Topsy

May 29, 2024Na'ama Yehuda Anecdotes of Life, Life and love, Muse and Flow, Trauma and Development, Writing Tags: 100WordChallenge, Adversity, Amusement Park, Everything's relative, Flash Fiction, Friday Fictioneers, Making do, Micro-fiction, Not Recommended 35 Comments

She never understood the urge to willingly turn one’s world upside down and put one’s fate in the hands of minimally-maintained machines in the hands of minimally-trained college students who were likely more intent on ogling potential mates than on guaranteeing an in-one-piece return to gravity for riders.

Life was plenty adventurous enough without deliberate topsy-turvy.

And yet, there they were. Lining up to shell small fortunes for misery.

She stood at her window, nursing the weak tea that would have to do till the end of the month, and watched the roller-coasters hurl a screaming world around.

For Rochelle’s Friday Fictioneers

Photo prompt © Mr. Bink

Until The Rain

May 8, 2024Na'ama Yehuda Anecdotes of Life, Life and love, Muse and Flow, Reflections, Trauma and Development, Writing Tags: 100WordChallenge, Canopy, Coming to terms, Finding peace, Friday Fictioneers, Grief, Loss, Making do, Photo prompt, Siblings 27 Comments

“It will only last till fall.”

“In all probability,” Tad smiled, “so would I.”

Seth craned his neck toward the canopy, so tears stream into his hair and not onto his cheeks, where Tad may see them.

Gone was the sturdy tarp of their childhood gazebo. Stripped away by time, and the remains plucked off by winter’s hurricane.

“The trees protect it still,” Tad offered gently. “The roof we have no longer hides the sky.”

Until the rain, Seth thought, but nodded. The light was soft. Perhaps the inevitable will be, too.

For Rochelle’s Friday Fictioneers

Photo prompt © Lisa Fox

Oceana

September 29, 2023Na'ama Yehuda Life and love, Muse and Flow, Reflections, Writing Tags: 100WordChallenge, Childhood Adversity, Flash Fiction, Friday Fictioneers, Making do, Making it work, Micro Fiction, Nostalgia, Ocean, Sailing 23 Comments

They never understood, when they “put her into care,” that she already had all she needed: a trundle, a trunk, a life-vest, as many friends as any needed. Sure, she’d fallen overboard, but only in stormy weather, which meant all hands on deck to sound the “Lassie Overboard Alarm” and save her.

For years she pined. For the salt air. The open space. The freedom. Even for the callouses that Papa said were part of a sailor.

Now grown, and anchored by children of her own, the sea remained away.

But she could bring it home.

Create her Oceana.

For Rochelle’s Friday Fictioneers

Photo prompt © Jennifer Pendergast

Every Thing

September 22, 2023Na'ama Yehuda Anecdotes of Life, Current events, Muse and Flow, Reflections, Things Kids Say, Trauma and Development, Writing Tags: 100WordChallenge, Adversity, Candy, Childhood trauma, Dreams, Dumpster diving, Friday Fictioneers, Homelessness, Hunger, Making do 42 Comments

“It will have everything in it!”

Molly’s eyes shone in the dark and Gary was reminded of other eyes they’d seen reflecting in their torch beam. He shuddered.

“It couldn’t possibly have every thing,” he tried, just for the sake of argument.

She slapped his leg with her bare foot. “Don’t be daft. You know what I mean.”

“Chocolates?” A peace offering.

“Of course! Every kind of sweet!”

Molly’s stomach grumbled, and his answered. They were both of them hungry. At least the rain stopped so they weren’t quite so cold.

Perhaps tomorrow they’ll beat the garbage trucks to the bins.

For Rochelle’s Friday Fictioneers

Photo prompt © Roger Bultot

Their Perfect Mess

September 6, 2023Na'ama Yehuda Anecdotes of Life, Life and love, Muse and Flow, Things Kids Say, Writing Tags: 100WordChallenge, Breathing room, Discovery, Flash Fiction, Friday Fictioneers, Garden, Making do, Micro Fiction, orphanage, Siblings 40 Comments

“Come see!” Charlie sprinted, pulling on Claudia’s hand so hard she almost fell.

“Slow down!” She may be older, but her short legs were no match to his flamingo limbs.

“Sorry…”, Charlie curbed his speed a smidge.

He led her around the back of Old Theresa’s abandoned house and through the broken fence. “See?!”

Claudia gawped. It was messy. It was overgrown with weeds and junk. It was perfect!

She hugged herself with excitement. She missed having a backyard. Nature. There was none in the orphanage.

“We’ll retie the net for shade. Bring stuff. Make it our secret breathing space!”

For Rochelle’s Friday Fictioneers

Photo prompt: © Fleur Lind

All Better Soon

August 12, 2023Na'ama Yehuda Anecdotes of Life, Life and love, Muse and Flow, Reflections, Writing Tags: All better, Chicken soup, Making do, Panacea, Practical solutions, Remedy, Sickness, Weekend Writing Prompt 18 Comments

(Photo: Uwe Conrad on Unsplash)

She cried into the onions, peeled the taters, chopped the carrots, minced the garlic, seared the chicken bits.

Around her a cacophony of coughs.

A prodigious sneeze.

She wiped. She washed her hands. She stirred.

The panacea simmered.

There’s nothing chicken soup won’t fix.

For Sammi’s Weekend Writing Prompt of: Panacea in 44 words

Uncle Ronnie’s Cabin

August 12, 2023Na'ama Yehuda Anecdotes of Life, Life and love, Muse and Flow, Things Kids Say, Trauma and Development, Writing Tags: 100WordChallenge, Abandomnent, Adversity, Flash Fiction, Friday Fictioneers, Log Cabin, Making do, Micro Fiction, Things Kids Say, Uncle 30 Comments

Mama said it would be “an adventure.”

Lizette knew this meant no argument. No whining. Mama needed “Mama Time”.

“Just the weekend,” Mama said.

Lizette knew this meant at least a week. Till Mama grew tired of her new Beau. Or the Beau grew tired of Mama.

Did Uncle Ronnie know Mama’s language? Will he care?

It was dark when they arrived. Light flickered in the cabin’s window.

Mama let her out. Told her to knock. Drove away as the door opened.

Lizette shuddered. Entered. Gasped. Sighed.

The chandelier tree. The moose. Her uncle’s smile.

She could stay a while.

For Rochelle’s Friday Fictioneers

Photo prompt © Alicia Jamtaas

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

For Now

April 20, 2022Na'ama Yehuda Anecdotes of Life, Life and love, Muse and Flow, Reflections, Trauma and Development, Writing Tags: 100WordChallenge, Deserted, Flash Fiction, Friday Fictioneers, Making do, Micro-fiction, Runaway, Runaways, Seeking safety, Survival 45 Comments

kananaskis-cafe

They didn’t know where she was. She preferred it that way.

The windows were all missing. No doors. Graffiti covered the shell of building.

It was far from town, but sometimes travelers stopped to stare, and some used the empty rooms for all manner of unsavory business.

She spent most days in the nearby woods. Foraging. Snaring. Keeping watch.

At night, she kept to the relative shelter of the basement, hanging bits of chain on entryways to serve as warning chimes.

She dreamed of restorations. Of locks on doors.

She wanted more.

But it was home enough.

For now.

For Rochelle’s Friday Fictioneers

Inside Job

March 17, 2022Na'ama Yehuda Anecdotes of Life, Life and love, Muse and Flow, Reflections, Trauma and Development, Writing Tags: 100WordChallenge, Adversity, Encourage, Finding a way, Flash Fiction, Friday Fictioneers, Make the most of it, Making do, Micro-fiction, Survival 25 Comments

gate-photo-promt-unknown-submission

“It doesn’t matter what it looks like on the outside …”

“Yea,” Elianna intoned, “it’s what on the inside that matters.”

“Exactly,” Jennifer winked. To be easily discouraged was a privilege of the young. Something time cured. Or tanned into tough old leather. She chuckled.

“What?” Elianna sounded wounded.

“I was laughing at myself, Eli.” Jennifer tested the length of her chains. Sink to bed to door. “We can do not a thing about that horrid gate or those who guard it, but let’s put some elbow grease into this door and make our inside view a good deal better.”

For Rochelle’s Friday Fictioneers