PROMPTuesday Lucky #13
For today’s exercise, Deb would love you to add to the sentences provided below. Complete the paragraph and continue the story.
“Wait!” I screamed after her. “Your hat!”
She ignored me, which was to be expected, we hadn’t talked, not really anyway, in more than 10 years. I scooped up her black hat. The mesh veil fluttered beneath my fingers…
Usual PROMPTuesday guidelines apply, as below:
- You must write your entry in 10 minutes. This encourages top-of-mind, primal thinking before the ego and judgmental brain kicks in. Just set a timer, make your kid count to 600 slowly, whatever. It’s an honor system. And I trust you.
- Keep to 250 words or less.
- Please have fun. Don’t put pressure on yourself. Together, let’s rediscover the simple joy in the writing process.
- Post your submission in the comments OR post in your blog and leave a link to your blog in the comments.
My entry:
“Wait!” I screamed after her. “Your hat!”
She ignored me, which was to be expected, we hadn’t talked, not really anyway, in more than 10 years. I scooped up her black hat. The mesh veil fluttered beneath my fingers…
I choked back the tears as I watched my mother get into the car. I knew she was hurting and I could do nothing to help ease her pain. I also knew I was part of the pain she carried with her every single day. Now that my brother was gone, I was the only living relative she had left and we were basically strangers anymore. It was my fault, too. I knew this as sure as I knew my mom was pulling an immaculately pressed, embroidered handkerchief out from her right sleeve at this very moment to dab at her tears.
I could scarecly fathom where she found her strength. After my father died, my mother took up the reins of the family business and made it even bigger. It was when I discovered my brother “borrowing” money from the business that we had our big falling out. My mother was willing to forgive his indiscretions, but I wasn’t. Unable to muster the respect for Todd necessary to work with him and Mom, I left. It seemed the only thing to do and I was certain he was going to bankrupt the company. It turned out Mom was right, as usual. Todd made up for his big mistake and helped Mom grow the company into a powerhouse. I kept up through news articles and such, but never through family. We were all we had and I’d walked away.
I started weeping harder. I’d just lost my brother a second time, it seemed, and it hurt so much because I knew I’d wasted all these years stubbornly adhering to “principle”. I couldn’t go back and make it up to him now. And my mother obviously didn’t want to deal with me in her grief. It was like losing both of them all over again.
I nearly jumped out of my skin as I felt a hand on my shoulder. I hadn’t even heard anyone approach me. Gasping, I turned to find my mother, her sweet face filled with concern, arms open, and I crumpled into them. She patted my back and held me close.
“I missed you, Laurel. I know Todd did, too. I’m so glad you could make it back,” she said. “Don’t worry, honey. He knew you loved him. Everything’s going to be okay now.” And I believed her.
Aw, a reunion of sorts. I like that!
I’m so impressed with people who can write on the fly like this… I’m not that creative!
Comment by pam — July 15, 2008 @ 8:27 am
took a morbid turn for you too i see…
but very well told and you seem to have gotten to a place of safety at the end.
“you done good sis”
Comment by LarryG — July 15, 2008 @ 8:28 am
Sometimes the synapses are firin’, sometimes they’re not. Today was a good day.
Honestly though, there are times when I have to read the “assignment” and think about it while I’m doing something else before I can write. Just depends.
Larry, it was Deb’s black hat and veil that led us down this path…
Comment by DaGoddess — July 15, 2008 @ 8:35 am
That was great, Joanie.
I didn’t expect the happy ending, but am glad I got one.
Deb
Comment by San Diego Momma — July 15, 2008 @ 9:14 am
that was very good!
Comment by caltechgirl — July 15, 2008 @ 7:48 pm
Well done! That was excellent.
Comment by tinsenpup — July 15, 2008 @ 8:35 pm
Thank you, all. Deb’s done such a great job of inspiring me to do actual “writing”, it’s almost a shame I don’t do it more often, isn’t it? I really should be working on any of the dozen and a half stories I have sitting around here, but I most likely won’t for a while. Still, Deb rocks and so do all the other participants!
Comment by DaGoddess — July 15, 2008 @ 11:18 pm
Wow. That was great!!
Comment by Mary — July 16, 2008 @ 8:03 am
[...] you write a little story, set it free for the world to see, and then you wish you’d written something else. You could [...]
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