Copyright Jan Wayne Fields
“Side plates go to the left,” says my mother-in-law.
Piss off.
“…and a separate knife for the croissants.”
Croissants? Shit! “Sleep well, Julia?”
“The bed was somewhat lumpy, I thought.”
“Ah… you found the pea then…”
“Pea?”
“Tea?”
“You’ve remembered I only drink Lady Grey?”
It’s Earl Grey, will she notice?
“Others can’t tell the difference, but I can.”
Double shit…
“Jeremy seems tense. Is all well between you?”
“Absolutely fine.” Your son’s gay, had you noticed…?
“Grandchildren soon perhaps?”
“All in good time.” Hell may freeze over, Julia.
“Mmm… I love Lady Grey.”
“There’s certainly no fooling you, Julia.”
Friday Fictioneers kicks off once again, with Rochelle running up and down the sidelines, whistle in mouth to ensure fair play by all participants. Next week, if all goes well, I’ll be contributing from France, and the week after that from Spain. And so the winter goes … 🙂
castelsarrasin 
Ha,, this is just wonderful.. the pairing of the voice and the inner monologue is brilliant, fortunately blind eyes and closed ears work fine in some cases.
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Thanks Bjorn. As they say, ‘there’s none so blind as those who will not see’. 🙂
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Excellent pacing. Loved the Tea?/Pea?. I may have spat a bit of the former as I read. Good job!
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🙂 I regularly redecorate the screen of my laptop if I read over breakfast. Thanks!
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Loved this.. the dialogs in the head is good. And when the Mother-in-law asks ‘Grandchildren soon perhaps?’ was funny.
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Thank you! Glad you found it amusing.
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I loved the way you portrayed the pain and anger caused by the double life.
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Yes, I think everyone in this scenario has closed their eyes to some aspect of reality. 🙂
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And in some respect I think we all do this.
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Hilarious and well done Sandra. Great dialogue. If Jeremy’s gay, I doubt that he or Julia will be around much longer. 🙂 — Suzanne
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Perhaps not Suzanne. 🙂 Thanks for reading; hope all is well with you.
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Dear Sandra,
I loved the reference to the Princess and the Pea. I know those types all too well. And they seem proud of it. I can’t wait to see their backs.
Married to a gay son? Is she in it for the money or is he (not in it) for appearances sake? Either way it’s going to be a rocky road. Lovely story.
Aloha,
Doug
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Thank you Doug. I wasn’t sure how universal the ‘Princess and the Pea’ concept was. And yes, there are a plethora of these ‘precious’ types around; thankfully my mother-in-law was a gem!
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Dear Sandra,
I often think when speaking with some dolt how wonderful it is that he or she can’t read my mind. Brilliant writing. But then, would I expect anything less?
Shalom,
Rochelle
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I’ve been told that my mind can be read via my eyes Rochelle, so I’m very careful what I think when I’m speaking with irritating people. 🙂 Thank you for your kind comment.
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Love the way you write, Sandra. An entertaining piece, which told me so much in only a few words. Made me smile too. 🙂
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Thank you! glad you liked it and that it made you smile. If I’m not horrifying people, then my second favourite activity is making them smile. 🙂
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Forgot to wish you happy travels. 🙂
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Thank you! 🙂
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The way you set this up allows you to convey so much with so few words. You managed to include humor, pain, and more than one broken relationship. Kudos. All the best with your upcoming trips!
janet
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Thanks Janet, glad you liked it. Yes, it will be good to be back on the road again, but then you’ll know all about that… 😉
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I loved the say you balanced the dialogue with Julia’s thoughts. A lot of times I get lost reading that type of dialogue but I didn’t with your story. France and Spain, not a bad way to spend a winter!
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Thank you Michael. It can be tricky constructing that kind of dialogue, so I’m pleased it worked for you. Yes, my OH has a low threshold for the suffering of an English winter. I’m happy to accommodate his wishes in that respect. 🙂
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Amazing, I love this so much. Such an entertaining dialog garnished with her fantastic inner thoughts. Great work, Sandra!
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Thank you! Glad you liked it.
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Fabulous story this week, Sandra. I especially love those last two lines.
All my best,
Marie Gail
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Thank you Marie-Gail. 🙂
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Another stellar job, Sandra, complete with the expected powerhouse ending. I hate to go on and on every week, BUT it really is remarkable how you are able to convey so multi-layered a story in a handful of words.
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It’s something that’s developed over time Barbara, but I sometimes wonder whether it doesn’t make it difficult for me when I write longer stories for competitions. I tend to encapsulate facts/backstories somewhat. But thank you for your lovely comments, Barbara, I’m always glad to see you’ve visited.
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And I, as a reader, despise authors who feel the need to bludgeon us with tedious explanations. I want to shriek, “I get it already!!” Not that I don’t enjoy detailed writing, I do, it’s the attitude by some authors of “let me explain this to the poor dears…” that I find annoying.
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It’s all down to achieving that fine balance between being ‘expositional’ and ‘terse’, I guess. 🙂
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Wow! Seems we both went the gay route this go around with “blind” parents. I’m in a writing practice group that writes from verbal prompts (10 minutes, 15 minutes etc given to write a story from the prompt) and often 3 or 4 of us write along the same lines. Makes us very happy.
Anyway, love the play of internal thoughts against the conversation. Nicely done.
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Yes, I noticed that Doug and I both went for dialogue stories containing mothers-in-law this week. The muses move in mysterious ways. 🙂 Thanks for reading.
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Delicious! So my cup of tea!
Wonderful read
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Thanks Emmy. 🙂
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Brilliantly done.
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Thank you. 🙂
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What a bwitch. Loved the snark, darling.
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Thanks Helena; she’s the M-i-L from hell. 😉
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So full of individual chuckles! Enjoyed!!
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Thanks Roger. 🙂
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I love a cup of Lady Grey…which in my view tastes absolutely nothing like the Earl’s version 🙂 Another excellent contribution this week, Sandra. Always a must read.
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Thanks Paul. We keep both in the cupboard; we like to ring the changes.
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So well written, as always. I loved those internal thoughts. My only confusion was over the croissants. With Julia saying a separate knife was needed for them I assumed they were in Julia’s house, and then I got very muddled about who was speaking. I’m not saying you should change anything – I think it was my slow brain working it out.
Claire
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I tried hard with the flow of the dialogue, but that line is one that jars with me on re-reading. Thanks for commenting Claire.
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I can’t add much more than the previous comments. All I can say is that yours is the first post I read on the grid. Always entertaining!
DJ
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That’s a lovely comment Danny! Thank you. 🙂
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I loved it. It was very entertaining! 🙂
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Thank you. 🙂
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I have to say I read it once silent and once again out loud so I could play the different voices correctly! so fun!! it´s so hard to face demons in your head while having a conversation you don´t want to have… I have experienced that!
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The worst is when you make a mistake between the inner thought and the spoken word. I’ve experienced that… 😦 Thanks for reading, Anna.
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A little strychnine in her tea will quiet that old bird..I adored my mother-in law too. Enjoyable read as always.
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Yes, sadly missed, like mine, I guess. Thanks for reading.
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Sandra, so well done, as always, but glad we could read it (and not eat it). Bitter.
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Yes, the daughter-in-law’s life is hardly a bed of roses… Thanks for reading and welcome back this week.
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you manage your dialogues adroitly, liked the piece
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‘Adroitly’… how I love that word. Thank you.
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Brilliant! I wonder how often this scene plays out across the world? I especially liked the bit with the croissants (or lack thereof) 🙂
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Thank you! I’m partial to croissants myself. 🙂
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Lovely. I spotted the side plate thing but thought it may be a US thing so kept quiet. Love the politeness of it all. A real gold mine of issues. made me laugh/shudder.
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Thank you Patrick. Sorry to be so late acknowledging. 🙂
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How one can live with that kind of MIL. Beautifully written, Sandra dear.
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Thankfully I didn’t have to Indira. It could be a real deal-breaker, I think. Thanks for dropping by.
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Fantastic. The dialogue punctuates the inner monologue so well. It paints the picture of the conflict.
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It’s funny how conflict can run completely under the surface isn’t it? The most dangerous kind. Thanks for reading.
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Family dynamics can prove interesting and frustrating when we see only what we want to see. Great story.
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How true. Thanks for reading Caerlynn. Sorry to be so late acknowledging.
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No worries, Sandra. Better late than never!
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Haha…loved the story, Sandra. The dialogue between the women was great! I could visualise the whole scene. In fact, I think I heard the younger one slam a spoon on the table. 🙂
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Luckily not a knife… 🙂 Thank you Shilpa.
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Love the revealing dialog inside the head and out. The last line is wonderful!
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Thank you Lisa. 🙂
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You successfully did inner and outer dialogues well. It made it humorous although the relationships conveyed were far from humorous.
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It must be horrendous to have that kind of toxicity in the family set up. Thank you for dropping by.
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Such a masterful portrayal of family tensions and unspoken resentments. Wonderfully done – most entertaining. I feel for the poor daughter-in-law.
Marg
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Thank you Margaret 🙂 Sorry to be so late acknowledging.
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Crisp and curt repartee. A little poisonous perhaps – if not in their language, perhaps then in their tea. Fun, if you can call it that, piece.
Randy
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Thank you Randy. A little poison goes a long way… 🙂
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Oh, I love the snark!
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Thank you Lisa. 🙂
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Brilliant – well written, really funny, Great stuff.
Cheers
KT
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Thanks KT. Glad you liked it.
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Oh well yuck on this MIL 😦 The DIL keeps much more inside than I would. I laughed over the Pea/Tea part. I could picture this scene in my mind’s eye.
Ellespeth
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I’m sure the scene, or similar, is repeated many times in many families. Thanks for dropping by Ellespeth.
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Oh, I love this one. You outdid yourself this time, Sandra. Five stars!
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Thanks Russell. I’ll nurture those stars. 😉
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Great characterisation. I feel for the daughter-in-law. Hopefully Julia won’t be staying very long at all, or murder might be committed.
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Yes, I think this could degenerate into violence fairly quickly. Thanks Sarah Ann.
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She’s a piece of work, that one. I hope she isn’t staying long. Enjoy your destinations! It sounds like a lovely adventure.
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Thanks Erin. On our way now. 🙂
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Great post
Had me thinking of my own experiences
Too true
Too funny
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Oh dear, have I touched a nerve here? 😉 Thanks Diane.
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Wonderful! You blended the inner dialogue with the spoken dialogue perfectly…and I’m sure his annoyance and distress with misunderstanding family members is something we can all relate to.
P.s. Loved the bit about the Pea!
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Thank you! Glad you liked it. I wasn’t sure whether the ‘princess and the pea’ thing would translate.
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Oh I got it right away! It was a subtle barb that fit in perfectly with the uppity family you were portraying.
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I love the inner dialogue, Sandra, and the putting on airs. Very entertaining! I imagine this kind of thing happens even more in fancy rooms. Wow, you are quite the world traveler! Happy and safe travels.
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Thanks Amy, have a good week.
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Wow! I really like the combination of the dialogue with her thoughts. I especially enjoyed the bit when she said “hell may freeze over”, that made me laugh!
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I was torn between that and ‘pigs might fly’. Thanks for dropping by Francesca.
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I had a few chuckles over the conversation! Very entertaining, Sandra. 🙂
Lily
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Thank you! 🙂
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It amazes me the depth of characters you can create from a simple photo! Wow, there is so much information in this! Loved the last line, it pretty much says it all, doesn’t it?
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No love lost in this relationship I fear. Thanks for dropping by Judee.
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So no tea for two soon then.
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I think tea for one might be by far the best option. Thanks for reading.
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Dear Sandra, You are so magnificent and I love the inner thoughts you have while listening to the old “bitty.” So darn funny, I nearly didn’t make it to the bathroom in time! FUNNY! Nan 🙂
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Oops! Thanks for reading Nan. Sorry if I ‘incommoded’ you. 🙂
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Excellent, Sandra! The dynamic back and forth with dialogue and inner voice is sharp and intelligent. I look forward to your stories every week, Sandra, but some weeks you deliver an extra wonderful gem like this. Brava!
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Thank you Dawn. Glad you liked it.
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Very well done Sandra, seems we both had an inner voice working for us this week! Great pace and dialogue, very enjoyable.
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Thanks Dee! 🙂 I like a dialogue piece from time to time – it’s good exercise I think.
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What deliciously awful characters. I like your ‘tea’ device. I suspect we might discover, further down the road in this tale, that Earl Grey will be found to be more upset about his son’s sexuality than Lady Grey. Or maybe not. 🙂
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I don’t think there will be that much to choose between the Earl and the Lady. Thanks for dropping by Ann, good to see you back.
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