PHOTO PROMPT © Ted Strutz
She waited.
Three teens passed, faces glued to lit screens. One murmured “sorry” when he almost bumped into her. He didn’t look up.
A mother hurried in the direction of the car park, harried by a whining toddler.
Long minutes passed. She’d walked from the bus and her legs weren’t what they used to be. She leaned onto a lamppost and closed her eyes.
“Ma’am?”
A bearded face leaned toward her. Another man behind.
“Will you help me cross the street?”
“At your service!” Both men offered their hands.
She smiled. “Mendel sent you. It’s what he used to say.”
For the Friday Fictioneers Challenge
Fabulous!!!
💚💚💚
Adele Ryan McDowell
AdeleRyanMcDowell.com Adeleandthepenguin.com MakingPeacewithSuicide.com Channeledgrace.com
Na’ama Y’karah,
I have a Mendel in my novels. Just thought you’d like to know. 😉
The last line makes me want to turn the page and read another chapter. Nicely told.
Should you want to have another go at Dolly Sinatra and her 13 lb. baby moose: https://rochellewisoff.com/2018/07/25/27-july-2018/
Shabbat Shalom,
Rochelle
Oh … how cool! One of those days I’ll have to check it out, given how much I enjoy your flash-fiction! 🙂 Thank you for the comment re: the post. Yes, I think I’d like to imagine what happened next, too. In my mind’s eye, that waterfront had been a place Mendel and her used to frequent. 🙂 Shabbat Shalom from a VERY rainy NYC, awash in rain, flood warnings and thunderstorms.
Lovely stuff.
Thank you! 🙂
The kindness of strangers. Such a lovely story, Na’ama!
Thank you, Dale! 🙂
You tell that tale well, Na’ama. You build tension by setting up the little conundrum “What does the old woman need?” and delaying the answer until near the end. I like, too, the way that Mendel’s Messengers give her emotional strength as well as helping her across the street.
Thank you Penny! 🙂 What a lovely, informative comment!
Clever use of the title to tell a big part of your story. Well told.
Thank you Jilly! 🙂