The Laundrette – Weekend Writing Prompt

Posted on April 25, 2020 by ceayr

The little café in the square by C. E. Ayr

A word prompt to get your creativity flowing this weekend.  How you use the prompt is up to you.  Write a piece of flash fiction, a poem, a chapter for your novel…anything you like.  Or take the challenge below – there are no prizes – it’s not a competition but rather a fun writing exercise.  If you want to share what you come up with, please leave a link to it in Sammi’s Comment SectionClick here to hear the author croak his words:

The Laundrette

I sit outside the little café in the square.
Watching.
The laundrette is at the opposite corner.
Abruptly I lift my bags and head over.
Today I am clueless with the machines.
Today I have trouble reading the instructions which are, of course, in French.
The two ladies of a certain age are so very helpful, so keen to impress the bumbling but charming foreigner.
They explain where to put the washing powder.
I look blank.
They provide it.
Fabric softener?
They provide it.
They explain the workings of the dials, competing for my attention and approval.
I point to the café, invite them for coffee to show my gratitude.

Tomorrow I will be long gone.
And the two ladies?
They will have some pleasant memories.
And significantly lighter bank accounts.

Unknown's avatar

About ceayr

A Scot who has discovered peace in a small town he calls Medville on the Côte Vermeille, C.E. Ayr has spent a large part of his life in the West of Scotland and a large part elsewhere. His first job was selling programmes at his local football club and he has since tried 73 other career paths, the longest being in IT, with varying degrees of success. He is somewhat nomadic, fairly irresponsible and, according to his darling daughter, a bit random. So, nobody’s perfect.
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15 Responses to The Laundrette – Weekend Writing Prompt

  1. Stine Writing's avatar Stine Writing says:
    May 17, 2020 at 2:23 am

    Oooh nice twist at the end!

    Reply
  2. Dale's avatar Dale says:
    April 26, 2020 at 7:40 pm

    Ya couldn’t just buy ’em a cup of coffee and show gratitude…

    Reply
  3. rochellewisoff's avatar rochellewisoff says:
    April 26, 2020 at 2:41 pm

    Dear C.E.,

    Full of charm and larceny. I hope his laundry is full of unwashable stains.

    Shalom,

    Rochelle

    Reply
  4. Keith's Ramblings's avatar Keith's Ramblings says:
    April 26, 2020 at 1:07 pm

    I’ve always been a bit suspicious of you since you left Scotland to hide away in foreign parts!

    My 131!

    Reply
  5. Na'ama Yehuda's avatar Na'ama Yehuda says:
    April 25, 2020 at 11:52 pm

    I had a feeling this was where this was going. … Not good, very bad man … (well done, in the writing department, though!)

    Reply
  6. Reena Saxena's avatar Reena Saxena says:
    April 25, 2020 at 12:10 pm

    Wow! That was some ending 🙂

    Reply

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