Hijab

For Friday Fictioneers 100-Word Challenge: 20 November 2020

Photo Credit: Sarah Potter

 
Ryan thought it was time to take their friendship to the next level, but Sabina refused.

They met on the first day of school. The moment he laid eyes on her he was hooked. She stood out dressed modestly and wearing a hijab.

In spite of the cultural differences, they became fast friends sharing their love of Shakespeare and the classics.

“I’m sorry, Sabina said, “but it’s going against our family tradition.”

The rejection hit him hard. But he wasn’t one to walk away. He was determined to help her break free from the shadow of outdated beliefs and practices.

* * *

 

Dream of Glory

For Friday Fictioneers 100-Word Challenge: 13 November 2020

Photo Credit: Dale Rogerson

 
Connor was young and restless. Enlisting in the Army opened the door for his dream of glory. After boot camp, he went to fight in the Vietnam war. From the start, he was fearless. His courage was a cup full to the brim.

But as the dark realities of the conflict sank in and finding himself engaged in one ferocious battle after another, his cup started to empty until there was nothing much left to keep his fighting spirit alive.

Sweating profusely and summoning his last ounce of courage, he shot himself in the foot for a one-way ticket home.

The Gift

For Friday Fictioneers 100-Word Challenge: 6 November 2020

Photo Credit: Rochelle Wisoff-Fields

 
With a few hours to spare, Rachel decided to go for last minute shopping.

At the souvenir shop, she found a nice gift for her mom. It was a blue Armenian ceramic vase with a peacock and floral design.

She was about to pay when a scrawny kid grabbed the money from behind. It was so sudden, that before she could react, the kid had slipped into the crowd.

She went back to the hotel flabbergasted and disappointed.

Meanwhile, the kid, who stole her money, went home to his sick mother.

“Get well, Mama!” he cried. “I bought your medicine.”

First Encounter

For Friday Fictioneers 100-Word Challenge: 30 October 2020

Photo Credit: J. Hardy Carroll

 
In a rush to find her locker, Ella slipped and dropped her backpack scattering the contents on the floor.

“It looks like you need help.” Ella heard a voice as she gathered her stuff.

She turned and saw this nerdy looking boy in thick glasses.

Before she could say anything, he was already on his knees helping out.

“I’m John,” he said. “And you are?”

“Ella, my name’s Ella.”

Twenty years later and happily married, they still got a kick out of the first time they met.

“I slipped and you fell for me,” Ella said with a hearty laugh.

A Fresh Start

For Friday Fictioneers 100-Word Challenge: 23 October 2020

Photo Credit: Rochelle Wisoff-Fields

 
When Consuelo left their native country and settled in New York, Roberto told her that in five years he’d follow her so they could be together again.

It took him much longer to fulfill that promise. By then Roberto realized that she wasn’t the same person anymore. Consuelo had changed and so did he.

“This isn’t going to work,” she suddenly blurted out while having breakfast at the neighborhood café.

After the break up, Roberto headed far west to San Francisco. He found it a haven for people like him coming from somewhere else looking forward to a fresh start.