Friday Fiction again and this week a photo from veteran player, Sandra Crook. I think she must have been with us at least as long as me, right Sandra?
Your thoughts and critique of my writing are always welcome.
Pillars
Edith took the news with a sigh.
“I know you don’t approve, Mum, but the marriage just isn’t working for us.”
“I remember when marriage didn’t work for you, you worked for it. Things got a little rickety, you propped them up. Added a pillar. Or you leant harder on the ones you had.”
“And when there’s no pillars left?”
Edith glanced over at her grandsons. “You’ve three great pillars right there.”
“I don’t love her any more.”
“Well. Love’s the weakest pillar of all. I haven’t been in love since the Great War. And certainly not with your father.”
elmowrites 
And certainly not with your father. What a wonderful line!
Thanks!
Marriage is permanent and can’t be dissolved except by death~but mankind is restless and imperfect…a scary combination
I think the two ‘generations’ are an interesting contrast – They are both so absolute, but in opposite directions.
They make life harder than anyone wants it but it must be worth it
Ha, great last line and a good bit of wisdom from experience. Well done.
Thanks, Iain! I’m glad you liked it
Dear Jen,
The mother’s line is so telling. It reminds me of things my own mother said.
Shalom,
Rochelle
Well now that’s just perfect. I take it her advice worked for you too!
How much we have changed over generations… the love we are always hunting for (maybe it’s really lust though)… the use of the pillar as a metaphor is great here.
Thanks Bjorn! The pillars really jumped out at me from the picture, so I thought I’d run with them. I don’t know if either of these characters has the ‘right’ attitude to love, but exploring their differences is certainly interesting.
Well, that settled that!
Ha.
Randy
Ha indeed. Do you think he’ll change his plans though?
Times they are a-changing… don’t know that sticking it out through thin and thin is always the best choice but it’s definitely one for the unity of the family…
Personally, I suspect it depends on the degrees of thick and thin. Anyone expecting every day to be perfect probably needs to reevaluate, but there are some things nobody should have to stick with.
A vivid reflection of the different approaches to marriage over the years. I loved the “and certainly not with your father.”
There’s something hiding behind that line, isn’t there? A whole story untold.
You’ve done a good job with this. I really like this line, …”When marriage didn’t work for you , you worked for it.” This lady understood commitment!
The old folks seemed to grasp the fact that marriage doesn’t work all the time — and you can’t expect it to — but you have made sacred vows.
That line made me think of the Kennedy quote “ask not what your country can do for you…” I think many people expect marriage to work all the time; learning that it doesn’t … and that’s OK … is a powerful lesson.
That last line just said it all. 🙂
I’m pleased you think so!
Loved that last line. You covered almost all the pillars. We at times fail to realise that all we need to keep the house from falling apart is one strong pillar. Great writing.
Does that actually work with houses, neel? I thought you needed beams and walls and stuff too?!
I was allowed to work in India for about 9 months, many moons ago when I still worked as a translator. “Arranged marriages” work surprisingly well. I never understood until I saw it first hand.
I think it’s a lot to do with expectations. If you are in a culture where you expect your parents to make a sensible, practical choice, you are less likely to be upset by a lack of romance, whereas those of us raised on Cinderella and Snow White expect to be swept off our feet and then to be happy ever after.
Nice generational contrast. And a brillant last line!
Thanks, Gent!