Photo Copyright: J. Hardy Carroll
Here we are this week gathered near a building that’s being torn down. We’ve gathered 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 counting 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 J. Hardy Carroll. Thanks, J. Hardy.
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/2017/05/24/26-may-2017/
Genre: Memoir Fiction
Word Count: 99 Words
THE OLD NEIGHBOORHOOD by P.S. Joshi
George remembers the old neighborhood.
“I was born above the grocery store owned by my parents. I sauntered the five blocks to and from school on weekdays and ran two blocks on Sunday afternoons to the park to play baseball with pals.
After homework, I assisted in the store. My parents never ate together as someone had to mind the downstairs counter. No doubt I’d take over and run things on my dad’s retirement.
But it wasn’t to be. My father retired when a contractor bought the property for a large office building and two square blocks became rubble.”
Such a clean-cut tale. Great write.
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Thanks, Yarnspinner. I’m glad you enjoyed the story. 🙂 — Suzanne
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Perfect for the photo, Suzanne. I’ve been missing your Friday stories — probably my fault, just not looking in the right place. Anyhow I enjoyed this one. Mega hugs.
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Thanks, Teagan, for the great comment. I’m glad you enjoyed the story. Don’t worry about missing some. I know you have a busy life. Mega hugs to you also. 🙂 — Suzanne
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A wonderfully written and sad tale, Suzanne. I like the old neighborhood shops and small businesses. Excellent story. 😀
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Thanks, Diana, for the great comments. They still have many small neighborhood shops here and people prefer them. Malls haven’t done as well in some localities. I’m glad you liked the story. —- Suzanne
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Sad when that tradition is cut short, those small businesses going under and big conglomerates winning out. A well told tale Suzanne
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Thanks, Lynn. I agree it is sad when small businesses go under because of competition from large stores. It changes a whole neighborhood. I’m glad you liked the story. —- Suzanne
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My pleasure Suzanne 🙂
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Progress, for better or worse… nice piece!
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Thanks, Ali. You’re right. Sometimes progress is for the better and sometimes for the worse. I’m glad you enjoyed the story. 🙂 — Suzanne
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Things change as time goes by. Nicely done.
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Thanks, Iain. You’re right. Things are bound to change with time. I’m glad you enjoyed the story. 🙂 — Suzanne
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I agree: well done. The only thing I’d change is to put the second word (first verb) in present tense because he’s in the present, telling about what he remembers.
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Thanks, Christine, for the advice. I’m glad you liked the story. 🙂 — Suzanne
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The reality for so many people – nicely penned Suzanne
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Thanks, Dahlia. I’m glad you like the way I wrote the story. I’ve noticed many people in Pune still prefer the small stores. 🙂 — Suzanne
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Pssst – so do I 😉
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A sad tale of a modern reality. Nicely done, Susie
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Thanks, Neel. Yes, it often happens these days. I’m glad you liked the story and thought it well done. —- Suzanne
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Dear Suzanne,
My guess is that the small grocery had to make way for a supermarket. Sigh. Nicely told story.
Shalom,
Rochelle
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Thanks, Rochelle. That’s probably what a good many small markets had to make way for. I’m glad you liked the story. —- Suzanne
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Now it’s the bookstores. 😦
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A tribute to the small shopkeeper – I remember them well.
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Thanks, Sandra. I also remember we had a bread truck, a butter and egg man, and a milkman deliver to our house. It was great for my mother as she couldn’t drive. I’m glad you liked the story. 🙂 — Suzanne
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Hopefully George went on to bigger and better things.
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Thanks, Sarah Ann. Yes, he went into retail in a big store as he had a good education and was trained in meeting people and selling from childhood. I’m glad you liked the story. 🙂 — Suzanne
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The cost of change is often very high.
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Thanks, Linda. Yes, the cost is high. In the city where I was born a good many houses were bought up at an inexpensive price by the city to put in an expressway. One church had to close it’s school because many of its parishioners were forced to move. The expressway cut right through the old neighborhood. I’m glad you liked the story. —- Suzanne
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You highlight the down side of change so well.
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Thanks, Mike. At my age, I’ve experienced a lot of change, some good and some not good. I’m glad you liked the story. 🙂 — Suzanne
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I really hope that they could use the money to start something even better than the store.
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Thanks, Bjorn. The father stayed retired but the son went into retail working for another business. I’m glad you liked the story. 🙂 — Suzanne
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well, i hope they got good money out of it. 🙂
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Thanks, Plaridel. The father had a sufficient retirement and the son got a good education and went into retail with a large company. I’m happy you enjoyed the story. 🙂 — Suzanne
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There are still a few old groceries in Bellingham, where I live. I wonder how long they will last. Great write.
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Thanks, Alicia. They’re still popular here. It probably has to do with prices and the amount people want to buy. They’re also handy to where people live. I’m glad you liked the story. 🙂 — Suzanne
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Sad state of affairs for many “mom and pop” places…
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Thanks, Dale. You’re right. It’s sad for some families. I’m glad you liked the story. —- Suzanne
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Sad story but a true indicator of the way many small businesses are going.
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Thanks, Subroto. It’s sad for some. The smaller stores are still popular here in Pune. I’m glad you liked the story. 🙂 — Suzanne
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It’s sad when progress is so modern and brutal with no regard for tradition or heritage
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Thanks, Michael. Yes, sadly tradition often takes second place to progress. The new structures are also often ugly which makes it worse. I’m glad you liked the story. 🙂 — Suzanne
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Well done. All your stories have such clear, defined, voices.
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Thanks, Connie, for the great comment. I’m glad you enjoyed this story. 🙂 — Suzanne
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The story reminded me of when I worked for my step-aunt, as a teen, during the summer.
It was a small dry goods store. Her husband had a record store right next to it. Thanks for the memory.
It’s sad when things change so severely. The house I grew up in was torn down when I visited a few years back.
A weird feeling came over me. Nicely done, Suzanne. ~~~ : – )
Isadora 😎
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Thanks, Isadora. I’m glad you liked the story and it brought back happy memories. I check on a real estate site every so often to see if the house where I was born, in the front bedroom, is still there and it is with minor improvements added. I’m glad it’s well taken care of. 🙂 — Suzanne
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