This week’s photo prompt from Madison Wood’s Friday Fictioneers is one that I took a couple of years ago when we were visiting Sydney, Australia. It’s from the Chinese Garden of Friendship, Darling Harbour.
The gateway hadn’t been there previously, he was sure of it.
But that morning, as the tendrils of mist coiled dreamily across the hillside, it shimmered into view, the archway gleaming in the morning sun.
A sign stood beside the ivy-clad entrance:
‘The pure in heart may enter.’
He reflected a while. He’d been a lot of things in his seventy years, wild, proud, conscientious, loyal, cantankerous. But pure? He didn’t think so.
The leaves whispered as he turned to descend the steps again, and he felt a gentle hand on his shoulder, drawing him back.
‘We also value honesty.’
castelsarrasin 
That’s a beautiful thought. 🙂
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Thank you!
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I love the ending so much. Very well done, and thanks for sharing this photo
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Thank you, glad you liked it.
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Very lovely Sandra. A lesson for us all.
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Thanks Andrew.
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Sandra, I love the photo (thanks for saying where you took it) and I love your story!!
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Thanks for commenting.
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Lovely, tender story. Thank you Sandra for this photo and the explanation.
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My pleasure Lora.
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Very nice message, Sandra–and a well-written piece. Lovely photo of a serene spot and a good prompt. Thanks for identifying it–means so much more when you know where the subject is located.
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Thank you, this photo was a timely reminder of a very happy time in my life.
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Beautiful photo, Sandra. For reason I couldn’t get to upload into my post.
I really loved the line, “tendrils of mist coiled dreamily across the hillside.” We all value honesty and integrity. Very well written – and thanks for letting us enjoy for photo.
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Thanks Russell, enjoyed yours too!
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Hi Sandra,
First of all, thanks for a beautiful, if challenging photo prompt. I had to do some research to get myself in the mood, and found that purification was an important function of these shrines. I’m assuming that the hand on his shoulder were divine, right? Ron
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Thanks Ron. Divine, mystical, mysterious. Who knows, I wish I did. 😉
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Gentle welcome for the honest man was very moving. Thanks!
Lorelei
http://westcoastwriters.blogspot.com/2012/09/friday-fictioneers-trolls.html
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Thanks Laura.
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Loved this! So pure. A good soul valued.
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Glad you enjoyed it.
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A lovely and apt take on the prompt. Mine is here and linked: http://readinpleasure.wordpress.com/2012/09/28/fridayfictioneers-my-dream/
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Thank you, I loved yours.
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A beautiful story, and a beautiful photo!
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Thank you Jan, appreciate your dropping by.
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I love it. Big smile on my face at the ending. Still feeling as i write it. That’s the way i feel about life. I value honesty so much more than virtuousness. The latter is so difficult to attain. Randy
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Good thought Randy, thanks for commenting.
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what a considerate archway. Nice job 🙂
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Thanks Carrie. 🙂
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How lovely the photo and the story!
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Thank you so much!
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that was nice. suggestion – i’m not sure if he would “descend the steps again,” because i don’t think he descended them already. you could probably cut the word “again.”
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Or you could say, “back down”. After all, he did ascend them.
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Yes, I did pause over that on re-reading. Thanks for commenting.
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I love the mysticism of this… but more importantly, the beauty of acceptance that it entails. Not all are this wise.
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Thank you for commenting – I appreciate your dropping by.
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Beautiful photo, Sandra and a well written story to go with it.
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Thanks Rochelle.
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Well written and such a beautiful ending.
http://adrarasdreams.blogspot.co.uk/2012/09/fridayfictioneers-gate.html
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Thanks! 🙂
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Excellent. Really liked it.
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I’m so glad, thanks for dropping by.
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Very nice. Mine is of a similar vein but less, ah, gentle. Beautiful photo.
http://unexpectedpaths.com/friday-fictioneers/dukkha/
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Thanks Maggie. Loved yours.
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“…as the tendrils of mist coiled dreamily across the hillside…” I LOVE this! The photo is beautiful also!
–Jan
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Thank you Jan! 🙂
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Pingback: Friday Fiction – Gate To Nowhere | elmowrites
Great ending, Sandra, and a lovely picture too.
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Thank you Jennifer. 🙂
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You never, ever disappoint Sandra. Great ending… and didn’t realise this was in Darling Harbour! We had a stroll around and missed the gardens but we did go to China Town, which if my memory serves me correctly is nearby.
Back to the story though, thoroughly enjoyed this and left me feeling happy and optimistic
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Yes, we passed it several times on our walks, and eventually went in. It’s lovely, but in an antiseptic, contrived kind of way. Or maybe that’s just because of the backdrop of skyscrapers and apartment buildings. 😦
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Nice, tender story with a great ending. Then again, you are known for great endings!!
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Thank you John. Sometimes I have the ending before I have the story. And then sometimes the story never materialises… 😦
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Beautifully written!
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Thank you, pleased you enjoyed it.
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What a lovely story, Sandra, will definitely stay with me. And thanks for the great photo too. Don’t remember seeing that when we were in Sydney – will have to go back and check 🙂
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Yes, we almost missed it. I wouldn’t go back just for that though … 🙂 🙂
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Oh, I like this a lot. I like the mystery of the unknown presence. Well done! It’s a beautiful photo. Thanks for providing it.
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Thank you! I like unknown, unseen presences too. 🙂
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Great job with this Sandra (especially that second paragraph, which is about as perfect as paragraphs get). The fact that all we get is “leaves whispering” before he feels the touch on the shoulder is also really intriguing. Great job!
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Thanks Brian. Less is more when it comes to handing the unknown, I think. 🙂
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Boy, you’re on a roll. This and Alchemy are very special. Two great spiritual messages. I can’t decide which I prefer!
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Thank you Paul. I must have been in a funny mood this week. I struggled through tears to write Alchemy but that’s probably because of my boating background.
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“But that morning, as the tendrils of mist coiled dreamily across the hillside, it shimmered into view, the archway gleaming in the morning sun” Love the image. A fine piece of writing.
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Thank you, glad you liked it Tom.
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Oh, Sandra,
Your story brought tears to my eyes. So close to home and so endearing the way he turned to walk back down the steps. I have walked a mile in his shoes. Lovely, lovely, lovely writing.
I should have read your story before I asked you where the photo was from. Thanks for that info. now perhaps I’ll be able to decipher the characters that were the genesis for my story.
Aloha,
Doug
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I was reminded of you when I wrote it. 😉 Thanks for commenting and glad you made it this week at last.
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That was great. I felt like I wanted to jump up with happiness at the last line.
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What a lovely thing to say, Bill. Thank you for reading.
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I like it 🙂
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Loved that ending. Poor guy. Mine at http://shirleymccann.blogspot.com/2012/09/friday-fictioneers-captured.html
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