Resilience

For Friday Fictioneers 100-Word Challenge: 26 April
2024

Photo Credit: Fleur Lind

 
She came from an impoverished family. She walked 7 kilometers every day to school. Along the way, she gathered fallen mango fruits to sell for lunch money. Each fruit she picked mirrored the promise of a brighter future. 

First in her class, she tried to defy the odds. She absorbed knowledge like the roots of the mango tree absorb rain, nourishing her mind against the drought of circumstance.

And when the school bell rang, she stepped out into the sun, her worn sandals carrying her back home. Passing by the mango tree, it cheered her on, waving its leafy branches.
 
Note: This week’s photo prompt reminded me of a classmate in grade school. Looking back, I loved her resilience and wished for a happy ending to her story. But eventually, her family situation took over for the worse, forcing her to quit school altogether. 😦

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A Moment in Time

Wordless Wednesday: St. George and the Dragon

Location: Köpmantorget, 111 31 Stockholm, Sweden

 

Shopping for Underwear

For Friday Fictioneers 100-Word Challenge: 19 April
2024

Photo Credit: Rochelle Wisoff-Fieldsk

 
After sorting out his dwindling stock, he realized it was time to shop for underwear. 

He found it confusing that manufacturers didn’t have universal sizes for this basic necessity.

To make sure that it fit right, he had to try it on. Too tight, and his blood circulation would suffer. Too loose, and it would go down when he took his pants off, leaving him exposed and attractive to a wandering bee.

For a timid person like him, it was a nerve-wracking experience that went along with buying condoms. But, sigh, he had to do what he had to do.
 

Wordless Wednesday: Narrowest Street in Stockholm

Location: Gamla stan, Stockholm, Sweden

 

It’s About Time

For Friday Fictioneers 100-Word Challenge: 12 April
2024

Photo Credit: Susan Rouchardk

 
Mom told him it was spring cleaning time, and he needed to clear space and declutter. 

He thought of starting with his underwear drawer. He noticed that he was running out of good pairs. Most of his inventory had holes that were getting bigger due to neglect and too much scratching while watching TV alone and undisturbed.

Sometimes they made do when he was desperate, but it was definitely no boost to his self-esteem. He decided it was time to toss them out.

He better tell Mom about the situation. He risked going commando if his dwindling stock wasn’t replenished.