It was just the way she left it. I couldn’t find the strength to move a thing. It was like a shrine to her. So, it sat on the corner of my desk, unused for months. Today, I came in and found it missing along with the hat on the hook by the door. I frowned. Who would have taken them? That’s when I noticed the small sheet of paper in the middle of my blotter.
“Mr. Belcher stopped by asking about his wife’s personal things. I hope you understand.”
I did, but now her absence was too real.
WC: 99… 100 exact if you count title! 🙂
Friday fictioneers is a weekly challenge set by Rochelle Wisoff Fields to write a 100-word story in response to a photo prompt. You can find other stories here. Thank you to Jan Wayne Fields for the wonderful picture this week.
Leaves me intrigued about the relationship between the narrator and Mr Belcher’s wife
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hmmm… hadn’t thought about that connection. There could be something there.
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Same
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Mrs. Belcher was perhaps his long-time secretary? Nice description of missing someone who has long been a part of one’s life.
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There’s a lot of that going around lately… the missing, that is. 2021, so far, has been the year of silence. I don’t even get enthused to go cross town to the post office anymore… it’s always empty.
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You do a good job of pulling the reader in here. Sad story for the ones left behind 😦
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Thanks and I agree.
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I thought perhaps the MC was a carer who had looked after her in her final years? Intriguing one.
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Thanks. I hadn’t seen that POV it’s a good one.
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Like Neil, I am wondering about the narrator’s apparently very personal relationship with a married lady.
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To be honest I’m wondering too.
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Dear Bear,
Whatever the narrator’s relationship to the deceased, it’s apparently a good one. Nicely done.
Shalom,
Rochelle
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Thanks. Pray for our nation… NOW!
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We all grieve in our own way! I read it as a loss of a work buddy. Sad.
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That’s what I was thinking…almost. A worker taking over from one who is lost. Something I know is happening in the here and now.
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Losing someone special is sad enough whatever the connection, but to lose their possessions and thereby their memories just adds to the grief. Nice one Bear.
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yes, I agree. My neighbor is going through that at the moment. His wife of 63 yrs passed on Dec 22. She was in the middle of a baby quilt sew for the new baby due soon. Tuesday afternoon, he stopped by and asked if I would be willing to complete it for her. To be honored to do so for such a wonderful lady is beyond measure… then I saw this picture and well, it just flowed this way.
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What a lovely thing to do Bear.
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I love stories like this, where the story lies behind what is actually written. Beautifully done!
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Thank you, Sandra. I did this one in such a rush. Didn’t have much time. Hereabouts they try to limit your in-person time at McD’s to 15 min. Hard to do, but possible.
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Bear, What an intriguing scene! I got an image of a “Mrs. Danvers”-like character who had made a shrine for her “Rebecca,” so that even the husband was locked out of their relationship. Now, with the shrine gone, will reality set in or vengeance on the one who stole it?
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WordPress said it couldn’t post my comment, so I’m trying again. Anyway, I thought you did a wonderful job of getting different readers to see different possibilities.
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Ooh, nice twist. I wonder what was going on between the narrator and Mrs Belcher?
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she maybe gone but her memories will live on.
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Yes they will.
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With the hat missing from the hook, it said to me, for some reason, that there existed a deep relationship between Mrs. Belcher and the narrator. Either way, it’s a sad one. The final memories have been removed and the narrator must say goodbye all over again. Well written story, Bear!
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Thanks Brittany. 😊
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Oh my gosh. I’ve sat at desks taking over from staff who have left. I fear with the virus this is a thing that will increase. People just not coming back into work. Scary stuff.
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