Copyright Connie Gayer
Border Assignment
“Wait, stay still!”
The little girl is stranded, her hair entangled in the razor wire, under which her mother has attempted to drag her.
I drop my cameras, shrug off my back-pack, and rummage for a pair of nail scissors. As the child sobs hysterically, I snip off her long black locks, leaving her stubble-headed but free.
Turning away I see that my cameras and back-pack have disappeared into the desperate queue of humanity snaking off to find a better life.
“Sorry,” says the mother, shrugging, embarrassed.
“Thank you,” says the child, offering me her only bruised and worm-eaten apple.
This week’s prompt comes from SWMBO, Russell’s other half. I must confess, this one nearly had me stumped for a while. Thank you to Rochelle for her continuing ministrations to this happy band of humanity, the Friday Fictioneers.
castelsarrasin 
Dear Sandra,
No good deed goes unpunished, does it? You gave us a slice of heartbreaking current events with skill. C’est magnifique.
Shalom,
Rochelle
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I’ve noticed that quirk of fate, Rochelle. I think it’s called ‘biting the hand that feeds you’ and it happens quite a lot of the time. Thank you for reading and commenting.
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Heart wrenching. A timely reminder. I wish the problem was easier to understand and resolve.
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It oughtn’t to be beyond the wit of man, but good grief it seems to be! Thanks for reading.
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Oh, this scene seems to have been cut right from the news… it’s hard to extend a helping hand, though a story to tell could be worth a thousand pictures.
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Thanks for reading Bjorn. You’re so right.
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Too often in history we humans failed each other and yet again, we prevail. I wonder when will we reach the point of no return. Powerful stuff, Sandra.
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Thanks Lore. I liked the ‘failing each other’ part of your comment. As ever, it’s the opportunists who ruin it for the truly needy, whether it’s refugees, benefits claimants… 😦
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All the big important people of Europe seem capable of is having meetings at which little gets done. The only thing they succeed at is telling the rest of us they’re actually doing something. I don’t see any results though. The mess just seems to grow. Good story, Sandra. —- Suzanne
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And all their salaries and expenses are for nothing… Thanks for reading Suzanne.
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Despite the bleakness of the scene and the depravity of some humans portrayed – kindness and gratitude stands out starkly. Well done piece.
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Thank you Ansumani. 🙂
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An excellent piece of writing exposing all sides of the human condition.
Your standard is once again high above most of us.
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Thank you for the compliment CE. The reason I’ve stayed with FF for so long has been the care and effort that most people put into their stories week after week. It’s a privilige to be in partnership with the FF’ers. 🙂
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Just as well there was a sympathetic journalist at hand i.e. not the one who trips and kicks terrified, fleeing refugees: http://www.theguardian.com/world/2015/sep/11/something-snapped-hungarian-camera-operator-apologises-kicking-refugees
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Yes I saw that clip. What can she have been thinking of?
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At first I went ‘awww’, then I went ‘oh boy’, finally I said ‘oh well’. Such is life. Well written.
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Thank you!
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I like this journalist and I for one will never give up on human kindness despite the odds against it.
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The current crisis has really brought home to me the meaning of the term ‘mixed feelings’. I’ve had to struggle with myself sometimes when I see the antics of some of those who people are trying to help, but at the same time I’ve been horrified at some of the indifference exhibited by others in a more fortunate position. I really don’t see what the answer is.
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Nor do I. I also struggle with feelings of “it’s not my problem” but we are all connected so it is my problem. Around and around we go.
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Great piece of ‘contemporary’ fiction 🙂
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Thanks Helen, glad you liked it.
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A very realistic depiction. Funny that while I think you were talking about Europe, I was thinking about our boarder with Mexico. It could happen anywhere with a fence across the border.
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And it probably does. Thanks for reading Deborah.
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Cool story! Great story on the prompt! 🙂
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Thank you Courtney 🙂
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You caught the true bleakness of this picture – and the horrific times in which we live. Kudos.
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Thanks Alicia. Bleak times indeed.
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What is more important in life? Human kindness or tools of the trade? So well written.
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Not biting the hand that feeds you would come in pretty near the top of the list too. Thanks for reading Dale.
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Yep, I agree!
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beautiful story. i think the “thank you” from the child and the offer of her bruised and worm-eaten apple more than offset her personal loss. coming from a child, they were priceless.
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Thank you Plaridel.
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A dirty human view of tenderness and irony.
Heroic moments can still be messy ones of nasty human nature.
Well done – touching.
Randy
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Thanks Randy. Human nature – a two sided coin that sometimes seems to keep landing wrong side up.
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You put me right in the center of action with your story. Very gritty and realistic. I’m stumped as well as to what to write! I’ll come up with something eventually. Yours is great!
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Thanks Amy, it was a difficult prompt, I thought I might have to cry off this week.
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Great piece and so relevant today. I really liked the girl offering her the worm eaten apple which was the only thing she had to give. That would make losing the camera more than bearable.
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I should think so Irene. Thanks for reading.
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I saw a statistic once about the number of “Good Samaritans” who die because they stopped to help someone else. Still, I stop when I can and hope to avoid being one of those statistics.
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That’s all you can do Russell. Thanks for reading.
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Captured the human spirit at it’s lowest and highest at the same time, The scum who would steal from a good Samaritan and the kind heart who is still willing to share despite their own wretched circumstances.
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Thanks for reading subroto.
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He’s on assignment, and I’m sure his company can replace his lost items. What he did for the girl and her mother will last forever. Needed kindness in an unkind world! Well done!
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Thanks for reading Yolanda. 🙂
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I’m reminded of the refugees. I wonder from time to time what it would be like to just pack up and leave your country with what you can take physically.
Lily
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Yes, it bears reflecting upon.
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A wonderful story of sacrifice Sandra. I wonder if your narrator considers it worth the price.
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I’d have to say, Joseph, that of all the qualities that have might been endowed upon the gentlemen/women of the press, altruism is probably in the shortest supply. 🙂
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Indeed. Somehow it becomes all about the story and the characters of the story become nothing more than pen and ink mock ups.
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Very topical, both heartbreaking and heartwarming (with the child and apple) at the same time. It’s awful to think that things like this are currently happening. Great story.
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That’s very powerful. There’s so much to talk about around the current sea of people seeking life in Europe that’s it’s right to keep the matter high on the agenda.
That bruised apple is worth a lot more than the latest Hasselblad.
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Very, very poignant and powerful! Brings a tear to my eye reading and imagining how many in the world are facing this kind of thing at this very moment.
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Really captures the mess and confusion that is real life.
Bleak yes, but with a tiny Pandora’s box worth of hope at it’s heart.
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This is beautiful, powerful and so timely. Europe really has to show its colours this time around, and I’m not very happy about what I see. It’s so easy to sit on the high horse and gab about human rights when people elsewhere are afflicted. Now it’s at our front door…
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Nothing is ever so clear cut in life. The grit and realism here really adds to the story.
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A timely story, with all its good and bad aspects, just like real life.
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An excellent piece of writing, Sandra, that brings into sharp focus the daily hell those refugees are going through.
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You tell us so much with this – stories of desperation and good deeds. A pity she lost her gear (sorry, she has to be female if she has nail scissors) but the shorn child is grateful and offers all she has in gratitude. A complete tale that leaves us so many more to imagine.
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Something tells me the gift of that apple outweighs the loss of the camera. 🙂
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Beautiful little scene rendered expertly as always. Sorry about your cameras and backpack but I was nowhere near there!
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I enjoyed the imagery here as I saw this story unfold with my mind’s eye.
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Hi Sandra! I read it with mixed emotions. But good deed is good deed. Loved the ending. Superbly written.
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