Amenities

July 8, 2023Na'ama Yehuda Anecdotes of Life, Funnies, Life and love, Muse and Flow, Writing Tags: 100WordChallenge, Amenities, Flash Fiction, Friday Fictioneers, Honeymoon, Making it work, Micro Fiction, Photo Fiction, Relationships 42 Comments

“Told you there’d be amenities!” Bob beamed.

Raquel looked around the campsite. Mud. Mess. And Misery. She bit her tongue. Only herself to blame. She should have known.

“When something is too good to be true, it is too good to be true,” her Ma always said. And of course, her Ma was (always) right.

Ma also told her that Bob was bad news, a bunch of trouble, and would never amount to anything.

True on all three counts.

She took a deep breath. She made her bed, and she was gonna lie in it. Even in a tent.

For Friday Fictioneers

Photo prompt © AJ Wilson

Peas In A Pod

July 1, 2023Na'ama Yehuda Anecdotes of Life, Life and love, Muse and Flow, Things Kids Say, Writing Tags: 100WordChallenge, Announcement, FlashFiction, Friday Fictioneers, Home, Just for fun, Micro Fiction, Photo Fiction, Siblings, Things Kids Say 19 Comments

She stormed in and stood, panting, hands on knees.

“What is it, girl!” Penny jumped, spilling some tea. A chain of horrible scenarios tumbled through her brain.

“She’s excited, not scared,” Margo barely lifted her eyes from the book she was destroying.

Clara nodded. Still unable to speak.

“I. Found. It!” she finally managed.

“Found what?” Penny snapped, then bit down her irritation. It was tiring, being the elder. The responsible one. The level-headed, boring, taskmaster sibling.

“Our perfect future homes!” Clara announced. “We can live next to each other, strung along the avenue like peas in a pod.”

For Friday Fictioneers

Photo prompt © Dale Rogerson

A Table For Two

June 17, 2023Na'ama Yehuda Anecdotes of Life, Life and love, Muse and Flow, Reflections, Writing Tags: 100WordChallenge, Best friends, Creative writing, Flash Fiction, Friday Fictioneers, Just for fun, Making do, Micro-fiction, New Beginnings, Photo Challenge 24 Comments

She placed the heavy chairs just so. Added a table that was dumped in front of the Crumble Cafe when the owners changed and the new management did away with all the old stuff. Staff included.

All of them kicked to the curb.

She had no job, but could be a foster mama to a table.

Especially as she had already two chairs waiting. Cast iron to pair with the castoff.

“A table for two,” she told Harriet.

Harriet made herself comfortable. On the table.

“Really?” Mattie laughed.

Harriet swished her tail in feline approval.

Cream and crumpets.

Perfect pair.

For Rochelle’s Friday Fictioneers

Photo prompt © Rowena Curtin

Another Step

June 10, 2023Na'ama Yehuda Life and love, Muse and Flow, Trauma and Development, Writing Tags: Escape, Flash Fiction, Getting Away, Micro Fiction, New Beginnings, Perseverance, Poetry, Trauma, Weekend Writing Prompt, Writing Challenge 19 Comments

(Photo by Volkan Olmez on Unsplash)

Her legs were lead.

Her arms were stone.

She could not take another step.

The weight around her neck,

Shackles

She could not

Discard.

She was so tired.

But she’d gotten them away

And he was breathing still.

So she shifted the child in her arms.

Walked on.

For Sammi’s Weekend Writing Prompt of: tired in 48 words

New Order

June 6, 2023Na'ama Yehuda Anecdotes of Life, Current events, Life and love, Muse and Flow, Reflections, Trauma and Development, Writing Tags: 100WordChallenge, Cautionary tale, Current affairs, Dystopia, Flash Fiction, Friday Fictioneers, Loss, Micro Fiction, Photo Fiction, Propaganda 21 Comments

She stood at the back and tried to make herself as small as possible.

Not easy, with her stature and attire.

Still, she hoped the shadows would afford some obscurity. Bad enough to be made to attend and be tallied. It would be worse to be noticed. To be named.

The speakers roared. The bands played deafening propaganda.

She stood. She clapped. She swayed as necessary.

She stayed alert. Her life depended on it.

But in a corner of her mind, she was a child still, pumping feet toward a blue sky. Still free. To believe. To think. To be.

For Rochelle’s Friday Fictioneers

Photo prompt © Ted Strutz

To The Naga’s Protection

April 22, 2023April 23, 2023Na'ama Yehuda Anecdotes of Life, Life and love, Muse and Flow, Reflections, Things Kids Say, Writing Tags: 100WordChallenge, Difficult decisions, Family, Friday Fictioneers, grandparents, Gratitude, Loss, love, New Beginnings, Thailand 26 Comments

“The Naga will protect you, Laang Chaai.”

“Yes, Yaai,” the boy swallowed tears and nodded to his grandmother. Even at his tender age he knew that his Yaai’s love would not be enough. Her body bent over like a broken bamboo, the shape of rice-paddy work even with no paddy to bend over.

The wrinkled hand touched boy’s head, devastated to give up her laang chaai. His mother had died in childbirth, yet she never thought of her grandson as an orphan. Till today.

The monks will raise him now.

“Khawp khun khrap” the boy bowed, palms together over heart.

For Rochelle’s Friday Fictioneers

Photo prompt: © David Stewart

Glossary:

Naga – semi-divine dragon-serpents in Thai culture which possess supernatural powers and are the patrons of water

Laang Chaai – grandson

Yaai – grandmother

khawp khun khrap – thank you (when said by male)