Get inspired by summertime short stories!
The coming weeks I shall post short stories. Curious why? Visit my homepage and find out all about my quest to find back my writing style!
“You think you know what your journey will bring you, but in fact you don’t.”
Karen Blixen in a letter from Africa January 18th , 1917
Last week I spontaneously decided to take a dive into deep waters: To start sharing some of my short stories. Writing these was my way to clear my head and get rid of my formal writing style, acquired mainly through work. Going through some documents and re-reading each short story, my critical voice declared out loud: ‘suitable’, ‘maybe’ or ‘no way!’
“Why oh, why did I have to make it so difficult for myself?!” I wondered. Then a short story caught my attention and made me smile right away! It was on a warm summers’ day and I was on my way to the library, when an interesting dynamic evolved right in front of me. One person drew my special attention and I stopped to watch. This unknown person inspired me to write a short story around her. It is about family and friends whose group photo is about to be taken. Have you ever experienced that awkward moment just before a picture is taken? Somebody from the group steps up, directing people to stand at the right position. Then continuing to make bad jokes in order for people to laugh at the same time. At the end you produce a fake smile just to get it over with. When you get to see the final result, maybe even get a printed version, you wonder what to do with it. Well, this was a moment like that. Some parts of this story actually did happen and some could have happened..
FAMILY PORTRAIT
“No, I don't want to be on the group photo!”
She heard her five year old grandson scream. And she did not blame him as she did not want to be on the group photo either. How great would it be to shout out loud as well, but she couldn’t . Her voice had let her down, preventing her to speak. When the doctor explained the condition aphasia, that occurred often after a stroke, he did not bother to speak directly to her. Her daughter was sitting next to her and they were discussing the future prognosis about her and not with her. She had understood every word of it. Afterwards her daughter was more occupied controlling her own emotions instead of asking how she felt. It had made her angry at the time. Soon she learnt that expressing anger without using spoken words, was qualified by the surrounding as ‘annoying’ or ‘she always had a difficult character’. So she stopped showing her anger. Instead she processed in silence this new stage of life she had entered.
Today there was no other option for her than to be on the group photo. After all, it was their day. Meanwhile more people gathered on the big square. Some people she recognized others seemed like strangers to her. The names attached to the familiar faces escaped her memory.
"Oh, yes, here comes Suzy." she thought.
As a means to greet Suzy, she slowly lifted her right arm. When her arm reached halfway, Suzy got her attention. From afar Suzy waved back and it seemed as if she was now walking towards her. Instead she turned to greet the others. Like a rag doll, she dropped her arm next to her body. There was only one thought in her mind: To leave! Now! Her legs did not respond to that thought. It needed some encouragement:
“Get on your feet, start walking. Take me away from here. Doesn't matter where. I trust you."
As if they truly could listen, she felt her left leg start to take a first step, slowly followed by the right leg.
"Okay good. And now turn left, away from them.”
After a few steps, her feet decided to take a break. For a moment it seemed she would fall but she managed to stay upright.
“Okay feet, take a break and we shall continue again.”
Looking around she noticed a woman sitting on a bench just a few meters away from where she stood.
“Legs, please walk me to that bench.”
In slow steps she approached the bench when the woman on the bench asked her:
“Madam, are you part of that group?”
She looked at the woman and answered in her head:
"Not anymore. I want to go home."
It was only a few steps to sit down. Suddenly a cold hand on her arm made her gasp for air, preventing her to walk on.
“Come on grandma! You have to get on it too”.
Everything within her cried resistance but her granddaughter did not notice. The choice not to be on the group photo was now definitively taken away from her. She looked at the woman still sitting on the bench. The woman smiled at her and nodded her head as if to approve the kindness of her granddaughter. Reluctantly, her legs slowly brought her back to the group. The cold hand of her granddaughter now let go of her arm. It made her legs stagger but she managed to stand upright.
“Grandma, you have to stand next to grandpa!”
An unfamiliar face stepped aside to make room for her. Now she stood next to him. He looked at her and with his familiar deep, warm voice asked:
“Have we met before?”
By hearing his question, tears rolled down her cheek.
“It is me sweetie.”
She replied in her head. Slowly her hand folded into his. He did not resist and hold on tight. They looked each other in the eyes and did not notice the surroundings anymore. Then one voice made her head turn:
“Ok! Enough pictures taken!”
She looked straight into the eyes of the woman who had sat on the bench. She was the one taking the pictures. Above the noise she heard the clear voice of the photographer say:
“Congratulations on your 60th wedding anniversary. I wish you much happiness and a good time today. Hope to see you next year!”
Squeezing the hand of her husband tighter, she took a deep breath and held it for a moment. Then from a primal instinct she cried out loud:
“Not on my watch will we be here next year!”
While her voice echoed across the square, the voices around her numbed away immediately. She felt her husband’s strong hand holding her by the arm, slowly leading her away. Home.
