welcome readers & writers. today is going to be a "best of" day! i've got a lot going on this week, so we're going to re-visit a photo from write away's earlier days. if you wrote about the photo before, feel free to continue your story (as i've done) - or you can write a new and totally different response. if you didn't write on the photo the first time, feel free to start fresh today and give us a short story, poem or creative non-fiction treat. 250(ish) words or less. click on comments below to send it in. my original story comes first. the second paragraph is today's installment of my story.
-
Bella hated to eat in front of other people. But she also hated dining alone. A problem, to be sure. What follows was her solution to the problem: she would make a reservation for four at a nice little restaurant. At the appointed time she would arrive, be seated, shake out her napkin and smooth it across her lap. Then she would order an appetizer (for four) and a drink (a mudslide). She'd nibble away at the appetizer, making small talk with the waiter as the clock ran its feckless laps. When the waiter finally noted how late her friends were, she'd say she was sure they must be on their way, but she'd call and check. Another appetizer please. When he returned with the bruschetta or artichoke dip or stuffed mushrooms, she'd just be closing her cell phone. "I can't believe it," she'd say. "I've got it all wrong. Everyone else is at thus and so. But they went on without me and are almost finished." Pause and a sad sigh. "I guess I'll just eat here." The waiter would tsk tsk. If he was an older man he might fret over the decline of good manners, that friends would order dinner before the arrival of their fourth. If he was younger, he might feel sorry for her and bring a special dessert at the end of her meal. But all waiters, she found, would make it a point to stop and chat with her as she waited patiently for her entree (another mudslide, please), and then worked her way through it, savoring each bite. It was a very good thing that Bella lived in a city with plenty of restaurants, because she was sure she could only pull it off once at any given place.
On this particular day, however, something unexpected and wonderful happened. She'd made her reservation (for four) at this new restaurant, Indian. She'd arrived and ordered her appetizers and drink as usual. She'd dropped those careful, flustered comments about her party being late. About ten minutes into the charade, when she'd finished two of the crispy, perfectly spiced samosas, as the waiter was re-filling her glass of wine, a gentleman came to the table. When she'd bustled in out of the fall chill she'd noticed him in the waiting area."Hello," he said, a little breathlessly."I'm so sorry to be late." "Er," said Bella. "Hi?" The fellow looked at the waiter and said, "Bad news, I'm afraid. The others won't be able to join us." Then, to Bella, "They're still prepping for court tomorrow. Can't risk flubbing up this one." "Very well, sir," said the waiter, removing two place settings. "May I bring you a drink?" The gentleman sat and opened his menu. Bella's heart drubbed wildly, "I. Er." "A glass of Torrontes, if I may," the gentleman said to the waiter. The waiter bowed slightly and stepped away, fading into the quiet chatter of other guests, softly lilting Indian music, silverware pinging against plates. The gentleman forked the corner off a samosa. "So," he said, just before putting it in his mouth, "how was your day?"
-
On this particular day, however, something unexpected and wonderful happened. She'd made her reservation (for four) at this new restaurant, Indian. She'd arrived and ordered her appetizers and drink as usual. She'd dropped those careful, flustered comments about her party being late. About ten minutes into the charade, when she'd finished two of the crispy, perfectly spiced samosas, as the waiter was re-filling her glass of wine, a gentleman came to the table. When she'd bustled in out of the fall chill she'd noticed him in the waiting area."Hello," he said, a little breathlessly."I'm so sorry to be late." "Er," said Bella. "Hi?" The fellow looked at the waiter and said, "Bad news, I'm afraid. The others won't be able to join us." Then, to Bella, "They're still prepping for court tomorrow. Can't risk flubbing up this one." "Very well, sir," said the waiter, removing two place settings. "May I bring you a drink?" The gentleman sat and opened his menu. Bella's heart drubbed wildly, "I. Er." "A glass of Torrontes, if I may," the gentleman said to the waiter. The waiter bowed slightly and stepped away, fading into the quiet chatter of other guests, softly lilting Indian music, silverware pinging against plates. The gentleman forked the corner off a samosa. "So," he said, just before putting it in his mouth, "how was your day?"
-
come write with me!
