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:
Caffeine Catastrophe
I grin as the women pile off the bus and scurry homewards with scarcely an au revoir.
This total lack of social graces is highly unusual, but understandable.
It’s market day, and les femmes habitually gather for a quick coffee before heading home.
But today, for technical reasons, the boulangerie was a coffee-free desert.
Quelle catastrophe.
Limpy and Blin’ (who don’t scurry, but wield respectively a walking frame and a white stick), Gertie the Glove and Squeaky Sue are, sans café, close to their sparkling worst, bemoaning the heat (they’re not Scots), the tourists, the government and, most of all, the pain of caffeine deprivation.
In France, people live contentedly without water, air or love, but coffee is an entirely different matter.
Our closely-grouped apartment blocks are situated such that each has a Mediterranean view from the balcony, but the kitchens face the mountains beyond the communal parking area.
As I drain my third glass of fridge-chilled water, entertained by the sound of muted curses and frantically rattling cups, kettles and cafetières from wide-open neighbouring windows, I notice the guys working on the lock-up roofs.
One of them, an impressively-built young specimen, clambers up his ladder, and pauses, his well-filled tee-shirt drenched in honest sweat.
At the same time as he languorously pulls it over his head, the audible moan of satisfaction from my lady neighbours makes me laugh and marvel at the recuperative power of coffee.
Yeah, right.
Do you really think I’m that dumb?
Oh fab, and fab! Still chortling about that…
Chortling is a great word, Chris!
Fun story! I would love to see all the women there fanning their sweaty faces! Oh, how dreamy he must be!
What’s a girl gotta do to get a croissant around here?
Fun story, CE.
Just pour the coffee and I’ll bring the croissants!
You had me right there with you. I nearly wolf whistled!
Laughing.
And fumbling with my shirt buttons!
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What a lovely picture you’ve painted.
Glad you enjoyed!
I can just see these women, and their dismay – and hear the annoyance in the clattering of their utensils as they resign themselves to making their own coffee – catastrophe indeed.
A delightful wee snapshot of human nature – and of a different culture.
Caffeine-free ladies are among Nature’s scariest creatures!
very fun….
Thank you!
;0)
Coke ad comes to mind!!! Fun take.
It’s too hot here to go dark, Di!