Copyright–Jennifer Pendergast
Again it’s time for the new Friday Fictioneers weekly story challenge. This weekly challenge is to write a story with no more than 100 words. It’s to have a beginning, middle, and end, and follow the picture prompt supplied for that week. The hostess for this challenge is the ever gracious and talented author Rochelle Wisoff-Fields. This week the prompt is a photo supplied by Jennifer Pendergast. Thanks Jennifer.
I’ve had to rewrite this story because somehow my last story like this was designated as Private. That word just showed up as part of the title of the story and destroyed my link to Friday Fictioneers. I alerted WordPress and I hope it doesn’t happen again.
http://rochellewisofffields.wordpress.com/2014/05/28/30-may-2014/
Genre: Humor Fiction
100 Words
THE CAMPUS VISIT by P.S. Joshi
Dave was proudly showing his grandson Will around his old college campus. “Yes Will, I loved those days. I studied hard and was one of the best in my class. Why uh, hello Dr. Clark. I thought you’d retired. Do you remember me? I’m Dave Buxton.”
“Retired? Of course I’ve retired. I’m 90 years old. I’m just visiting. And remember you? Of course I do. You were one of the biggest troublemakers on campus. I was always surprised you graduated. This your grandson?”
At that point, he ambled along down the walk.
Will smiled. “Don’t worry Grandpa. I’ll never tell.
Musings on Life & Experience 
Great story…. interesting what we choose to remember or choose to tell our children and grandchildren!
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Thanks Ruth. Yes. Grandpa embroidered more than just a little and never expected to meet one of his old professors on the visit. XD I’m glad you liked the story. 🙂 —Susan
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The older we get …….. more we tend to lie or exaggerate. This is such an Indian trait.
Great story. Kudos.
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Thanks Yarnspinner. I think it’s probably a very human trait, not only Indian. 🙂 I’m glad you liked my story. 🙂 —Susan
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🙂
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Dear Susan: Good grandson! He was really nice to have said he’d keep a secret. The old grumpy professor was not very pleasant or congenial. Thanks for the story! Nan 🙂
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Thanks Nan. Yes, he was a nice boy and loved his grandad. That professor was one of those old people who thinks that age has its privileges. 🙂 I’m glad you liked my story. 🙂 —Susan
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It’s never too late to avoid the need to tell it how it was. 🙂 Nice one.
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Thanks Sandra. You’re right. 🙂 I’m glad you liked my story. 🙂 —Susan
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Oops! I wonder if he has selective memory (I know I do!) or if he wanted his grandson to think he was a good student? Either way, nasty Dr Clark could have played along in front of the kid.
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Thanks Al. I think he wanted to be a good example for his grandson. Also he was most likely more than a bit ashamed of his college record and didn’t expect to meet one of his old professors who was still around the campus. I think the old professor, because of his age, thought he could get away with saying what he pleased. Maybe he was always an outspoken and demanding person, one of those professors students try to avoid getting (something like Indiana Jones’ father in The Last Crusade). Also, his arthritis was probably bothering him. I hope you liked the story. 🙂 —Susan
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Many old people seem to think they can say whatever they like. I’m quite looking forward to that in my dotage 🙂
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🙂 I read where one old actor said he’d outlived all his enemies so could afford to say what he pleased. Some people seem like they’re just asking to be insulted. 🙂 —Susan
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Dear Susan,
I’m glad you were able to reconnect and bring your story out in the open. 😉 I’m having issues with WordPress…or the linkz tool. I’m not sure which. Very strange.
In any case, I enjoyed your story. Just when Dave thought there was no one left to tell the truth.
Shalom,
Rochelle
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Thanks Rochelle. I didn’t hear back from WordPress so I went ahead and rewrote the story adding a third word to the title and republishing it. When I started getting more Likes and Comments I knew it was okay. I’m glad you enjoyed my story. Yes, it was unfortunate that particular old professor was strolling around the campus that day. 🙂 —Susan
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Hi Rochelle, To your comment of having problems. I learned had to clean out my cache. It’s under history: Clear resent history. DO NOT clear out Active Logins!!! It will cause all kinds of problems.
Phyllis
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Wonderful story, Susan! That grandson bit was the best! 😀
I think WordPress has been doing some weird things which might account for some technical glitches. We’re having a problem with one of the writers — can’t make any comments on one. Bummer! 😦
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Thanks Kent. I can still access my previous version of the story with your extremely helpful comments typed in but no one else can see it. I had to retype the whole thing, etc. and reconnect to the link to Friday Fictioneers. I want to thank you again for your efforts to get through my mental block on how I should type out the dialogue. I retyped the story from your version of the piece, and also other suggestions, on Word, printed it out, and am keeping it as an example of the way dialogue should be written. Thank you again for your help and for this comment to let me know I’m not alone in having problems. Rochelle also commented about problems. 🙂 —Susan
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Hey, that’s what we’re here for, it’s what we do. Rochelle would have it NO other way! 🙂 If I can be of any help or you need a quick critique, please let me know.
Roch is having a problem with everything concerning websites today. Everything is whacked! 😡
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Well done! Yes, we all try to sugarcoat the past and often it works. Too bad it never seems to work for us.
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Thanks Perry. Yes, just as sure as I’d change something, someone would be around who knew differently and I’d be embarrassed like the grandfather in my story. It’s not worth it. 😦 I’m glad you liked the story. 🙂 —Susan
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Ha. Cute.;0)
Makes Grandpa more human and brings him and grandson closer. Great idea.
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Thanks Phyllis, Yes, it might have been helpful after all. I’m glad you liked the story. 🙂 —Susan
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;0)
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Ah.. yes .. I thought I had commented .. hmm I still think it’s a fun story.
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Thanks again Bjorn. I’m still glad you liked the story. 🙂 —Susan
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Great characterisation in this – although I had a different version in my inbox in which all the voices were so strong.
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Thanks Sarah Ann. I did have another version where there was a back and forth conversation, but a couple of writers thought it was hard to follow who was speaking, so I changed it at their suggestion, grouping the words in paragraphs with the speakers. I also had trouble with the WordPress program because it generated the word “Private:” in front of my title and it cut my link with Friday Fictioneers. I had to retype a duplicate of the story except for an extra word “The” in the title and link back up.
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Having one of those weeks where I can’t remember which stories I’ve commented on. Also running late. Good story. You knew where it was going from the start, which meant the delivery at the end needed to be good, which it was. Good story
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Thanks Weltchy. I wasn’t sure I was going to be able to reconnect with FF for a while as I told on my post so it’s kind of been one of those weeks for me as well. I’m glad you liked my story. You wrote a good one also. 🙂 —Susan
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Aw…. 🙂 This story is adorable! I can remember a few conversations like that with my parents. I think that’s what grandparents and great-grandparents are for, to sort of “correct” these false impressions.
And, thanks for the heads up. For some reason this and several other posts never showed up in my Reader. I was wondering if people were out of town and that’s why no one seemed to be posting their Friday Fictioneer stuff. 😦 Hope WordPress straightens it out soon.
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Thanks Anne. I’m glad you liked my story as I had fun writing it. 🙂 I understand I’m not the only one having problems with my blog at present as you can see by a couple of the other comments. I think a couple of people have completely lost their blogs. One of my posts was just messed up. I complained to WordPress HELP and I hope the problem’s been taken care of. As I’ve been told a couple of times, we also need to check Spam as sometimes comments and other posts get put in there. —Susan
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Oh what tangled web we weave….
Fun story, I can see it playing out in front of me.
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Thanks Subroto. Yes, we can really cause problems for ourselves. I’m glad you liked my story. It was fun to write. 🙂 —Susan
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That was adorable! Looking forward to reading more of Dave and Will’s relationship. 🙂
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Thanks Auria. Maybe if the right picture prompt comes along I may bring them back. I’m glad you liked my story. I enjoyed writing it. 🙂 —Susan
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It may have embarrassed Grandpa, but I bet it tickled his grandson to know the old man had been a cut-up in school. There’s always a kink in the armor somewhere.
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Thanks Russell. I think you’re right. Hope you enjoyed it. I had fun writing it. 🙂 —Susan
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It is interesting, sometimes it is so different the way we want to show ourselves -even how we look at our life- and the point of view of others. I wonder which one has the most accurate memories.
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Thanks Maru. Being the grandfather was rather upset at seeing the old professor, and embarrassed by what he said, I would imagine the professor was telling the truth. The grandfather was telling his grandson things that made himself look good. The professor could have been a lot kinder though and not mentioned the bad behavior. 🙂 —Susan
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Lovely story, with a great intergenerational perspective shift.
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Thanks Etienne. Yes, it looks like that brought the grandfather and grandson closer together. I’m glad you liked my story. 🙂 —Susan
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It is a story I would love to have heard about my Grandparents! Love it!
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Thanks Deb. I’m glad you liked my story. I had fun writing it. 🙂 —Susan
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This was a joy to read, and the dialogue seemed very authentic and flowed well. It leaves the question of what exactly did Gramps do to earn a title of a troublemaker? Several teachers I had said they sometimes forget the “good” students, but they seldom forget those bad apples!
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Thanks Adelie. I guess we’d all like to know what Gramps did, but he’s not telling and neither is the professor. Although if he was asked, the professor might tell that as well. I would imagine the professors do remember those who cause them trouble. I’m glad you liked the story. I had fun writing it. 🙂 —Susan
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Odd, I know I’ve read and commented on this story before – where did it go?! Anyway, I think what I said was somewhere along the lines of – I enjoyed the unreliable narrator of Grandpa, and Will’s seeing right through him. I felt there was a little more exposition / explanation than was necessary, for example in “his grandson Will”, but that’s a small thing.
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Thanks Jen. At the top of the post, which I know many of us don’t have time to read (I often don’t) I told about the problem I had with that post. WordPress decided to add Private: to the beginning of my title and that broke the connection with Friday Fictioneers. I complained to WordPress in the HELP section and, when I didn’t hear from them, rewrote the story adding another world to the title and reconnected with FF. No one but me can now access that old post. I just hope it doesn’t happen again. —Susan
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I did read the intro, but I was confused about how I’d managed to see it if it was private – maybe I snuck in before the system messed up. Anyway, hopefully it’s all fixed now
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aloha Susan. funny. i think anyone would like that grandson. it’s all in our perspective, yes. fun read. aloha.
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Aloha Rick and thanks. I’m glad you liked my story. I had fun writing it. 🙂 —Susan
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Jan, I think the one you commented on first was probably the first one I printed. The word “Private:” wasn’t on it at at the beginning. It came on later. I wrote it the second time adding the word “The” to the title so it wouldn’t confuse the program. 🙂 —Susan
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Nothing says you can’t be both a trouble maker and the best in the class. I’ve always had a fatal attraction to that kind of guy.
Sorry I’m so late seeing this. You didn’t leave a link for me.
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Thanks Alice. I’m glad you liked this story. Usually all you have to do is click on the words in the bottom of each box and that’s the link. Are you having a problem getting the links for some reason? Maybe you could ask Rochelle and she could advise you. —Susan
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I like the contrast of the two versions of Dave’s experience. I wonder if the professor said the same thing to all of the students who hoped that he recognized them 🙂
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Thanks Weaver. That old professor was one of those elderly people who tell others what they think because at that age they feel they have the right even if it’s unkind. Let’s hope there are more kind elderly than unkind. I’m glad you liked the story. I had fun writing it. 🙂 —Susan
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Very cute story. Things sometimes come back to bite us.
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Thanks Barry. I’m glad you liked the story. I had fun writing that one. Yes, if we tell tall stories, they might come back to haunt us in future. 🙂 —Susan
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I returned to my old college town to raise my children–this story cuts just a little close to the bone.
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Thanks, JunkChuck. That’s really funny. By this time, I doubt if my professors would even remember me–if they’re still around. 🙂 — Suzanne
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