Short Fiction – Page 5 – Prolific Pulse Blog

Menu to Start a Friendship

December 10, 2020 Lisa Tomey-Zonneveld

Menu to Start a Friendship

Clarabelle stared at the menu for what seemed a long time, based on the tapping of the pen on the waitress’s pad, her eyes squinting, frowning as if it were her time being wasted.

“I am so sorry, but it is hard for me to decide what it is I want, you see, my dear Herbie used to select what we would have to eat, it was the only time he made such decisions, usually it was up to me to decide what to cook, so you see I cannot decide, do you have a suggestion?”

Rolling her eyes and then alerting to a focus, the waitress suggested the steak and eggs with a side of shredded hash browns with onions.

“Oh, thank you, so much, that sounds lovely, how kind of you to help me, this is so hard…” her voice trailed off and a tear rolled down her cheek and edged on her deep berry toned lips, “I am so sorry, it’s just that…” and she bent her head down and soaked her now freely falling tears with her napkin.

Softening her frown into a soft smile, the waitress reached across and patted Clarabelle’s shoulder and said, “ma’am, I am so sorry, Herbie must have been quite the man.”

Clarabelle looked up at the waitress and really probed into her eyes and said, “thank you, he was, what is your name?”

Be sure and go to Girlie on the Edge and add your story 🙂

Short Fiction, six sentence story

The First Haircut

November 11, 2020November 12, 2020 Lisa Tomey-Zonneveld

The First Haircut

Clip, clip, clip the scissors snipped as long curls fell to the floor, and the strands of blonde bounced into short, puffy curls, dancing on the little boy’s scalp; Giggling as he watched the lengths of hair fall to the floor, Jeremy reached for his treat, a lollipop, a big circle of swirls with enough hardened sugar to keep him awake until dawn.

“Not yet, Jeremy, honey, you have to wait until she’s done, unless you want a hairy lollipop, one you’d have to throw away,” said his grandmother. Frowning, but understanding, Jeremy placed his hands on his knees and patted them, in a self-soothing, but impatient manner.

“Mother! What have you done?” Jeremy’s mother cried as she saw Jeremy, sans his long curls, and bearing a huge sucker, along with a red stained chin.

“Honey, don’t fret or be upset, it was time for Jeremy to have his first haircut; his hair was to his shoulders and was getting all tangled up, not to mention his being teased by the other kids in his class; it was just the right time,” Jeremy’s grandmother assured his mother.

“The thing is,” Jeremy’s mother stated, with tears streaming down her face, “I was waiting for his daddy to return home from the war, so he could be here for his first haircut, and I know, it’s been a good while, but it was my hope and, well, I know you understand, as maybe it was too much to ask…” and that was when Jeremy’s grandmother showed her the video of his first haircut and they prepared it to send to his daddy and all was well in their little world again.

…..

This is my response to the lovely Denise’s prompt “CLIP” for the Six Sentence Story.

Join us by going HERE

Short Fiction, six sentence story

Cherished Innocence

October 30, 2020 Lisa Tomey-Zonneveld

Bundled in a blue blanket, the infant looked up at the officer with the biggest, bluest eyes, cooing for a moment, with what seemed like an appeal for being held, which the officer took as an invitation. Carrying the baby into the station, cradling his head and jostling him, the officer rang the desk dell, summoning the assistance of Maisie, the one truly trusted woman he knew who would be best to entrust this little, sweet bundle.

“Lester, can’t you see I’m too busy for your shenanigans this morning…” Looking straight at the blue bundle, Maisie’s eyes softened, “well, now what do we have here, look at this beautiful child, and what’s this paper, is it a note?” A scroll of paper was tucked under the baby’s shirt and the note read:

PLEASE TAKE GOOD CARE OF WILLIAM AS I AM UNABLE TO DO SO, HE IS ALL OF ONE MONTH OLD, A GOOD BABY, HE DESERVES BETTER THAN WHAT I CAN DO, HIS FATHER ABANDONED US AND I HAVE NO FUNDS TO CARRY ON

Maisie looked into Lester’s eyes and he return that glisten, leaving the infant with Maisie, he set out to investigate, hoping to find the mother who left the child at the station, and help her set up a better foundation for her to raise her son, and if not, well, he and Maisie knew what they needed to do.

…..

This is my response to the Six Sentence Story challenge. Care to give it a try? GO HERE

Short Fiction, six sentence story

Just Desserts

October 23, 2020 Lisa Tomey-Zonneveld

Melanie Myers was a regular customer at the Ms Petite Boutique as they had clothing she preferred, simple, but stylish, not too overstated, but in fashion. Small in stature but a bit rounder than she cared to be, Melanie often felt overwhelmed when her usual size would fit snugly around her waist. “Oh, gee, it must be the last few days with all the events,” she would say, knowing this was not true, but she was too embarrassed to share that it was the chocolate eclairs with that perfect cream which kept her mind pre-occupied, although she did not imbibe in many, she had a hard time keeping her weight down.

As Melanie dragged home to her lovely apartment, she dropped her shopping bags and plopped in her easy chair, summoning Erika for some tea, she sat and pondered about what to do about her weight. At age 83, was she really caring if she gained a few pounds and what about the fact that they make clothes in larger sizes to accommodate her comfort. An epiphany struck her faster than Erika could bring her tea and grabbing her purse, she headed back out the door, to the Ms Petite Boutique to buy the prettiest outfit she could find in just the size that was comfortable for her frame, as she thought to herself, I deserve to live in comfort and I deserve those eclairs.

…..

The Archies who played a concert I attended in Iowa. That was many moons ago, and several chocolate eclairs.

This is my response to the Six Sentence Story. Would you like to participate? Please go to this LINK and have some fun. Be sure to plate up some sweet dessert to accompany your writing.

Short Fiction, six sentence story, writing

Ribbons That Flow in Meanings of Love

October 8, 2020October 8, 2020 Lisa Tomey-Zonneveld

From the first time he saw her he knew he must touch her curly hair, not a freakish kind of way, but the allure of the softness, the scent of herbal shampoo, drew him to her every day she sat in front of him in 8th grade, and she always had her hair pulled back with a ribbon, making it even more irresistable to tug on the tail, and he did.

Turning around to look at him, she was immediately taken in by his warm, brown eyes, and dark curly hair, and she smiled and so did he, and this begin a ritual every school day; which did not end after he gave her a note in the class, which she held in her nervous, damp hands and discreetly looked inside, only to have nosy students peeking to see what they could see; the note was an invitation to a dance at his church and, “Would you like to go with me to my church dance on Saturday night?” She turned and smiled and nodded, blushing even more than normal, which is to say it was often her cheeks glowed scarlet.

As time went by too quickly, they dated, danced many dances and then attended prom, for which she made a dress complete with a ribbon waste band, to keep the tradition, whether consciously or not, and it was not long before they graduated, wondering if they would go their separate ways or remain together.

As time would have it, there was not enough time at all as the resistance was set up in Viet Nam and young men, such as he was, were sent off to fight the war, and his time came when he went to serve, leaving her behind, tears flowing once he was boarded, so to put on a strong front; tucked away in his pocket was a yellow ribbon to remind him that she would be waiting for him when he returned.

Watching the news became her obsession as she could not resist knowing each and every bit of information about the war, not only was he in the war, her brother was also serving, and it was a very uncertain time; It was just about two years after he left when she received a phone call that there was someone she needed to pick up at the airport, and she ran to her car, drove to the airport and there he stood, holding her yellow ribbon in his hand, and she held their sweet daughter in her arms, pink ribbons in her hair, and asking, “Is that my daddy?”