[Fiction] Friday Challenge for June 5th, 2009:
“Don’t sit there,” she commanded. “That’s the cat’s chair.”
She set the table early that morning already, and spent the rest of the day preparing. Fairy cakes and Lady Fingers, small Swiss Rolls and coconut ice, carefully placed on small plates with a delicate pale pink rose border. Every few minutes she would glance at the clock above the fridge, push her hair back and work faster.
The small hand approached the four when she put the final touches on the table: a small bouquet of pale pink roses - to match the pattern on the crockery - pink crystals in the sugar and small silver forks next to each plate.
She pointed her finger and counted every seat slowly again “One, two, three, four, five, six.” She counted the numbers on her fingers again, tongue peeking out the side of her mouth, and nodded. She looked at the clock again. The big hand was almost touching the twelve.
“He’s going to be here soon,” she said, and rushed to her bedroom. She put on her favourite dress and twirled in front of the mirror. She brushed her long brown hair, and put lip gloss on her lips. She twirled in front of the mirror again when she heard the sound of the wheels on the gravel.
“He’s home,” she said and giggled. She ran to the door, and gave him a hug as he opened the door. He laughed as he freed himself from her octopus grip, she grabbed his hand instead and started pulling him towards the dining room.
“Are you having a party,” he asked.
“No, we are,” she said, pushing out her chin defiantly. “Come, sit down,” she said and pushed him towards a chair at the head of the small table. He pulled out the chair closest to him, but she shook her head and said “No, not that one, that one’s for Molly.” She picked up the rag doll by her hair and put her down on the chair a little roughly.
He smiled patiently and pulled out another. He liked playing this game with her.
“Don’t sit there,” she commanded. “That’s the cat’s chair. Here, ” she said, dragging him by the hand, “this is your chair. Silly dad.”
He laughed and sat down. “This looks lovely,” he said.
She smiled sweetly and said “Tea?”
5 comments:
Hi Vanessa
Is this your first Fiction Friday? Loving the simplicity of your story and the obvious love of the girl for her dad. I was drooling over the thought of all the cakes. Nice that the doll gets to join the party too.
Well done. Hope to see more of your stuff on FF.
Al McKillop
You can read mine here
http://almckillop.wordpress.com/
@Al: I have been participating in Fiction Friday for almost a year now, I think, if not more. I try and do a Fiction Friday as often as work/life will allow - at the moment it is about once a month, it would seem.
Thank you for the kind words - glad you saw the picture :)
Gorgeous!! and welcome back Vanessa - you have been missed by us 'oldies'. I have a 4 year old who I can see playing this exact scene out - love how you twisted it round. great tempo you have...
visitors can find mine on
http://annieevett.blogspot.com/2009/06/prompt-include-this-line-in-your-story.html
I liked this piece. Very cute.
I must admit at the start I thought the girl was a grown woman.
@ Annie: thanks. It is nice to do these whenever life allows :)
@ Ben: thank you. When I started writing it, she was a little older in my picture - characters can be sneaky that way sometimes *grin*
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