Friday Fictioneers: Toddler Mayhem

Maryam was having a miserable time at Zainab’s house. She had spent all afternoon chasing her toddler and stopping him from breaking something. All around there were crystal, porcelain or glass decorations that Zainab had got from her various travels around the world.

Maryam thought about her own house which was completely devoid of any kind of pretty decorations ever since Issa had started crawling. “Speaking of Issa”, she thought, “where is he?”

It was too late. Issa had found his way to the buffet table. There was a loud crash followed by silence. Everyone turned to look at Maryam.

Word count: 100

 

Friday Fictioneers: The Beanstalk & a Principled Mother

When Jack woke up, a beanstalk had sprouted next to his window. Jack felt queasy just looking at it reaching the sky. He was afraid of heights. “We’ll climb up together!” declared his younger sister Jill, who always had adventure on her mind.

At the top, was a castle with a large table on which sat a golden harp. It played the sweetest music ever. “Mom has taught us never to steal, but wouldn’t she be happy to see this harp?” said Jack.

So they climbed down with the harp. When their mother saw it, she made them climb back and return it.

For details of Friday Fictioneers see: http://rochellewisofffields.wordpress.com/2014/08/20/22-august-2014/

Friday Fictioneers: Handy Work

Before I post my story, I would like to request my fellow Fictioneers to please participate in my poll which I posted on my one year WordPress anniversary. To participate please click here.

And now for the story:

Hadia dreamt of becoming a successful businesswoman one day. But when she got married it was as if someone had clipped her wings. Her day was spent trying to please her mother-in-law and cook and clean.

One day she met a woman who said she could embroider but couldn’t find any work. Hadia at once employed her and some others to work with her. She gave them designs to make, and then sold the handicrafts at 3 times the cost in the city. Every month she would buy her mother-in-law a gift, help out with the running costs and pocket the rest.

She couldn’t be happier.

Pakistani embroidery. Photo Credits: Wikipedia

This story has been written for the Friday Fictioneers. For details see the link below:

http://rochellewisofffields.wordpress.com/2014/07/30/1-august-2014/

Friday Fictioneers: Life Decisions

Ahsan was at a fork in the road moment in his life where he had to decide whether to stay with his parents and continue his “job” fixing punctured tyres or try and get an education.

He had been “stealing” a few rupees from his salary to buy school books. He had taught himself to read and learnt some basic maths but now he needed to go to a formal school.

He stuffed his books and a few clothes in a bag and stood up decisively. He had no idea where he would go, but somehow he felt he would find a way.

This 100-word story has been written for Friday Fictioneers. For details see the link below:

http://rochellewisofffields.wordpress.com/2014/07/23/25-july-2014/

Friday Fictioneers: The Scholar

Since Faiza was a child, it had been rammed down her throat that she would never amount to anything. Firstly, because she was a girl and secondly, that despite being a girl, she didn’t have the looks.

So Faiza employed all her faculties towards her studies. She completed her Bachelors privately and then started applying for scholarships abroad.

It was only when a television crew came to interview Faiza that the family realized how wrong they had been about her. Faiza was the first person from their village ever to be accepted at Harvard with a full scholarship.

 

This story has been written for Friday Fictioneers. For details see the link below:

http://rochellewisofffields.wordpress.com/2014/07/16/18-july-2014/

Friday Fictioneers: Extra Flavor

Jamal was the only brother of 5 sisters and when he came home on the weekend from his hostel, his mother would serve him a meal fit for a king.

Sara, the youngest of the 5 sisters would help her mother prepare the meat curries, even though she knew she would only get to eat the vegetables (which her brother didn’t like) with bread. One day she had had enough. She mixed two heaped spoons of her mother’s laxative in the curry.

Since then, nobody could understand why Jamal had a stomach upset every time he came home for the weekend.

http://rochellewisofffields.wordpress.com/2014/07/02/4-july-2014/

Friday Fictioneers: God’s Will

The 2005 earthquake in Kashmir, Pakistan wiped away hundreds of villages and killed thousands.

Many children were attending school that fateful morning when the earth shook and the walls caved in on them. On the 4^th day there was little hope left for any survivors, but miraculously a group of children were rescued unharmed from the debris of their school. When asked by the rescue workers how they had survived, they answered that their teacher had been bringing water for them.

The rescue workers looked at each other. They had pulled out the body of the school teacher on the first day.

http://rochellewisofffields.wordpress.com/2014/06/18/18-june-2014-summer-rerun/

Friday Fictioneers: Sea Adventures

Everyone expected James to follow in his father’s footsteps and become a dentist. Grudgingly, James gave up his dream of joining the Navy, went through Dentistry College instead and graduated with top honors.

He took up a room next to the sea and set up his clinic. Whenever he had the time, he would look out the window and yearn for adventures on the sea. Finally at 40 he had made enough money to retire.

He bought his yacht and began planning his first adventure. After all there was much time to make up.

http://rochellewisofffields.wordpress.com/2014/06/11/13-june-2014/

Friday Fictioneers: Closed Minds

As he felt himself fall, several scenes flashed before him; his days of residency in the U.S., night duties, struggles, his three sons and his wife, his appointment letter as a Professor of Cardiology, his return to his homeland for voluntary service at the local hospital and then that flash of the gun.

A voice spoke to him in his head, “You came to open their hearts, but you couldn’t open their minds.”

Now he stood near an archway and he faced the light and as far as he could see there was beauty and tranquillity.

A U.S. cardiologist was shot dead in a targeted killing in Pakistan on 26th May, 2014. He belonged to a minority sect that has long been persecuted in the country.

For details of Friday Fictioneers see the link: http://rochellewisofffields.wordpress.com/2014/05/28/30-may-2014/

Friday Fictioneers: Whose Side Are You On?

“How can you sit on the fence and not say anything?” Hina’s voice shook with anger as she faced her mother. “I deserve to go to university, I worked hard for it!”

Zahida continued with her embroidery not looking up at her distraught daughter.

“I will not marry that man, I want to study. I don’t even like him; I don’t like his face, why can’t Abba understand that?”

As her daughter stomped out of the room, Zahida put down her embroidery and wiped away a tear. History was repeating itself and she had not the strength to stop it.

(100 words)

For details about the Friday Fictioneers see the link below:

http://rochellewisofffields.wordpress.com/2014/05/21/23-may-2014/