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onsdag den 28. juli 2021

Words for Wednesday -- July 28

This is a challenge, where the old saying "The more the merrier" holds true, therefore: Please, remember to go back, read other peoples' stories there or follow their links back. And please place a comment after reading. Challenges like this one thrives on interaction.

In July we'll find the Words for Wednesday at Lissa's blog The Memory Tourist. For July 28th we were given these ten words. I used the ones wiht a line through them (What is this called?):


1. secret
2. garden
3. walk
4. world
5. abandon
6. magic
7. life
8. forever
9. key
10. spring

I continue where I left off last Wednesday, telling the story of Sarah, the old, bitter woman and what happened next. It turned into a longish story, and I'm not done writing it yet; but as there's more words, I promise more story, soon.


As planned Susan went for a walk and some window-shopping, while Knud went into the pub. To his relief they served tea and coffee as well as alcoholic beverages. He ordered an apple crumble and a  Cappuccino and sat at a table with a good view of the door. He drank his coffee slowly, it was passable, and very hot, a good excuse for being slow. The cake was quite good, Knud loved cakes. From time to time he let his gaze wander to the bar, and then back to the entrance again.
The waiter wiped off the tables and noticed Knud watching the entrance with a patient look. "Waiting for your wife to finish shopping?" He asked in a sympathetic tone. Knud nodded and smiled at the waiter. He did not want to get involved in a conversation, but neither did he want to come over as unfriendly. The waiter gave him a complacent smile and continued wiping off the tables. Knud felt like he had been waiting forever, he had almost finished his cappuccino, and was contemplating ordering another one, as a group of people entered the pub. Knud recognized Sarah from her Facebook portrait, but she looked so much older in real life that Knud was shocked. He knew that Sarah was 8 months younger than Susan, but judging from her looks she could easily have been 15 years older. There was only one other woman in the group, somewhat younger looking, but just as worn as Sarah, and three men. All  three had watery blue eyes, paunches, stubble and  receeding hairlines. They could very well have been brothers. The other woman sat down, while Sarah and the men went to the bar. Knud had no problem listening in, for they did not bother keeping their voices low.
After an initial discussion about the appropriateness of drinking a beer or two this time a day, they agreed that today was a good day to do so. To Knud it sounded like they said the same things every day, and the waiter's tired mien let him suspect the same. He carried a tray with ten beer bottles and five glasses to their table.
"When is your birthday, Sarah?" the other woman asked, when they had poured and drunk the first glass in silence.
"Next Sunday, Minnie" Sarah answered her face turning a bit redder, "but I'm not going to celebrate much. That stubborn son of mine is staying with his hussy."
"Well, no wonder," Minnie said. "You told us she was about to have a baby."
"Yeah, almost indecent at her age," Sarah spat. "And then the due date is the day before my birthday. She planned well, that spiteful wench. But I'll show them."
"There's not much you can do about her having a baby," the man sitting to the right of Sarah said in a calming voice. "Babies come as pleases them."
"She's just trying to hold onto him and squeeze as much money as possible from him," Sarah said, her voice raising in both pitch and volume.
One of the other men raised his beer "Cheers, mates! For a happy birthday and a lively baby."
The two other men and Minnie raised their glasses as well, Sarah glowered at him, but raised her glass as well.
Knud emptied his cup, making ready to leave the moment Susan arrived.
He rose, as she entered, meeting her in the door. "I see the primroses were too expensive," he said with a sigh. "Let's get home."

They walked in silence to their car, Knud's facial expression making no secret of the negative result of his visit to the bar.
When they hit the highway home, Knud sighed and said: "There's just no way we can revive her magic. She's old, drunk and excessively bitter."
"Is it that bad?" Susan asked.
Knud retold what he had heard in the pub. Susan nodded and looked worried. "What should we do? I agree she's not to be trusted with magic, but I still feel sorry for her."
"I think we need to find her son," Knud said. "He sounds like he is a good and loving husband, in spite of his mother's needling and bad will towards her."
"And what of the daughter?" Susan asked.
"She was not mentioned," Knud said, "but let's find her her too. I'll phone at once."
And while Susan drove homewards through the steadily increasing traffic, she heard Knud asking, repeating, hemming and hawing over the phone next to her.
Suddenly he said: "Susan, turn left here. Sorry Mike, I did not want us to miss the road, please repeat what you said about that daughter."
Susan did as Knud had asked her, deftly turning onto another main road, not a mean feat in the rush hour traffic. A bit later Knud pointed right, still talking, and Susan left the main road for a smaller one. Knud wrote something on a piece of paper, holding onto his phone with a shoulder. Then he thanked Mike profusely, and Susan slowed down in order to let Knud finish the call before the big crossroads ahead. "Could you pull over for a minute, my dear? I'll have to check that address."
Susan pulled into a parking lot belonging to some company, and now almost deserted. Knud looked at his slip of  paper, tapped his phone and nodded, obviously satisfied with himself.
"Yes, I was right. Now we just need a good excuse to visit Sarah's son and daughter in law," Knud said smiling. They live less than 5 kilometres from here.
"Flowers," Susan said. "We buy some flowers with a greetings card, write their name and address on it and pretend it was delivered to us."
Knud nodded slowly. "Good one Susan. Let's go get those flowers!" More tapping on the phone and he raised his head again. "There's a florist in the next town. Just go on."
Susan turned on the car and left the deserted parking lot for new adventures.

to be continued ...

12 kommentarer:

  1. Sad, so very sad, with my experience of alcoholism, but intriguing. I am really looking forward to the next installment - as I always do.
    Putting a line through a word can be called 'strikethrough' but I am sure there is another word (which escapes me for the moment).
    In your final sentence 'ignited' the car? Ignited can mean to catch fire or cause to catch fire, or inflame as in inflame an emotion. We turn a car's ignition on - but hope it does not catch fire.

    SvarSlet
    Svar
    1. Yes it is a sad story. I am not sure how it's going to end.
      Thank you for this correction. Susan of course does not want to put their car on fire ;) I'll correct.

      Slet
  2. I hope they find the son. So sad for Sarah to grow old and bitter. I hope I manage to stay nice as I age.

    SvarSlet
    Svar
    1. You sound like a nice person, not like Sarah at all. More story will follow, soon I hope.

      Slet
  3. Wow. When I met my Brother´s BIL first time I thought, "how?! I thought his wife is the oldest and the guy looked older than Ingo." I am nearly 8 years younger than Ingo. My Brother is 5 years younger than me. We ended up he showing me his ID. Born in the 80´s, drugs made him look like an old man. It was a very embarrassing moment. (12 years later and he lost it again).

    Sad when women get so mean. My Nieces always waited much longer to get born ;-) They come when they want!

    Clever idea with the flowers!
    Looking forward to more!

    SvarSlet
    Svar
    1. Thank you. Yes a hard life wears people out, so true. Babies come when thgey want ;) Mine also wanted to wait longer.

      Slet
  4. A great chapter to the story and I cannot wait to read more!

    SvarSlet
  5. My heart always aches for those who let life turn them bitter instead of better. A well written segment, i hope the children are worth the finding.

    SvarSlet
    Svar
    1. Yes it is so sad, I think it's as bad for themselves as for their family.
      Let's see about the children. In principle all magicians meed their magic back. Inept, stupid, kind, wise, and foolish alike; Susan and Knud are hard put to be judges over other human beings.

      Slet
  6. Frank and Freya seems so much nicer than Frank's mother. Do Susan and Knud even need Frank's mother involve in their school? I read all three parts but I'm not sure the importance of Sarah for the new school. People do change so maybe Sarah would not be willing to rekindle her magic or help out with the new school - that's what I think but maybe once she got her magic back, she might think differently.

    I like the wild garden, like nature living in harmony in the same space - something like that. I don't know anything about gardens but I know they are hard to keep up.

    Good use of the prompts.

    Have a lovely day.

    SvarSlet
    Svar
    1. I find often some people are so much nicer than their parents / children / spouses and it always makes me wonder why. They do not *need Sarah* as such, she was a mediocre scholar, but it is hard to withhold the birthright from magic people. Alas I think she would not be differnt, only more dangerous if she had magic, but time will tell.
      Garden s are hard tio keep - mine is wild for that reason ;) Thanks for reading and commenting.

      Slet

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I am grateful for all comments, and try to reply meaningfully to all of them.