Fiction Friday for April 11, 2008:
In honor of tax day (at least here in the US) write about how your character handles a serious bout of financial troubles. Do they take a mistress? Run away? Do something crazy? Or buckle down?
I had just come back from the unemployment office when the phone rang. I took a glance at the Caller ID. The hair on my arms stood on end.
The kids were jumping on the trampoline in the backyard, under the watchful eye of their mother. The kitchen smelled wonderfully. Myriam had made Sheperd's Pie for dinner. All I wanted to do was sit at the counter and take it all in, envelop myself in this goodness until everything else melted away. The piercing ring of the phone was ruining it for me, though. I did not want to take this call. Nothing good was going to come out of it.
Is there any easy way to say this? How do I tell them? How do you tell your family that you have failed them?
The phone stopped ringing. No voicemail. I looked out the window. The kids were playing tag now. Pretty soon it will be time for dinner. What I would give to be a kid again.
A goldfinch was sitting on a branch right outside my window. It trained its small, black eyes on me. We had a moment before it took off in flight. The birdfeeder was empty. Sorry, little dude. I did not mean to starve you.
I'm sure we can spare some rice.
What a sad tale. And the last bit was so 'tweet'!
ReplyDeleteOur thoughts are more powerful than we can imagine…Believe…The birds shall be fed!
ReplyDeleteEnjoy Life!
Perfectly written. Awesome Job.
ReplyDeleteI landed here in random fashion. I was looking for the meaning of the word "boricua" after seeing the introductions in the boxing match between the Mexican fighter Alonso Gomez and the Puerto Rican fighter Miguel Cotto. Cotto was introduced as "Miguel 'boricua to the bone' Cotto" and I couldn't find a translation in the sources I usually go to. So, I googled it and ended up here. I read your piece on unemployment, fear of letting your family down and even the feeling of letting down the critters from the wild that visit you and it really touched me. I think most people are familiar with that feeling of despair from some point in their life and I thought you said all that needed to be said in a well constructed, beautifully concise prose. Have you ever tried to get anything published? Short story? Essay? If not, you should really think about giving it a whirl. I've always dreamed of writing the Great American Novel and while I've never quite gotten ambitious enough yet to do that I have published many short pieces and I think I can recognize something that could be sold. Even in the worst case scenario you should be able to make enough to feed the birds. ;-)
ReplyDeleteOh, BTW, thanks for the nice explanation for the word "Boricua"
Thank you for your kind words, Anonymous. I am glad your search for the meaning of boricua landed you here. My dream is to get published, definitely.
ReplyDelete