Friday Fiction – Delays

This week’s FF photograph reminded me of an old FF entry here, but I went a different way instead with my story and you can read it below. I welcome comments and critique; I’m particularly interested in any suggestions for a better title. I feel there must be a great one out there, but it’s eluding me this morning.

Thanks to Rochelle for hosting and Sandra Crook for the photo.

Delays

“Oh God, move it!” Dad yelled.

Amy looked up at the castle on the hill. They’d passed signs advertising “Les spectacles des chevaux”, which sounded like glasses for horses, but meant equestrian shows. She’d have made a joke, even suggested they go, but the car was thick with Dad’s anger at the tractor so she kept quiet.

“You’d think he’d pull over and let us by!”

A few miles later, the tractor turned off. Dad floored the accelerator and narrowly avoided a pensioner who’d chosen that moment to cross.

“Now, is there anywhere you’d like to visit today?” Dad asked.

 

***

An extra thought…

The lesson in this story is one I try to bear in mind as Sebastian and I are walking through the freezing wind and he stops to study a discarded plastic bottle or a pile of dirty snow. I’m not preaching – I know that it’s too easy to be “Dad” and get swept away with the need to get somewhere without ever stopping to wonder if you’re already there.

Friday Fiction – Cooling Off

Another Friday, another fiction. This time the photo is courtesy of Jan Morrill, the other stories as always can be found on Madison’s site. And I, as so often happens, heard a voice in my head when I saw the picture and had to write her down!

A friend of mine was telling me last night about a situation where he was given the elbow by a girl and years later, bumped into her. She was mad at him for how things ended – it’s not the first time I’ve heard that sort of story, and for some reason this character reminded me of that type of situation. We (women? people in general?) have a knack for blaming other people, not for their faults, but for not being what and who we want them to be.

Have you ever had that sort of situation? Do you see the similarity in the story below? Feedback, fans and flames always welcome.

Cooling off

Jan felt the sun’s heat dissipate as they ducked into a narrow street.

“It’s hot,” she whined, slowing to a crawl although the ground sloped gently downhill. She recognised a blue door, standing out against the whitewash of the rest of the town. They weren’t far from the villa now.

“Almost there,” Steve coaxed. “Then we can cool off in the pool.”

Her teeth clenched at his patience. “We’re lost!” she scowled.

“I don’t think so.” He was so damned hard to annoy. He couldn’t even disagree with her when she was blatantly wrong. “There, look – phew. We found it.”