The Unicorn Challenge.
A magical new weekly writing opportunity from her – Jenne Gray – and me.
Visit her blog every Friday to see the photo prompt, and post your amazing story in her comments section.
Or on your own blog, and stick the link down in her comments.
The rules are:
Maximum of 250 words.
Based on photo prompt.
That’s it.
To hear me read my story, just click here:
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.
Even Grandpa, who was made of stone, forged from decades of toil in the fields, deferred to her in her kitchen.
I remember him snapping one morning, ‘Get me my bunnet, woman!’, and her steely smile.
‘You’re trying to lose weight, are you?’
‘What?’
‘Well, I can do a wee lassie’s job, or I can pack your midday meal for you.’
She was much younger than he was, barely fifty when I last saw her.
She’d be little more than a girl when she was wed, with grandchildren before she was forty.
She was a dour woman, rarely smiling, even at the youngest of the bairns.
But she had a soft spot for her daughter-in-law, my mother.
She’d sneer at Grandpa, ‘He likes her pretty face, but I like her smart head. She can cope.’
And she smiled at the traveller who peddled useless wares.
Every three or four weeks we’d hear the creak of his caravan’s wheels.
Then she’d stand, and smooth her hair and her apron.
If Grandpa noticed anything, he didn’t say.
But the man’s fiery black eyes would flash at her, and she’d always find some pot that needed mending, or buy a few ribbons that nobody ever wore.
Then one day Grandma wasn’t in her chair.
We haven’t seen the traveller in the six months since.
And the ribbons are gone too.
So many thoughts surrounding this write, CE. Such a young bride- I can only hope she left her dour at home and went on to have a wonderful life full of love and romance worthy of the young girl she once was. Such beautiful telling. I love to hear your words in your own voice.
I believe that we regret the things we don’t do more than the things we do.
Sure, we make mistakes, but looking back and knowing we missed something because we lacked courage, that’s a killer.
Thank you again for your very kind words, I appreciate you taking the time to listen and comment as well as reading.
That’s a lovely tale, CE – and I’m still smiling about that.
Then my job is done, Chris!
Excellent storytelling, as always. I love the line, “She ruled the world from that chair, like some Highland Cleopatra.” The spunk of grandma is wonderful, and she grasped some happiness in the end.
Thanks, Brenda, I kinda liked that line myself!
I’m a big believer in people who take courageous decisions.
I love your unique story. Fun. Good for Grandma!!!
Thank you.
Yes, grandmas are people too!
Good for Grandma! And I’m glad she took all the ribbons with her.
It was a hard life back then and women were forced to be strong even if they didn’t want to be, and to the detriment of their vulnerable side.
I’m happy Grandma got to escape – after all, there was a strong daughter-in-law to take over.
Apart from being another great tale, it’s also an incisive look at that period in time.
And I love the narrator’s ‘voice’.
Thanks, Jenne.
I think there are lots of women of a certain age who wish they had the courage to take that life-changing leap.
And a few who do.
Interesting story. Were the ribbons all used up or who took the ribbons?
Interesting comment. What do you think happened to the ribbons?