This week’s photo prompt for Friday Fictioneers comes courtesy of Rochelle Wisoff-Fields.
The pair of them drift through the endless winter months as repeated ice storms keep them indoors, throwing into bold and painful relief the space once occupied by a third member of the household.
Today, the child stands by the window and moves to place her palm on the frosted glass.
“No,” says the grandmother sharply, “it will burn.”
“I need to see,” the child whispers, wincing with pain as the snow-laden garden is revealed through a tiny handprint on the glass.
The grandmother pauses; then sighs.
“Perhaps we both do,” she says, extending the peep-hole with her own wrinkled hand.
***
I’m on a limited internet facility for the next four weeks, (Tenerife) so I might not be able to comment so widely as I normally do. However, I’ll endeavour to return the favour for all who visit here. 🙂
castelsarrasin 
Enjoy your time, Sandra, as I enjoyed your story and felt the pain of the child and grandmother.
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I’ll do my best Janet. Thanks for dropping by.
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Beautiful, Sandra. I love the symbolism of the snow-laden garden, the hope of spring (literal and figurative), the wisdom of the young… wonderful piece of writing!
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Thank you, glad you liked it.
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I found myself saying, “aww.” What a special moment both of them will remember. You took me in that room.
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Thank you!
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Very poignant exchange between child and grandmother. Enjoy your time and take lots of pictures.
Shalom,
Rochelle
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Doing my best here Rochelle! 🙂 Good photo this week.
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Hi Sandra,
Great scene. I like the warm response of the grandmother to a cold situation. ron
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Thanks Ron, glad you liked it.
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I like the wonderful relationship you’ve created here.
randy
But who is and where is the
“throwing into bold and painful relief the space once occupied by a third member of the household” Is it/he/she buried in the garden who used be living in that space in the house with grandma and granddaughter?.
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I think perhaps the mother just died… or maybe she left home. Thanks for commenting.
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I can feel the cold isolated room. Limited dialogue, but not because of tension. Nicely written.
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Thanks Abraham!
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Very poignant and so true to life. It left me very emotional with memories of my grandmother.
Here’s mine: http://unexpectedpaths.com/friday-fictioneers/cold-reason/
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Yes, it brought my own grandmother to mind. She used to tell me that snowflakes were ‘the angels shaking their feather dusters’.
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Aww. Grandmothers make such an impact on our lives, and I’m trying to do the same for my grandkids.
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Beautiful and intriguing. I’d like to read more….
Tenerife. Life must be rough! Enjoy your stay!
Mine is here: http://erinleary.wordpress.com/2012/11/08/flash-friday-fiction-15/
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Yeah, its a tough life, but someone got’s to do it. 😉 Thanks for commenting Erin, loved yours this week.
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Tight dialogue and very poignant moment between the child and her grandmother. Well done.
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Sometimes the kiddies get to show the way… thanks for commenting Russell.
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I love Tenerife, and hope you can enjoy some of the beautiful hiking they have. Your story left me a little sad, the missing family member is where the story is and it fills my imagination. There is a novel hiding behind that sentence.
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Never walked so much in all my life, shins aching from the steep climbs. Thanks for dropping by.
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Can’t decide who was smarter…grandmother or the child.
Scott
Mine: http://kindredspirit23.wordpress.com/2012/11/09/friday-fictioneers-1182012/
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I think grandmother was smart enough to take the lead from the child… thanks for dropping by.
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the young have much to teach their elders… little things like hope and joy that we might have forgotten.
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Thanks Bill, yes sometimes they just cut through to the heart of the matter. Thanks for commenting.
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Dear Sandra,
Enjoy Tenerire,
I’m intrigued by the mysterious missing third person. sI she buried in the garden or just hasn’t returned? Does not bode well for someone.
Aloha,
Doug
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Who knows? I just set ’em up… 😉 Thanks for dropping by Doug.
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““I need to see,” the child whispers, wincing with pain as the snow-laden garden is revealed through a tiny handprint on the glass.” The physical and emotional pain of loss is evident in these words. Nice job. Enjoy!
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Thank you, glad you enjoyed it. I’ll do my best in Tenerife. 😉
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Makes me wonder who the third person was. Such a sad story.
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Thanks Shirley.
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I read this the other day and for some reason I did not comment. I have been running around a bit because of Sandy…this is a great story about the young showing the old that sometimes the pain is worth the knowing and that there is beauty hidden beyond walls often built out of fear.
Tom
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You took from it exactly what I intended the reader should, Tom. Many thanks for dropping by.
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Poignant and stirring. Well done. My story is at http://bantewithbeth.blogspot.com
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Welcome to my world of limited internet time and slow devices. Hope it gets better soon, Now you written a charming entry. I enjoyed it very much. A precious moment in life.
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