Photo Copyright: J. Hardy Carroll
Here we all are for another week. Today we’re standing near a virtual abandoned building. Our hostess for this gathering is the talented and gracious writer and artist, Rochelle Wisoff-Fields. We’re the Friday Fictioneers group. Our challenge this week and every week is to write an original story with no more than 100 words. It’s supposed to have a beginning, middle, end, and follow the picture prompt for the week. This week’s prompt was supplied by J. Hardy Carroll. Thanks, J. Hardy.
To read the other stories by the group, just click on the link given below, then on the little blue frog in the blue box.
The link for this week’s stories is as follows:
https://rochellewisofffields.wordpress.com/2016/04/06/8-april-2016/
Genre: Realistic Fiction
Word Count: 100 Words
IT’S HOME by P.S. Joshi
Frank eased himself down against the rough brick interior of the old burned-out building, once the Bridwell Shoe Company.
“One of these days I’ve got to find me a better home.” He’d been talking to himself for years now.
A large rat scurried by near his feet. “Durn pests,” he mumbled.
Carefully he took a newspaper-wrapped package from his pocket. He unfolded the paper slowly revealing a half-eaten sandwich.
“This restaurant food is good,”–He took a small bite.–“Can’t be more than a day old.”
He glanced around the bare brick. “Well, this is shelter anyway. Keeps off rain.”
Musings on Life & Experience 
Simple in its essence but pure blithe!
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Thanks, Spiced. I’m so glad you liked the story. He’s making the best of things. It’s sad though anyone has to be homeless. —- Suzanne
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Great description, moving!
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Thanks, Mary. I’m so pleased you liked my story and thought it moving. —- Suzanne
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Good. I’ve always been fascinated by abandoned buildings.
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Thanks, Linda. They are interesting. The way places are getting built up I suppose there’ll be fewer and fewer o them in future. There are often stories about them. —- Suzanne
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Great description and we both saw shoe factory when we got the prompt. 🙂
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Thanks, Mick. That’s quite a coincidence. I haven’t read many of the other stories as yet. I’ll go and read yours. 🙂 —- Suzanne
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I never read any before writing mine to avoid being subconsciously influenced.
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The half eaten sandwich is a brilliant touch. Very well written.
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Thanks, Yarnspinnerr. I’m so pleased you liked the story, the way I wrote it. I was thinking of how hungry people search garbage cans out back of restaurants. A lot of uneaten food gets thrown away. —- Suzanne
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There are now some groups who distribute unused food to those who need it. Human hunger still haunts the world. Great take on this one.
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Poor chap, though he seems content enough.
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Thanks, Ali. He’s getting older and is making the best of it. He may not be able to make do many more years. He enjoys his freedom, but that kind of life takes a toll. —- Suzanne
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I liked the story, but I can’t help feeling sorry for the poor guy — a day old sandwich for dinner and only a rat for company. 😦
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Thanks, Bun. I know. It is sad that anyone is homeless. Some do live off food thrown in restaurant garbage cans. — Suzanne
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Another excellent piece, Suzanne. Btw, I don’t see a Contact link on your page. I have something I’d wanted to share with you so if you want to reach me on my contact page, I’d appreciate it. Thanks!
https://thewelloffiction.wordpress.com/
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Thanks, Chris. I’ll come over and read your story. I don’t know what’s wrong now with my contact info. I’ll give it to you again and check out my info on the FF page. Thanks. I’m so pleased you liked the story. —- Suzanne
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Good story Suzanne. Your heart goes out to him.
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Thanks, Sandra. I feel the same way. It seems some homeless people are too proud or too scared to seek help. I’ve read some have mental problems and hospitals for the mentally ill won’t keep them any longer. Sadly their families don’t want them either. It’s really sad. I’m so pleased you liked the story. —– Suzanne
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Great descriptions… I can almost picture him there. Perhaps he is a disenfranchised veteran living homeless. Maybe he’s a Ivy league professor out of work. Or, maybe he’s the CEO of the now defunct shoe factory, so loyal to the company that even now, he cannot leave it. So many possibilities! 🙂 Enjoyed this one.
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Thanks, Jelli. I’m so glad you liked the story. Your imagination has provided a lot of great possible additions to the story. 🙂 — Suzanne
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Except for the durn pests it sounds like a pretty good place.
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Thanks, John. I’m so pleased you liked the story. You sound like you have a bit of Huckleberry Finn in you. 😀 — Suzanne
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Ha ha ha. 🙂
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😀
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I like this guy for some reason. There’s a sense of optimism in him. Good work this week, Suzanne, as always.
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Thanks, Kent. I’m so happy you enjoyed the story and liked my character. He does prefer to make the best of things. He’s getting older though and will have to seek help and give up his freedom one of these days. Living rough takes a toll. —- Suzanne
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Indeed.
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You always leave me with a little hope for your down and out characters. “Things ain’t too bad after all”
Tracey
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Thanks, Tracey. Hopefully, his lot will improve. He’s one of those people who wants freedom and is getting older. I think he realizes he can’t go on like that forever. He just hates to finally give in to the need for help. I’m so pleased you like the stories I write. 🙂 — Suzanne
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You gave me so many pictures of life here, just great.
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Thanks, Mike. I’m happy you liked the story so much. 🙂 —- Suzanne
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You have vividly described those lives who easily fall through the cracks of society and are homeless/foodless. Well done Suzanne.
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Thanks, Ansumani. I’m so glad you liked the story, my descriptions. Sadly, there are too many of these poor people. Some wish they’d just disappear, but that isn’t going to happen. —– Suzanne
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look at the bright side. i love his positive attitude. 🙂
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Thanks, Plaridel. His positive attitude is a somewhat brighter side, but he’s getting older and will need to ask for help one day soon. He isn’t eating properly and rough living takes a toll. I’m glad you liked the story. —- Suzanne
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I think when you reach the bottom the only way is up… I’m glad he has an positive attitude… hope he finds a way to gradual improvements.
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Thanks, Bjorn. I’m so glad you liked the story. Let’s hope his lot improves. He does have a good attitude. He likes his freedom, but rough living takes a toll. —- Suzanne
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An excellently narrated story. I like how he talks to himself, and the optimistic tone at the end. It was a warm and sympathetic story, Suzanne!
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Thanks, Vijaya. I’m so pleased you liked the story, the way I told it. I liked the character also and hope his lot improves. He’s been living alone for quite a while and has developed the habit of talking to himself. He’s quite a character. 🙂 — Suzanne
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My pleasure, and I like how you talk about him! 🙂
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This is a great story, Suzanne. With his hope and acceptance of so little in life you show us how silly we are by always wanting more, more, more.
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Thanks, Gah. I’m so happy you liked the story. Yes, he is hopeful and can live with very little. It gives him some freedom. If we have too much we’re always worried about it. I hope his lot improves. 🙂 — Suzanne
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I talk to myself too. It’s okay, I think.
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Thanks, Dawn. I think a lot of us talk to ourselves. I do it sometimes too. Writers probably do it more as they’re reading stories back to themselves or testing new ideas. My husband’s caregiver speaks some English but isn’t fluent. My husband is medicated and sleeps a lot. I keep myself company sometimes by talking to myself. Not a lot mind you 😀 — Suzanne
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🙂
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Dear Suzanne,
It’s amazing and appalling what one can become accustom to. You made me care about him. Well done.
Shalom,
Rochelle
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My wife used to work as a gardener at the city park. A lot of homeless people hang out in that area. Many are mentally challenged and do talk to themselves. It’s terribly sad that in many cases their families have given up on them and turned them out to fend for themselves. You captured it brilliantly.
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Thanks, Russell. I know about mental facilities in the U.S. because someone I know was in one. The relative who put him there had to because he was unmanageable at home. This relative had to keep pleading for them to keep him longer. The relative had to work and there was no one at home to look after him. He was judged by doctors at the hospital to be a danger to himself and others. Those hospitals are so overcrowded these days they just turn people out. I read that there are also cases where the relatives don’t know where the homeless family member is. The problem is, no one in the cities cares enough to identify them unless they commit some crime. They just wander. It’s a modern-day tragedy. —- Suzanne
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At least he isn’t going to get rained on, I suppose. So said there are so many without a home. I like the voice in this one, Suzanne. Well done.
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Thanks, Amy. I’m so pleased you liked the story, especially the voice. Yes, at least, he has a shelter of sorts. Hopefully he’ll realize he’ll have to ask for help one day. 🙂 —- Suzanne
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Well done Suzanne, you captured something very essential about the daily struggle. Why we all should be grateful for even the little we have and be humble enough to ask for help.
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Thanks, Ifeoma. I’m so pleased you liked the story. I live in India and that brings home those realities. —- Suzanne
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Awesome. Definitely want to visit there someday 🙂
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