The Bettermost Drabblefest: Please Join In!

[mariez]

Unsaid and Unsayable

The belt buckle was tucked away safely, but he liked to keep this memento on his nightstand.  It wouldn't appear special to most eyes, just a cheap travel mug with the word "Dad" imprinted in big red letters, a long-ago Father's Day gift.  He picked it up for what felt like the hundreth time, breathing in the faint scent of coffee and whiskey that still remained.  How many thousands of miles had it traveled?

He knew it was silly to be jealous of a piece of plastic, but how he had longed to travel those miles with his dad, whose "maybe another time, bud" had been repeated so often he'd finally stopped asking.  He swallowed hard and blinked back tears as his whispered words disappeared into the darkness.  Tell you what, Dad, we could a had a good time together, a fuckin real good time.

~~~~~~~
145 Words

[mariez]

A few Tuesday prompts:

• Denver
• shortchanged
• accent

Marie

[mariez]

Still Jack

The rush of emotions came back as quickly as ever, barrelling through his blood system like a freight train, their months apart disappearing in an instant.  But seeing Jack with the heavy mustache and the new set of teeth had thrown him a bit, even the little Texas accent seemed more pronounced than usual. 

"…..goddamn son of a bitch, he's so used to shortchanging folks it just comes naturally to him, but tell you what, if he thinks –"  Jack stopped abruptly as he noticed Ennis's gaze.  "What?"

Ennis shook his head and hid a smile in his coffee cup.  Still Jack.  Thank God.

~~~~~~~
100 Words

[fernly]

Long overdue thanks for these wonderful drabbles, Marie.

Kool-Aid Smiles

...the smiling mom ... looked like she never got sad, and the smiling dad looked like he never got angry, and the smiling children looked liked they never cried themselves to sleep. 

Junior ... knew that they really didn't need more pitchers in their small apartment; she was really just looking for more smiles. 

Makes my heart ache so much for her and Jenny.

Slow and Steady Wins the Girl

He kept one eye on their dinner guest all night.  There was a steadiness about him that he'd always approved of and he considered his reticence to be a good thing.  Unlike that fellow his older girl ran with - a crafty one, with all his smooth talking ways.  He saw heartbreak in her future.

What an great insight into something we never saw.
And now we watch it knowing he couldn't protect his younger daughter from heartbreak either.

Unsaid and Unsayable

The belt buckle was tucked away safely, but he liked to keep this memento on his nightstand.  It wouldn't appear special to most eyes, just a cheap travel mug with the word "Dad" imprinted in big red letters, a long-ago Father's Day gift.  He picked it up for what felt like the hundreth time, breathing in the faint scent of coffee and whiskey that still remained.  How many thousands of miles had it traveled?

He knew it was silly to be jealous of a piece of plastic, but how he had longed to travel those miles with his dad, whose "maybe another time, bud" had been repeated so often he'd finally stopped asking.  He swallowed hard and blinked back tears as his whispered words disappeared into the darkness.  Tell you what, Dad, we could a had a good time together, a fuckin real good time.

Perfect. And devastating, on so many levels.

Still Jack

The rush of emotions came back as quickly as ever, barrelling through his blood system like a freight train, their months apart disappearing in an instant.  But seeing Jack with the heavy mustache and the new set of teeth had thrown him a bit, even the little Texas accent seemed more pronounced than usual. 

"…..goddamn son of a bitch, he's so used to shortchanging folks it just comes naturally to him, but tell you what, if he thinks –"  Jack stopped abruptly as he noticed Ennis's gaze.  "What?"

Ennis shook his head and hid a smile in his coffee cup.  Still Jack.  Thank God.

Very, very cool.

[stonebiscuit]

Shortchanged

Moonlight streaked across the flaky floorboards. Disturbed, she pulled herself into a sitting position, warm feet hitting the cool floor. She crept toward the door, opening it allowed herself to gaze across the tight hall toward the room. The room she didn’t like to think existed, anymore. A dark cavern of things that could never be known.
She thought of that day, allowed her mind to enter its torrid landscape. She was mending one of his shirts at the kitchen table when her son appeared at the door. He had smiled at her in a distant sort of way before making his way upstairs. As he passed the other side of the table she noticed something hanging from his carry bag, a shirt cuff, stained with something. It had puzzled her, but she had quickly forgotten its brief appearance. That was until a lonely afternoon, a sudden rainstorm was rattling the windows in that room, she went in to close them and noticed something flutter in the corner. She took out the shirts, noticed the cuff, and knew.
He would come tomorrow, the friend. She had replaced the shirts. She wanted him to discover them as she had. Not to be shortchanged.

[mariez]

Always great to see you, Fern.   

Shortchanged

Moonlight streaked across the flaky floorboards. Disturbed, she pulled herself into a sitting position, warm feet hitting the cool floor. She crept toward the door, opening it allowed herself to gaze across the tight hall toward the room. The room she didn’t like to think existed, anymore. A dark cavern of things that could never be known.
She thought of that day, allowed her mind to enter its torrid landscape. She was mending one of his shirts at the kitchen table when her son appeared at the door. He had smiled at her in a distant sort of way before making his way upstairs. As he passed the other side of the table she noticed something hanging from his carry bag, a shirt cuff, stained with something. It had puzzled her, but she had quickly forgotten its brief appearance. That was until a lonely afternoon, a sudden rainstorm was rattling the windows in that room, she went in to close them and noticed something flutter in the corner. She took out the shirts, noticed the cuff, and knew.
He would come tomorrow, the friend. She had replaced the shirts. She wanted him to discover them as she had. Not to be shortchanged.

Beautifully written as always, stonebiscuit.  And it fits right in with the "Topic of the Week" up on the Open Forum!

Marie

[mariez]

Some mid-week prompts!

• paper dolls
• fragile
• pink

Marie

[stonebiscuit]

A Pink Caravan

The house felt almost airless, like a painting. Fitting she thought, feeling like she had watched her life from the outside for an indefinite time now. Her thin shell so easily penetrated, fooled herself into thinking she was strong, knowing the lines on her face reflected not wisdom but waste.
Walking outside, buttoning her coat, hearing that distant voice. So little said, but a lonely lifetime echoed between the lines. The phone call had left her dazed, drifting. Imparting her Jack's sorry tale had become empty words to her, she had no grief to give.
And then she stopped, looking out over the empty field, all save for a pink caravan. She saw the image of her husband's battered body in her mind, almost unrecogizeable. It was how she felt inside. No one need know, the detective had said to her. In a relationship where so much had gone unsaid, what was one more denial. It was for the best. She picked up her shopping bag and quietly entered the store.

[fernly]

A Pink Caravan

The house felt almost airless, like a painting. Fitting she thought, feeling like she had watched her life from the outside for an indefinite time now. Her thin shell so easily penetrated, fooled herself into thinking she was strong, knowing the lines on her face reflected not wisdom but waste.
Walking outside, buttoning her coat, hearing that distant voice. So little said, but a lonely lifetime echoed between the lines. The phone call had left her dazed, drifting. Imparting her Jack's sorry tale had become empty words to her, she had no grief to give.
And then she stopped, looking out over the empty field, all save for a pink caravan. She saw the image of her husband's battered body in her mind, almost unrecogizeable. It was how she felt inside. No one need know, the detective had said to her. In a relationship where so much had gone unsaid, what was one more denial. It was for the best. She picked up her shopping bag and quietly entered the store.

So insightful and beautifully written.

[Penthesilea]

Hiya drabblers!

Keep on drabbling, I 'll keep on reading. Even if I don't comment very often, I'm still a regular here.