!)
Susan A Eames at
Travel, Fiction and Photos
Glad you enjoyed, Susan.
Moaning Minnie lasted until Glasgow Airport!
‘Tell your children not to do what I have done!’ What a cracking song that is. And a wonderfully fitting end to your story too, C. Love your descriptions and references, the names of places, the feel of the place. Fab
Great song and great city.
Happy that I visited before the Katrina disaster.
It’s always appealed to me, that hot and hazy atmosphere, the music. But you’re right, much of it went with Katrina and still hasn’t been rebuilt. Tragic
I think she’s going to be even grumpier when she learns this. Nice story.
Even grumpier was her default mood, Claire!
Great detail in a few words! Even the nature of the woman – fault-finding.
Hope the Rising sun proves to be good for him just like the life & glow our sun bestows on earth.
Sad about his bitter memories. He sounds like a sensitive young man to me, as it was the companion that mattered to him.
We all make occasional mistakes in our choice of partners.
Some more than others!
I love the little-boy glee of your last line; I didn’t need the recording to tell me the laughter in your voice! Nicely written, CE
Thanks, Penny, I was kinda thrilled!
Wait! I thought “House of the Rising Sun” was a prison.
Um, no, a house of ill-repute, I believe
I looked it up. You’re right. My bad.
Love the ode to a great, great song!
Happy you enjoyed it.
It will be the ruin of this poor boy, or perhaps his companion more likely.
We get over life’s little hiccups, Iain!
House of the Setting Sun for that relationship, I think
Indeed it was, Neil
I love the song, CE. This was fantastic.
Thank you, Varad