30 comments

Drama Contemporary Fiction

The days felt long. The end of the first chapter of her life began at the ripe age of seventeen. She met a boy. She knew this was it because she could see her future in his eighteen year old eyes. However after joining the Army, they sent him far away. She couldn't go. She prayed, she begged and she cried thousands of tears. She pleaded with God to bring him safely back to her. She impatiently waited for each passionate love letter to arrive in the mail. She kept each letter and pored over each word countless times. The days were torturously long before God answered her prayers, but what she didn't know is that they weren't all that long. The days were actually very short.


The days felt long. During the next chapter of life she married the love of her life. She didn't spend much time with him though. She spent her time alone taking care of their first born child, a handsome son named after his father. Her husband had been called to duty in France. She couldn't go this time. Devastated she stayed by herself hundreds of miles away from home faithfully waiting for his return. She passed her days living off the pennies he received for pay. She boiled bottles, washed soiled diapers, sang to her son and rocked him to sleep. When he slept, she wrote long letters to the man she loved. The lonely days seemed excruciatingly long, but they weren't really all that long. The days were actually very short.


The days felt long. During the next chapter of her life, their second born child was born. She gave birth to a beautiful daughter. Now at the young age of twenty two, she spent her days taking care of her small family. There was no doubt, she loved her little family beyond measure, but something felt so wrong. She wasn't sure this is what she wanted to do with the rest of her life, She spent her time at home, cooking, cleaning and caring for her children. She wanted more. Her daily life at home felt like a chore and made her days feel long. The days were actually very short.


The days felt long. She was twenty five during the next chapter of life. It was a blistering, steamy southern summer, and the humidity drew sweat just from the thought of it. She had given up the stay at home lifestyle and now worked full time. With two munchkins pulling at the hem of her skirt already, her belly stretched and protruded beyond any other body part she owned again. Working full time, pregnancy and summer heat felt like the opposite of heaven. Every day felt like forever, however the moment she looked into the eyes of another beautiful daughter, she knew time wasn't really all that long. The days were actually very short.


The days felt long. The next chapter held a surprise in store. She hadn't planned this moment in her life. She thought she was finished, but God had different plans. Her fourth child, another lovely daughter entered this world early in April one year. She had been blessed to this point in her life with healthy children who rarely needed a doctor's care, but this child would prove to be different for her. She returned many times to spend long hours or days and even sometimes weeks in the hospital caring for this fourth angel she had been blessed to raise. The days seemed to drag on, but in reality they didn't. The days were actually very short.


The days felt long. The following chapter was filled with children who were honestly easy and well behaved kids, but the responsibilities of a working Mom with four children to care for as well, made her feel like she could never possibly get it all done. She worked until five everyday, picked the children up from her parent's house, drove home to cook dinner, call out spelling words, wash dishes and do laundry while she waited for a husband struggling with alcoholism to make it safely home before she managed a few hours of sleep so she could do it all over again. Considering everything she had to get done during the waking hours, the days weren't that long in reality. The days were actually very short.


The days felt long. The next chapter included an unusually cold winter for the south. Heavy coats rarely used were pulled from storage bins and worn for weeks on end. Her daughter now featured a stretched, protruding belly herself. On the January due date, the weather man predicted 3 inches of snow. Far more snow than people in the south knew how to handle. If it snowed, everything would close from schools, daycares, banks and doctor offices. She prayed God would postpone the snow or the baby would wait until the roads cleared. The baby didn't wait, but God granted her prayer. After a safe drive to the hospital, a twelve hour labor followed. The day seemed to drag on as she watched her daughter in pain, but the moment she laid eyes on her first grand child, she knew the days weren't really that long. The days were actually very short.


The days felt long. During this chapter of life, she was now retired from her busy career. Her grown children were busy with careers, spouses and children of their own. Her husband of over forty years became sick. His illness took many years to develop into what would be his last days. Every emergency led to a worsening diagnosis. Every hospital trip led to more debilitating symptoms to deal with at home. She did her best, despite the difficult times in her marriage, to give him the very best care she could possibly manage. Though the days felt long as a full time caregiver to a man who wasn't easy to care for anyway, they were really not all that long. Sooner than expected, her husband passed. The days were actually very short.


The days felt long. This chapter brought a loneliness she had never experienced. Since her first and only husband had passed, she wasn't sure what to do with herself anymore. Worst of all, she struggled to remember everything she knew she should know. She did her very best to hide her frustrations from her grown children who now lived that same busy lifestyle she remembered from the past, but as the days passed, it became harder to pretend anymore. Eventually, she couldn't pretend anymore. She forgot how to make meals she had made thousands of times. She struggled to keep appointments. She often found overdue bills in the mail. She wore the same clothes for days in a row. Confusion caused her days to seem much longer than they were in reality. The days were actually very short.


The days felt long. In this chapter, she didn't know where she was anymore. Her own home felt unfamiliar to her, but she recognized the faces looking back at her. These were the faces of the people she loved most in her life. She could no longer remember what was wrong with her. It had been years since she felt like herself. It had been months since she received the diagnosis. It had been weeks since she managed a bite of food. It had been days since she tolerated a sip of water. It had been hours since she opened her eyes. It would only be minutes before she drew her last breath. She focused on the sweet sound of the voices singing softly in her ear. For a short moment her life flashed before her eyes and she remembered these sweet voices. They belonged to the people she loved the most in this world, her children. For a few seconds, as she drew her last breath, she knew the days had actually been so very short.


February 18, 2023 17:43

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30 comments

Michelle Oliver
10:10 Feb 19, 2023

Wow Melody, such a huge story so masterfully told. I think sad is the wrong word, although it did make me feel sad, but you showed a whole life lived, the good bits and bad bits. It was a live lived fully for better and worse and you wrote about it with such gentle sensitivity. Just a quick question, did you intend for the last paragraph to not start with the same sentence? Thanks sharing this lovely story

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Melony Beard
12:14 Feb 19, 2023

I didn't intend that and thank you for pointing that out. I think I got wrapped up in the story and forgot. I will fix it now. I really appreciate you taking time to read and comment!

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Michelle Oliver
12:18 Feb 19, 2023

You’re welcome. I did the same prompt and had the same problem of getting caught up in the story.

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Martin Ross
23:58 Mar 02, 2023

The prompt really provided you a magnificent opportunity to craft an epic yet fundamental portrait of life. I remember hearing someone respond to the maxim that life is too short by noting “life is too LONG” to make or endure bad or difficult choices. You illustrate that both are true in poetic terms. Well done!

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Sharon Walker
11:43 Mar 02, 2023

Delicate and poignant. Very moving. I loved the use of the beginning and end sentences.

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Willy P. Tickler
03:16 Mar 02, 2023

Long dick, tiny ballz.

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John Lindquist
20:55 Mar 01, 2023

Well done. Great use of the prompt! I didn't notice until later that you ended your paragraphs the same way as well. A pleasant surprise.

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Theresa Tiller
19:19 Mar 01, 2023

Beautiful, powerful story with amazing imagery, skillful handling of a difficult topic. Bravo!

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Cailie E
14:39 Mar 01, 2023

The story was short yet it felt long as if I was really living in the moment through her eyes, the way she sees her life. SO GOOD!!!!!!!!

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L J
00:01 Feb 28, 2023

I have never been able to find a use for the word Poignant..until now. I thought this prompt was too hard. You made it look easy. What a great idea to make each paragraph into a chapter of her life! You never used dialogue but it kept my interest; that's hard to do because I always think dialogue helps keep the story from being boring. Yours wasn't. Your story had a million things going on. I felt every one of her memories. The ending was sad but expected. I don't usually cry but I Find myself needing a whole box of tissues now! Well done...

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Melony Beard
02:48 Feb 28, 2023

Oh wow thank you. It was a story written for my mother who passed three years ago. It was her life from my eyes. I truly appreciate your kind comments.

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Kevin V
21:03 Feb 26, 2023

Nice Melony. I like the way you portrayed the life of this woman through all the stages of life while using the same beginning and ending sentences. Good job on the peompt.

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J. D. Lair
22:23 Feb 25, 2023

I love the dichotomy between the days feeling long, but truly are short and go by much quicker than we’d prefer. Unfortunately, this tells a tale all too familiar to many. Losing ourselves to the march of time. This part in particular hit home, “She wasn't sure this is what she wanted to do with the rest of her life, She spent her time at home, cooking, cleaning and caring for her children. She wanted more. Her daily life at home felt like a chore and made her days feel long. The days were actually very short.” A poignant picture to keep...

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Melony Beard
23:23 Feb 25, 2023

Thank you so much for the kind comments. Twins must keep you quite busy! My children are grown, youngest now 21. It does fly by so fast. Sometimes I wish I could go back and spend more time in floor rolling match box cars around and less time worrying about things that ended up not important!

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J. D. Lair
03:28 Feb 26, 2023

I hear this sentiment a lot and take it to heart. Yes, they keep us very busy, but it’s all worth it at the end of the day. :)

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S. M. Lewis
19:40 Feb 25, 2023

What a powerful story. This so beautifully and tragically depicts the changing seasons of life, along with the turbulent emotions that accompany them. Great work!

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Melony Beard
23:24 Feb 25, 2023

Thank you so much for stopping by to read and comment. I appreciate your kindness!

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13:14 Feb 23, 2023

A big epic story, well done. I'm always amazed at how many mothers can work a job, take care of 4 children, while also making dinner and helping with homework. A sad ending but that is life, best to enjoy all our times today.

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Melony Beard
23:25 Feb 25, 2023

Thank you so much for stopping by to read and comment. I appreciate it so much!

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Delbert Griffith
23:37 Feb 22, 2023

Yes, this was a sad tale in the end, but also a triumph of a life. You told it so well and brought out every gleaming moment in this woman's life. Superb writing, my friend. Simply superb.

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Melony Beard
23:26 Feb 25, 2023

Thank you so much for kind compliments. I really appreciate you stopping by to read it. I tried to tell it from the eyes and soul of my mother who passed away three years ago this month.

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Viga Boland
17:12 Feb 22, 2023

This is just an amazing piece of writing. So sad, so beautiful, and for me, at 77, that second last chapter is almost too relatable. I think I just saw the next few years flash before my eyes. Ouch! I love how well you fulfilled the requirements of the prompt: you gave it even more than required. Inspired writing! Just a short note re spelling. You might like to change “recieved” to “received” and “thier” to “their”. Darn old i before e rules 😂 Finally, I did go over to look at your latest children’s book on Amazon. It’s gorgeous! All th...

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Melony Beard
19:12 Feb 22, 2023

Thank you so much for the wonderful compliments! You made me smile. I didn't use my word program to write this story, but I should have because I always know I need it for spelling. :) Thank you for looking at my children's books. It is my passion. I love writing for children so much! Especially my seven year old grandson!

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Viga Boland
19:26 Feb 22, 2023

My pleasure. Keep up the good work.

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Wendy Kaminski
23:28 Feb 18, 2023

Impressive, Melony! You have done a great justice to both the prompt and to story-telling! Bravo! Sad, but I enjoyed reading such a masterful piece!

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Melony Beard
00:01 Feb 19, 2023

Awe. Thank you so very much!

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Jane Andrews
18:32 Feb 18, 2023

PS Just one little note: in your first paragraph, "poured over each word" should read "pored over each word" as 'pore over' means 'to study carefully'.

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Melony Beard
19:07 Feb 18, 2023

Thank you! I keep reading it and finding corrections but I had missed that one!

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Jane Andrews
18:27 Feb 18, 2023

Melony, this was a real tear-jerker. That poor girl with everything she went through. It's also a very clever use of the prompt, contrasting the different reasons why her days felt so long with the reasons why her days were actually short. And I also think that to condense someone's entire life into the number of words you had takes real skill. Bravo!

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Melony Beard
19:08 Feb 18, 2023

Thank you for taking time to read and comment!

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