Photo Copyright: Roger Bultot
May the love and peace of this holiday season, wherever it can be found, fill all people everywhere.
A Happy Holiday Season to all!
Here we are this week sitting together in a neon-lit diner. We’ve gathered in this cheery place to discuss our original stories for the week. This is the Friday Fictioneers group. Our hostess for the gathering is the talented and gracious author and artist, Rochelle Wisoff-Fields. The challenge for each of us this week and every week is to write a story with no more than 100 words, not including the title. It’s supposed to have a beginning, middle, end, and follow the picture prompt for the week. This week’s prompt was provided by Roger Bultot. Thanks, Roger.
To read the other stories by group members, 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/2016/12/21/23-december-2016/
Genre: Nonfiction Memoir
Word Count: 100 Words
A NICE GUY by P.S. Joshi
After WWII, some of the returning military men opened diners. We had one such diner in our neighborhood in north Akron.
A man named Bill owned it. He was your typical “nice guy”. Everyone liked him.
It was also your typical diner food, lunch bar, and tables along the side with connections to the main jukebox. You chose the preferred song, put your coins in, and pressed the button.
My girlfriend and I, both six, bought ice cream cones one day. She dropped hers in the parking lot. When told by me, Bill smiled and replaced it.
I hope there were more of Bills in diner business. Happy Christmas.
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Thanks, Yarnspinnerr. I hope there were also. He was great. I’m glad you liked the story. Happy Christmas season to you and yours. 🙂 — Suzanne
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A lovely heart-warming story for the festive season. Happy Holidays to you 🙂
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Thanks, Iain. I’m glad you liked the story so much. Happy Holidays to you also. 🙂 — Suzanne
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AW. Good old Bill.
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Thanks, John. Yes, he was one of the really good guys. I’m glad you liked the story. 🙂 — Suzanne
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Sweet!
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Thanks, Dale. I’m glad you liked the story. It’s one of my favorite childhood memories. That girl is still a good friend. Happy Holidays to you and yours. 🙂 — Suzanne
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To you and yours as well, Suzanne!
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This is so warm and nice… I wish there would be more Bill in the world.
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Thanks, Bjorn. I’m glad you liked the story so much. I also wish there were more like Bill. Happy Holidays to you and yours. 🙂 — Suzanne
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Got a guy like that in our town… sweet story.
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Thanks, Ted. A lot of us probably know a guy like Bill. I’m glad you liked the story. Happy Holidays to you and yours. 🙂 — Suzanne
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Wonderful story! Sweetness prevails!
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Thanks, Sascha. I’m glad you liked the story so much. There is still sweetness in the world in many places. Happy Holidays to you and yours. 🙂 — Suzanne
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Happy Holidays to you too, Suzanne! 🙂
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🙂
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A nice guy indeed!
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Thanks, Ali. Yes, he was. I’m glad you liked the story. Happy Holidays to you and yours. 🙂 — Suzanne
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Simply heartwarming!
Merry Christmas and blessed New Year!
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Thanks, Sabina. I’m glad you liked the story and found it heartwarming. Merry Christmas and blessed New Year to you also. 🙂 — Suzanne
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Such neat thoughts on a bygone era. Sweet story, Suzanne. Have a wonderful Merry Christmas!
Five out of five scoops!
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Thanks, Kent. I’m happy you enjoyed my little memoir from the past. A wonderful Merry Christmas to you and yours also. 🙂 — Suzanne
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Dear Suzanne,
My dad owned a restaurant when I was quite small. It was a typical greasy spoon in downtown Kansas City. He had this kind of relationship with his customers. You brought back some happy memories with this one. Warmhearted story. I enjoyed it.
Holiday shalom,
Rochelle
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Thanks, Rochelle. I’m happy I brought back good memories for you. This little memory is one of my happiest ones. That girl and I are still friends. Holiday Shalom to you and yours also. 🙂 — Suzanne
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Back in the days of Mom & Pop diners, this was a scene often repeated around the country. Too bad so many of the small, family-owned places have been choked out by franchised fast-food establishments. We lost far more than we gained in that transition.
Great story of life in another era.
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Thanks, Russell. The loss of those diners is sad. Bill had a great location. I’m sure Bill’s not there anymore as if he’s still living he’d be at least in his mid 90’s or older but I hope perhaps the diner is. It was a popular place for years. I’m glad you enjoyed the story that’s stayed alive in my memory. Happy Holidays to you and yours. 🙂 — Suzanne
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what a heartwarming story. just in time for the holidays.
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Thanks, Plaridel. I’m glad you liked the story and found it heartwarming. It’s one of my favorite memories. Happy Holidays to you and yours. 🙂 — Suzanne
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It’s the little places like this that are disappearing so fast. Bill and his ilk are the last of a kind. Nice story.
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Thanks, Subroto. Bill had a great location so the place may still be there. It’s no doubt under different management if it is, though. I’m glad you liked the story. Happy Holidays to you and yours. 🙂 — Suzanne
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Cute story Suzanne. What a nice guy to replace the girls ice cream! Have a Merry Christmas!
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Thanks, Mandi. I’m happy you enjoyed the story. Yes, Bill was a nice guy. He also probably had children of his own and couldn’t resist two cute six-year-olds who needed another cone. I must have thought it was our right. You have a Merry Christmas also. 🙂 — Suzanne
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A truly uplifting tale. Merry Christmas!
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Thanks, Alicia. I’m glad you liked the story so much. Merry Christmas to you also. 🙂 — Suzanne
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Lovely imagery, Suzanne, and happy thoughts. Happy holidays, and wishing you all good things in 2017. Mega hugs.
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Thanks, Teagan. I’m happy you enjoyed the story so much. Happy Holidays and a great New Year 2017 to you also. Mega hugs to you my friend. 🙂 — Suzanne
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Nice one, Suzanne, I can see Jimmy Stewart playing Bill in the movie!
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Thanks, C.E. Jimmy was probably good in those parts because he was raised in a small town in Pennsylvania. He gave his Oscar to his dad to put in the front window of his hardware store. Jimmy was also a veteran of WWII. He was in the Air Force. I’m happy you liked the story. 😀 — Suzanne
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What a sweet idyllic story! I love old-time diners with the nostalgia and the reliably good eats, something so American in all the best ways, how anywhere in the country you see the diner sign and think why not stop there. A breath of fresh air. Thanks for sharing this.
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Thanks, Anne. That’s a happy memory of mine so I enjoy sharing it. It was an ordinary diner but Bill made it extraordinary. I’m glad you liked the story so much. 🙂 — Suzanne
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Bill does sound like a nice guy. If I’d been a kid in the area, I’d have made sure to drop my ice cream in front of Bill when it was nine-tenths finished.
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Thanks, Bun. I’m glad you enjoyed the story. I didn’t know you were such a tricky child. You might have gotten away with that ‘once’. 😀 — Suzanne
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I was basically a good boy, but ice cream is ice cream. 🙂
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*grin* Nice, feel-good story.
When told by “you”? So, when told by the girlfriend, he didn’t replace it? 🙂
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