THE FRONT PORCH

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Large porch

Copyright: Rochelle Wisoff-Fields

Here we are again another week. We’re gathered this time on a virtual large front porch of a home in a warm part of the country. We’re here to discuss our original stories for the Friday Fictioneer’s group. The hostess for the group is the talented and gracious artist and author, Rochelle Wisoff-Fields. The prompt this week was also supplied by her. Thanks again Rochelle. The challenge of this group is to write a story with no more than 100 words. It’s to have a beginning, middle, end, and follow the prompt. Be sure to click on the little blue frog in the blue box to read the other stories.

The link to the other stories is as follows:

http://rochellewisofffields.wordpress.com/2015/02/11/13-february-2015/

Genre: Realistic Fiction

Word Count: 100 Words

THE FRONT PORCH By P.S. Joshi

I remember the large front porch of the house where I was born. It was a magic place.

On rainy days, my friends and I felt protected as we played. There was a woven grass mat on the floor, mats to be let down for protection from sun on a hot day, and a large swing suspended from the ceiling.

On days I played alone, Mom put my small table and a chair out so I could draw or paint.

When I was older, my boyfriend got down on one knee in front of the swing and proposed to me.

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47 thoughts on “THE FRONT PORCH”

    • Thanks, Rochelle. Actually, I’ve played as a child on the large front porches of neighbors. Our front porch in the city was not all that large. My mother did put my little play table and a chair out there sometimes so I could sit there. By the time I was dating, we lived out at a lake in the country. Some of it was memory and some fiction. Those front porches were great. Some were enclosed though after TV came along. I’m glad you liked the story. 🙂 — Suzanne

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      • Dear Suzanne,

        The first short story I wrote was loosely based on my own family. So much so, my brother asked me how much of what the mother in the story tells the daughter is what our mother told me. It opened lines of communication between us like never before. This was a good thing, a very good thing.

        Shalom,

        Rochelle

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      • Well, Rochelle, I’m in the process of writing a memoir. I had so much I wanted to share with my children. Even if not many other people are interested, I felt my children should know things from my childhood. The world has changed a good bit since then. The only way you can go home again is to write about it, going home in memory. My dad wasn’t a writer, but he used to tell the best stories of his life growing up. He even acted some moments out. It was so entertaining, often funny. I’m thinking of writing stories using some of that material. I wish now he’d written things down. He did write down some of the family links of his mother. He talked with a relative on a trip.

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    • Thanks Claire. We didn’t have one of those big porches, but a couple of my friends did, and I played on them. My mother did put my table and chair on ours in nice weather. It was big enough for that. I’m glad you liked the story. 🙂 — Suzanne

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    • Thanks. Amy. I just loved those porches. I’ve played on the big porches of friends in the neighborhood. It would indeed be a great place for a proposal. I’m glad you liked the story. 🙂 — Suzanne

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    • Thanks, Bjorn. I’m so glad you liked the story. I have fond memories of those big porches. The house where I was born had a somewhat smaller one, but I played on those of my neighborhood friends. Ours was big enough for Mom to put my little table and chair. 🙂 — Suzanne

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    • Thanks, Michael. Actually some of that was fiction. I did play on the large front porches of friends. Ours was large enough for Mom to put my little table and chair out on nice days. The part about the proposal near the swing was fiction. However, my character said, “Yes.” I love happy endings. I’m so glad you liked the story. 🙂 — Suzanne

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  11. I love the way Fishman is fishing for whether ‘you’ said yes…A test of a true story that it travels on in reader’s minds. I’m just going to assume the narrator does say yes.
    To me this works really well because of the small real details – the table and chair signifying a mother’s love. (That old ‘show not tell’ is definitely good advice… )

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    • Thanks MJ. I’m so glad you liked the story. Part of it is true. I played on the big front porches of friends. Our porch was large enough for my mother to put my little table and chair out there on nice days. 🙂 — Suzanne

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  12. This is lovely Patricia. Our front porch where I grew up was not inviting. Small and concrete. I do remember my Granny’s though. It was narrow, but covered and make of wood with a swing at one end. It seemed so high! (Though there were only a few steps — i was simply a little girl.)
    Wishing you a happy Valentine’s Day. Hugs.

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    • Thanks, Teagan. I have lovely memories of large front porches I played on when I was young, and/or sat on later. Ours in the city was rather small, but my mother could still put my little table and chair out there. I’m so glad you liked the story. I’m wishing you a happy Valentine’s Day also. Hugs back. 🙂 — Suzanne

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  15. This is such a lovely read, Suzanne. Your focus on the porch and remembered events make it sound so personal. I love the detail of the grass mats and little table and chairs. The last sentence is a perfect ending. 🙂

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    • Thanks, Millie. I remeber those things from those big front porches. They were great, sheltered places for kids to play. It was partly memory and partly fiction. I enjoyed writing it. I’m so glad you liked the story. 🙂 — Suzanne

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  16. I love the natural, conversational style of this piece. I will say, it leaves one wanting to know where the story is headed. I’m not sure whether it is a bad thing. I tend to be overly caught up in the idea of closure.

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    • Thanks, Kirizar. It’s just the story of a person’s life as relates to the front porch. I would guess she’ll marry the boyfirend and begin a new married life with her own home. I’m glad you liked the story.. 🙂 — Suzanne.

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  22. Dear Suzanne, Did you say “Yes!” Lovely story! Until I was 5, we lived in a turn of the last century house with a big porch. I loved it! My sister Ann and I always played on it in good weather. It was so much fun and I’m amazed that I can remember 60 years ago – gosh I’m old – but it’s been a fun ride. Thanks for your story! Nan 🙂

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  23. Thanks, Nan. Actually the proposing part was fiction. I was nine when we moved from that neighborhood, but I still remember the address. Those old memories often stick like glue. I have great memories from there, and I was born in that house in that neighborhood. Our porch wasn’t as big as some of the others, but I played with friends on the other big porches. I’m so glad you liked the story. 🙂 — Suzanne

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