PHOTO PROMPT © J Hardy Carroll
“It’s the one thing I want.”
His siblings’ squabbling over their late mother’s items woke memories he preferred to not revisit. He wondered if not leaving a will was her way to continue their jockeying for her perceived affections even after she was gone.
Linda fixed her suspicious gaze on him. “Why?”
He shrugged to feign indifference. “I find the carvings interesting, and,” he pointed at his black clothing, “it’s kind of Goth.”
He wasn’t going to tell them about the hidden compartments. Or their contents. Grandpa had shown him. “Black sheep need help, Son. In case of hard times.”
For Rochelle’s Friday Fictioneers
Na'ama Yehuda 
Craft Grandad!
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Or at the very least, one who knew some secrets worth sharing … 😉
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I like the idea of the hidden compartments. Well done.
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Thanks, Iain! Many of those elaborate productions had at least one hidden compartment, and some were fantastically complex. 🙂
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Na’ama Y’karah,
Oh those family feuds over what doesn’t matter. I have a friend whose family practically split up over a piano. Although it sounds like this guy has good reasons for wanting the clock. Nicely done.
Shalom,
Rochelle
PS Should you want to read mine again: https://rochellewisoff.com/2018/09/12/14-september-2018/ 😉
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Thank you. Indeed all too often things become more important than relationships, and old unresolved issues revisit in times of loss (and not). It does sound like he has reason to want this item, but giving up all other items says plenty, too…
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Alright, he had insider knowledge. What if his kin were smarter and they also ask for the same item?
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Ah, but there lies the mystery in every micro-fiction … What happened next? What will the true ending be? How will this conflict be resolved? 🙂 I’m so glad for the curiosity about this. Thank you for the comment! 🙂
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Now you have us all wondering what’s inside the hidden compartment! Interesting.
Click to visit Keith’s Ramblings!
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My job here is done … 😉
Thanks, Keith! 🙂
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The mystery here is compelling; and should put a stop to their fussing and fighting.
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Ah, perhaps … or perhaps they are entrenched in their sibling-squabbles and will not stop to wonder what they may all gain from less fighting …
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You got a lot into this story – the feuding siblings, the secret compartments. Intriguing.
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Oh, good! Intriguing is what I’d hoped for … (aren’t most relationships intriguing? I find it to be the best fodder for stories, and they often run deep). 🙂 Thank you for the comment!
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Very well-crafted. A lot packed into this piece.
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Thank you! 🙂
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I think he is very smart to downplay the reason he wants it… Love Grandad for being on his side. I so loathe these family feuds over stuff…
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I know … I think it is one of the things I find the saddest when parents pass on and the feuds — be it spoke about or hidden under layers of brewing animosity and jealousy and greed and ugh — bubble up to the surface and manifest through fighting over ‘stuff’ when so much of the time it is not about the ‘stuff’ at all, now, is it? I have, fortunately, also seen the generous and loving way some families divide the things (and again, it is not about the ‘things’) left by parents, where they hold each other’s wishes and preferences with the care it deserves and with the respect this allows for the parent to not have their kids squabble over the ‘remains’… So, in many case the way people manage the grief — and estate — of a family loss may be a mirror of their relationships and priorities …
As for the Grandad, I guess he picked up on more than he was going to lay out in the open, and instead, decided to support the one he knew would most likely need it and not abuse it. …
Hugs, Na’ama
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Yes! To all the above. The Christmas before my father died, he gifted each of us with things of his we admired. I cannot lie, I totally ugly-cried when he gave me his tea set that I coveted…
The rest of the stuff, we left to his widow, taking only some of his clothes for the men in our lives… However, when SHE goes, there will be issues… or not.
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I’m so glad he gifted you something you wanted. It is a touching thing to do, and a loving thing, I believe. As for what might be when his widow passes on … I guess all one can do is manage how THEY will behave … and the rest is … well … life. Hugs to you! Na’ama
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💖
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You have a nice balance between dialogue, thoughts and narrative explanation which makes your story flow nicely. The family relationships are also sketched in confidently. Nice work.
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🙂 Thank you, Penny! You are so kind and I appreciate your continued feedback on my posts. It is very considerate of you. 🙂 Na’ama
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