Pa winds one arm, dives under the rushing wave. I follow the ripples in the water as one foot kicks sporadically and the other glides behind.
Since his stroke, Pa wakes early each morning and swims against the tide to build strength in his left side. Some days he struggles, rising from the sea, hand on heart, coughing up salt water and gasping for air.
Today he’s slipped under twice, but the handprint left on my cheek from the last time I tried to help keeps me planted in front of the window wringing soapy dish water from the sponge.
word count: 100
—Nortina
Friday Fictioneers is a weekly challenge where you must write a story in 100 words or less using the provided photo prompt as inspiration. Click the froggy icon to ready other stories and add your own.
This is so sad. A caregiver is an enormous burden.
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Yes! Whether an at home nurse or family member, with all the things they have to put up with, they are definitely some strong people.
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I love the character dynamics here. I can feel for them both. Great details – the slap, the dish sponge. Wonderful.
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Thanks, Margaret!
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Strong portyal of the characters – Nicely done.
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Thanks 🙂
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Sometimes you just have to let people make their own mistakes…
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That is so true. Thanks for reading 🙂
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What a creative take! I loved it.
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Thanks, Jenn! 🙂
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Love, pain, life.
I love this.
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Sometimes love hurts.
Hurts to stay in place and hurts to move.
Randy
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Beautifully done – what an imaginative take on the prompt. I feel for your narrator and even a little for her father; sounds like the stroke might have wounded his pride as much as his strength. Nicely done on creating some really three-dimensional characters in just 100 words!
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I can imagine him not wanting help, to be independent. And I think you’ve portrayed the daughter’s dilemma beautifully with that last para.
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Powerful glimpse into their relationship and struggles The father shows one kind of strength by persevering alone, and the daughter shows another, in restraining herself from helping when she knows he might falter.
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Very strong piece; the reader gets a very strong sense of the father’s personality and the relationship between him and his daughter.
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Awww! Not very nice of the dad to act that way.
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He’s a stubborn man for sure!
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This is super – love the vibrancy of your voice. Jolly well done.
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Thank you, and thanks for reading! 🙂
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I can feel strength ebb out of this story. Well done.
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Thanks!
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