Where he was prickly, plodding, pedantic, our daughter was mercurial, almost ethereal.
She rose each morning, her vitality unfurling to flit amongst the strands of other people’s lives, touching, inspiring, illuminating the darkest corners of their souls before sinking exhausted into repose within his bear-like arms each night.
By anyone’s norms, they were incompatible.
But who were we to judge?
Now that he’s gone, we see more clearly.
He fashioned her world, tethering her excesses, providing safe haven. He was her anchor, the Yin to her Yang, Abelard to her Heloise.
She lived for him.
And we cannot make her whole again.
In-laws, hey? Don’tcha just love ’em? 🙂 Inspired by the picture I’m paying tribute to our five-year-old orchid, whose swansong lasted the whole of last summer, peaking in November with 17 simultaneous, perfectly magnificent ivory blooms, but which is now staggering into oblivion with only one sorry, yellowing base leaf left. So long, mate. 😦
Friday Fictioneers is entering February, just seven more weeks before it’s officially spring. Thanks to Rochelle for her hard work, and congratulations to Claire Fuller whose second book, Swimming Lessons, was released last week. My copy arrived at the weekend, and Claire tells me that it’s set where I live, on the Isle of Purbeck in Dorset. Justification, if any were needed, to move it to the top of my reading list!
Wow – I loved this story! An interesting perspective on love and death.
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Thanks Jessie.
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Excellent use of the prompt, and a fitting tribute 🙂
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Thanks Iain. 🙂
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Lovely. Just lovely.
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Lovely to see you’re back, and thanks for dropping by.
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Beautiful story.
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Thank you, Joseph.
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You are most welcome.
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Such a black and white story, much like life. Well told, Sandra.
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Thank you Neel. 🙂
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Beautifully observed and written, Sandra
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Thank you, Neil. 🙂
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Dear Sandra,
You’ve done it again! Almost poetic, I could well imagine these two people. The last line brought me to tears.
Shalom,
Rochelle
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Thanks, Rochelle. I always appreciate yur dropping by.
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Killer opening line on this one. The delightful style and grim subject matter work very well together.
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Glad you liked it.
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Don’t know which I liked more, the story, or your tribute. They were both wonderful! 🙂 ❤
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Thank you! 🙂
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Oh no, another daughter story and me with a daughter!!!
I love the story. In fact, it sounds like mine.
Lately, I have been very appreciative of my husband and his support of me.
A marriage like that leaves a vacuum that cannot be filled.
Good one!
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Yes, it would be so difficult to pick up the threads again having enjoyed a relationship like that.
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Absolutely
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Sandra, I STILL don’t know how you manage to put all that in 100 words, but you always do. Incredible! I keep thinking she is someone who hopefully learned from him and is whole in another sense. Maybe, should she get remarried, she will find someone like her and add to his life as well.
Five out of five Parts A into Parts B. 😉
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Thanks Kent, glad you enjoyed it. 🙂 And for your ever-changing accolades.
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😉
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What everyone else has said!
This hits hard and low, takes the breath away, and brings tears.
Superb.
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Thanks CE. Glad you liked it.
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Well done again, Sandra.
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Thank you, Kecia.
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Well, ouch. Your words flow so beautifully, weaving a very sad tale.
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Thanks Alicia.
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Beautifully told, Sandra. So true that you often see couples who seem incompatible but seem to survive – thrive – for years. Some kind of chemistry. And well done for keeping your orchid so long – we sell a lot in our shop and some people have the knack for them, some don’t. You clearly do 🙂
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I have two, the white one is/was Ollie (Olivia), an the more showy purple one is called Oprah. She is enjoying being the sole centre of attention now. Thanks for reading.
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Very popular plants these days and not as tricky to keep as some people think. Will you replace Ollie so Oprah isn’t on her own?
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I don’t think so, Lynn. It’s tedious having to use boiled/cooled water, feeding from the bottom etc, and they do tend to ‘sprawl’ a bit, which offends my eye for symmetry! 🙂 But I’ve enjoyed the experience, and I love the blooms, not to mention their longevity. I’ll try something else. Any recommendations?
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My mum had great success with an anthurium plant – kept it for years and she really is no plantswoman. Flowered for much of the year too. Some people find peace lilies very good – again free flowering and elegant plants. Never kept one myself, though. For a florist, I’m very good at killing plants … 🙂
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Perfect light and shade in this one Sandra, and a gorgeous poetry to it
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Thanks, Siobhan.
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A master class in writing. The second paragraph just soared above the words you used.
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Thank you! Glad you liked it.
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This is perfection in writing… how do we ever know how it works before it’s broken and too late to mend.
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Or to try and replicate it. Thanks Bjorn! 🙂
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This is simply beautiful, Sandra. I feel un-tethered myself these past two years…
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I thought of you after I’d posted, Dale, and another Friday Fictioneer. Sorry if I cast a shadow over your day.
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No,.you did not cast a shadow at all. You captured a lovely relationship’s inner workings…
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Wow Sandra ! I love this. Such incredible vision and loss. Who is the anchor and who is the strength. Well told. I’m lost in this one
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Thanks Laurie, so glad you liked it.
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Great story, Sandra. I love the contrast of their personalities, it’s so very real. In many ways, Connie and I are exact opposites. Her strengths fill the voids of my weaknesses, and I hope to provide a voice of reason and rational to keep her wild hares in check.
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Connie sounds like a lovely person. I think you must have been a match made in heaven. 🙂
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Another great story Sandra.
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Many thanks!
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Beautifully written and the last line took my breath away.
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Thanks Clare, glad you liked it.
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So sad that she’s lost her anchor. A loss to the world as a whole too by the sounds of it. Lovely piece!
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Thanks for reading.
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This is so touching Sandra.
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Thank you!
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Aww, I love your take on both the photo and the whole concept of compatibility. How many times have we looked at a couple and immediately concluded that they were incompatible and then it turns out they’re truly soul mates. The whole concept is so fascinating, and you weaved a beautifully bittersweet tale from it!
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Thanks Jade. 🙂
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I feel relief that I am not the only one who wrote a story about death this week. Exceptionally well done -if I may say so.
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You’re always on a safe bet with death. Second only to murder, I think, on FF. 🙂
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Beautiful, poignant and touching. Sadly in-laws, and others, often can’t see the balance difference brings. Well told.
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That’s very true, Sarah. 🙂 Thanks for visiting.
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that’s sad. sometimes, we can only realize someone’s worth when s/he is gone.
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Indeed.
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I loved the bearlike embrace. I felt that.
Very lovely.
– Lisa
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I thought I needed to bring it down to earth a bit there. 🙂 Thanks for reading.
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May your orchid blossom in the afterlife. Wonderful story.
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I hope it does too. I’ve had the pleasure of it on my journey the last five years. Thank you.
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Dear Sandra,
Epiphytes know in life who loves them well. I love your writing, and you.
Like a good orchid, I’m hanging around in a podocarp forest, watching and reading you from afar.
Cheers,
Doug
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It’s always a lovely day when you pop by, Doug. I think about you a lot. And know I can place you in a pine forest. I hope you’ve found contentment there, and thanks for dropping by from time to time.
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What a wonderful use of the prompt. You are indeed a wordsmith.
May I also say that I find this site inspirational. xx
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Why thank you, Ros. 🙂
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Opposites attract or they say.A beautifully written and poignant piece.
My story is called Stardust
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They do indeed. And I enjoyed your story.
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beautiful. Love the word use 🙂 A lovely story in all
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Thank you Samantha!
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They seemed like a great couple! In my view, ideal partners are strong in each other’s areas of weakness, and balance each other out.
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I agree with you. And thanks for visiting.
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Welcome!
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Another sad tale of a life lost – perhaps she will find it again in time.
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Hopefully so. Thanks for reading Liz.
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I cannot keep orchids alive. Days are numbered for the one I have now, but I just find it to hard to resist replacing them once they’ve gone to that great hot house in the sky. Delicate and cheerful just as you describe. I really like the line “strands of other people’s lives”.
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Thanks for reading Honie. Yes, I think today will be the day I dispose of the remains of my friend Ollie. I’ll miss her, but will try to resist replacing her. 🙂
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Beautifully told and excellently paced. Really good Sandra
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Beautiful! I love how the word choice, the sound of it, so mirrored the characters. Very poignant.
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We certainly took similar paths! I’m glad I’m in such good company. I love the comparisons–– played back and forth, like tennis: zero, love. Really wonderful writing, Sandra!
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This is beautiful!
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Great response to the prompt. I feel quite weepy.
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No one knows what goes on behind closed doors.
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Told beautifully 🙂
We have but one flower left on our orchid. Maybe it will rally 🙂
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Heartwarming story, Sandra. Yes, relatives can give us some of our best story ideas. What a lovely tribute to your orchid. Great writing as always. 🙂 — Suzanne
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This just broke my heart.
Sometimes true love isn’t a smooth jigsaw puzzle.
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Beautifully penned.
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