The house

Mother bellows for the children to come to breakfast before the day begins. Father is already on his way out to tend to the fields below but he will expect the rest of the family to join him shortly. No one is spared from the hardship of gathering of the harvest. He knows that each will do their best, as he had done for his father before. Each year the crops had been smaller and withering sooner, but it seems this year has been extremely bad.

The drought had been going on for many years now, just enough rain to provide for the family and even that was dwindling.  Soon, he ponders, they may have to move on. But to where? This has been home for several generations of his family and thought of leaving wrenches at his heart. Still he can’t just stay and watch his family shrivel one by one as the shortage of food continues.

Soon, he thinks, very soon. He had heard of work in a mill up north where he had cousins living. They would put the family up for a while. At least until he could get on his feet. Mother would not be happy, he knows. This has been her home for more years than she would like to let on. She will get over it. She is a strong woman, practical. And once there the children would have the chance to attend school regularly. She’d like that idea.

That evening after supper, he broaches the subject with her. He smiles, as she reacts just as he assumed she would. Then reasoning took over and she began making plans about what to take and what to leave. They just couldn’t afford to take everything with them. As soon as those decisions were finalized, a date was reached. They would be leaving on the third Monday of next month. That would give him time enough to get a letter to his cousins and get a reply back.

Sunday before was spend packing and loading the wagon that they would haul behind the aging vehicle. It groaned and creaked as they started, but managed to pull the load. Father watched out of the rearview mirror as the house shrank in the distance. He wondered if he or any of his family would ever see the place again.

This once stately home now lies in disrepair, crumbling under the weight of time and weather. Father nor his children have traveled back to see the old place. And soon it will be lost along with the stories contained within

The Move

“What? What was that you said?”

She must be hearing things because she could have sworn you were talking about moving. And not just moving like across the street or across town, but several states away. She didn’t know what to say or if she should say anything at all especially since she had actually heard it from someone else already.

You just assumed that she would blow a gasket and start another fight, taking it badly to the extreme and you seemed genuinely surprised when she didn’t. Why is that? She had always come to your defense, always backed your decisions. Though she does have a bit of a temper and tends to make her suggestions sound more like demands. Is that what caused this sudden rush to get away? Or is it because you know you have been living off her and her husband without contributing either monetarily or by helping around the house? Most likely it was a combination of both.

You could see it in her eyes as she realized that the two of you have been arguing more of late or so it seemed. But she really thought it would work itself out in the end, apparently not. So while she didn’t like the idea of you moving so far away, she could understand your desire to try and make it on your own. Again if you looked hard enough you might have been able to see the thought processes whirling in her head. ‘Make it on your own?’ while moving in with your dad and his wife. Yeah, right. She didn’t say that but oh she wanted to.

Soon enough the day came. Tears welled up in her eyes whenever she would look at you or the children. The children. How she was going to miss their laughter, banter and arguing throughout the house. And as you and your father packed up the truck and your car, she held tightly the little boy that would no longer be a bright star in the day for her. She was also remembering all the good times that passed between the two of you. Not just recently either, but throughout your life, wondering if she would ever experience that again with you.

Before long the vehicles were packed and it was time to head out. Time had flown so swiftly and you were about to take flight on a new and different adventure. One that did not include her. Would you ever regret that? Would you ever wonder what might have been if you had stayed? But the time to change your mind had passed and there was one last hug goodbye before embarking on your journey.

So with her head leaning against the warm chest of her husband and tears freely falling now, she watched as your car turned the corner. Her hope was that with this separation, the two of you could reach some kind of reconciliation. And she wonders when she might see you again.

3 minute fiction - The Nurse

NPR's All Things Considered has this contest where you can submit a short story that can be read in 3 minutes or less. They are judged and the best ones are put up on the site. I think they are up to round 9. Anyway, I'm not a writer and I will not be submitting mine but thought I might still try my hand, push my bounderies, so to speak, and put them down here. So from round 2 (bolded is what you had to use) here is my 3 minute fiction:

The Nurse

The nurse left work at 5 o’clock dreading the moment when she must exit through the throng of reporters surrounding the doors inquiring about her patient.

All she could think about was why they felt it was their duty to follow and hound her with questions she could or would not answer. She had not taken this job to be a celebrity or even to have her 15 minutes of fame. She wanted to be a nurse so that she would matter, so she could take care of people, ease their suffering.

Can’t they just leave her alone? No, they are the most insistent of people, grasping for the least bit of gossip or juicy news that can be publicized throughout the country and most probably the world. She shook her head thinking about the young man ensconced in the bed on the third floor. He was much like her, all he wanted to do was make people happy with his talent. But then, maybe he enjoyed this kind of adulation. She would have to ask, she supposed.

Shunning the crowd as she pushes her way through, she finally makes it to the safety of her vehicle. But as she looked up to put the key in the lock she notices a sad, gangly young man leaning up against her car.

“What is it you want?” she sighs exhaustedly.

“Please, ma’am, how is he doing? You see, he is my brother. He has been trying to keep the family out of his limelight, but if I tried to make my way up there…. You can see what would happen.”

Giving him a little hope but no real information, she asked him to meet her at the 5 and Dime around the corner during her break the next day. This would give her some time to think.

As morning dawned, she made her way through the reporters once again. Stopping at various rooms to check up on her other patients, she finally ended up at The Room. Taking a breath, she walked in, sat down and started a conversation. She explained about meeting the young man the day before, asked about the relationship, and, of course, how he was doing. Getting a satisfactory answer she then began preparing for her meeting later that morning.

Time flew as she kept herself busy and before long she began her trek to the 5 and Dime. As she approached she could see the young man sitting at the soda counter with a cup of coffee in hand waiting for her. He stood as she got there and she handed him a bag, telling him to go change.  When he returned from the restroom, he looked just like your ordinary, everyday orderly that no one would take a second look at.

With a smile of a job well-done, it was time to make their way back to the hospital with heart-pounding anticipation as to whether they would make it through. And oh, yes, they did, with a pat on one another’s back they made their way up the third floor. Then seeing the look on her patient’s face as he gazed at his brother, made her realize that it was all worth it. Both would be fine in the times to come.

But throughout her life, she would always wonder just what it was the gangly young man saw in her that made him trust her?