She peeled back the curtains and noticed the drops of slanting rain, coursing down the window pane. In the cold, without any of the usual warmth in the radiators, she shivered and yearned to crawl back to her warm bed. But she had things to do, people to meet, appointments to honour. Breakfast was the usual bowl of oats and nut shavings, but she decided to brighten it with a scattering of dried, bitter berries, which brought out the flavour and fed colour to her heart.
As she stumbled to the car, her right knee collapsed and so did she, grazing her hand and grasping in vain for any handhold at the rear of her smooth, aerodynamic vehicle. As she leaned and slid upwards, praying desperately, despair could have taken the lid off all her hopes. But, as she spoke her annoyance, she noticed that it lacked its usual conviction. Like a chesty cough loosening in late spring, her words were blown aside, she kept her focus, and got to the baths early. There she swam better than she might have. Warmed in the sauna, she accepted an invitation to tea, chatted companionably and then zipped through all her town chores easily. As the wind blew, she tripped, stumbled and fell, and oft-times she could have become distracted with the discomfort at her edges, the aching joints, the cold breeze blowing rain and dirt in her face. There was a time when she would have.
But no more! Now, her determination to smile felt liberated, and bits of stumbling resistance were chaff, just to be ignored. She knew, now, that if she would simply keep on doing what she chose, that life would get smoother, easier, gentler, kinder and more and more and more and more FUN. As she crested the hill, turned for home and contemplated the many successes of the past hour, she grinned widely, felt as if she was flying, and knew, this time, she meant business. Go Girl Go! For God’s Sake, just FLY!
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January 9, 2015
Go Girl Go!
Fran Macilvey change, choices, fun, optimism, patience Flash Fiction & Short Stories 10 Comments
She peeled back the curtains and noticed the drops of slanting rain, coursing down the window pane. In the cold, without any of the usual warmth in the radiators, she shivered and yearned to crawl back to her warm bed. But she had things to do, people to meet, appointments to honour. Breakfast was the usual bowl of oats and nut shavings, but she decided to brighten it with a scattering of dried, bitter berries, which brought out the flavour and fed colour to her heart.
As she stumbled to the car, her right knee collapsed and so did she, grazing her hand and grasping in vain for any handhold at the rear of her smooth, aerodynamic vehicle. As she leaned and slid upwards, praying desperately, despair could have taken the lid off all her hopes. But, as she spoke her annoyance, she noticed that it lacked its usual conviction. Like a chesty cough loosening in late spring, her words were blown aside, she kept her focus, and got to the baths early. There she swam better than she might have. Warmed in the sauna, she accepted an invitation to tea, chatted companionably and then zipped through all her town chores easily. As the wind blew, she tripped, stumbled and fell, and oft-times she could have become distracted with the discomfort at her edges, the aching joints, the cold breeze blowing rain and dirt in her face. There was a time when she would have.
But no more! Now, her determination to smile felt liberated, and bits of stumbling resistance were chaff, just to be ignored. She knew, now, that if she would simply keep on doing what she chose, that life would get smoother, easier, gentler, kinder and more and more and more and more FUN. As she crested the hill, turned for home and contemplated the many successes of the past hour, she grinned widely, felt as if she was flying, and knew, this time, she meant business. Go Girl Go! For God’s Sake, just FLY!
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