It’s Wednesday and snowing big times here in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan. It’s a good day for storytelling. What better venue than the Friday Fictioneers. We like to tell stories of 100 words to a photo prompt. We are hosted by Rochelle Wisoff-Fields of Addicted to Purple. Here is my story.
PHOTO PROMPT © CEAyr
I sat at the base of the tree, cradled by two roots. I gazed across the pond. Right out there in the middle was where my brother and I got stuck. We were chasing the water buffalo with sticks. We didn’t get very far before we couldn’t go at all. We had to be rescued. Boy, did mother give it to us after! We were soaked and caked in mud.
Those were the good memories. What haunted me still was the memory of my grandmother being publicly humiliated and persecuted by the village under this very tree many years ago.
Glad they were saved. I wonder what the grandmother had done? Good little slice of memories.
Thank you! Loosely woven true memories.
Lily
I wasn’t expecting that ending
Whoa that end… starts with fun and then bang
Surprised myself, too. 🙂
Lily
I love it when writing surprises the author!
Dear Lily,
A bittersweet story, beginning with sweet and ending with bitter. Nicely done.
Shalom,
Rochelle
Thank you, Rochelle.
Lily
The first paragraph had me imagining a sweet, humorous picture of siblings innocent and mischievous in their youth, but then you hit me with that second paragraph and now everything hurts 😦 I was not expecting that twist and you wove it well!
Thank you, Jade!
Lily
This one reminds me of a friend from China who told me that her mother had been humiliated because of her, she was the second child, and her mother’s portrait was exposed in the factory she worked in.,..
My grandmother was really humiliated and persecuted. It was because my grandfather escaped to HK. It was the times of Mao. Thanks for reading.
Lily
The good ol’ times were not so good for many. Great twist, great ending.
Thanks!
Lily
Good story, Lily.
Thank you, Sandra.
Lily
That ending took me by surprise. I was lulled into a false sense of security, then BAM!
Thanks for reading, Clare!
Lily
The contrast between sweet memory and nightmare is spot on in this tale.
Thanks, Alicia.
Lily
Snowing! Glad we have already made our way back to Arizona after spending the summer in Alberta. But wait, you will have a great winter wonderland at Xmas and I will be stuck with desert. Loved the story. To me, the message was that sadness and bad memories will lurk below the surface of even happy times.
Thanks! I love the desert. I’ve only spent one month in Lake Havasu couple years back. Hope to make another trip again. But we’re here for the cold this year.
Lily
This story shows the reality of living in a village. It can be pleasant or hurtful. Nothing is hidden. Great twist at the end. Good writing, Lily. —- Suzanne