© Rochelle Wisoff-Fields
“You’ve got to be kidding.”
He was smart enough not to say that out loud because his wife had just put the planter on their kitchen table.
“So what do you think?”
She’d asked a question almost as bad as “Do these pants make me look fat?”
He decided to take a risk. “I like the crystal, but I’m not sure about using it for a planter.”
“Me either. Karen gave it to me while she’s having her kitchen remodeled. Not really my style.”
He registered an internal sigh of relief. “Yes, we’re older, but we’re not that old yet.”
I wrote this for the Rochelle Wisoff-Fields flash fiction challenge. The idea is to use the photo above as the prompt for crafting a piece of flash fiction no more than 100 words long. My word count is 100.
It looked to “ordinary” for me to think of anything besides a “slice of life” piece. No research involved.
To read other stories based on the prompt, visit InLinkz.com.
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Dear James,
You’re only as old as you feel. 😉
Shalom,
Rochelle
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That’s true. I have days when I feel one way and then the other.
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Ha. I like this one. I can see him trying to gauge his response so as to answer correctly.
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Taken from over 35 years of marital experience, JHC. Thanks.
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That’s a good slice of life, James. It’s keenly observed and fluently written. Not all good work requires hours of research!
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Oh, but research is so much fun, Penny. I just posted on another link up and learned something about Renaissance art.
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It does have the look of something Grandma would have…! Liked the simple take James.
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Thanks, Iain. As I’ve gotten older, I’ve continually revised what “Old” means to me. When I was 40, I thought 60 was old. Now that I’m past 60, it doesn’t seem old at all. Now 80 seems old.
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As Penny said, well observed, James. They sound like a genuine couple, the dialogue is so well observed
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Well, I didn’t have to make much up, Lynn. Thanks.
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My pleasure
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Whew! Lucky he didn’t say what came to his mind first. Saved by a silent tongue.
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It’s what saves a lot of married men. 😉
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I like this slice of life. And what a considerate guy, holding back the comment until he knew the full story.
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It’s called self-preservation. 😉
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He handled that perfectly. Good for him!
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It was iffy for a moment, Keith.
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Oh, nice twist 🙂 Smart husband!
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Experienced husband, Linda.
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Love it. Something so natural about this piece. I love their interactions with each other.
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Decades of being a married man went into making this story.
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I love that he has learned to choose his words carefully – clever man!
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Married man. 😀
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Hahaha this was lovely! 🙂
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Thanks.
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Age is a relative concept… Love the story.
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For the most part, Jelli. Thanks.
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good answer. the hubby must have learned from previous mistakes.
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We can only hope. Thanks.
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Smart man. He who lies and deflects away may live to lie another day.
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He didn’t really lie, just hedged his bets. Thanks.
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Ha.. crystal bowls are not really in fashion any longer… but you can grow attached to them. I recommend filling them with strawberries…
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I think we have a few smaller ones around that my wife acquired from her aunt. In the right context, they can be decorative, but I’m not sure I could stand a really large one with a plant in it.
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I can so picture him weighing his words… am sure it has happened more than once where he chose wrong!
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there is something needy about this, an egg-shell moment that could make or break the tension.
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I think the tension was broken when, much to his relief, his wife agreed with him. 😉
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Lovely write on marital experience. By the way lucky-bamboo or rose petals are most auspicious in a crystal bowl.
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Thanks, yarnspinnerr. I’ll take your word for it.
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I must admit, James, I had a bit of a chuckle at the end of your story.
Odd, the way some items seem to fit a certain generation. Nicely done …
Isadora 😎
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Thanks, Isadora.
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Gave me a laugh…enjoyed it!
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Thanks, Donna.
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This is married life, knowing when to say what! =) He is a wise man! Well written story.
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Thank you, Brenda.
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