4 comments

Adventure

Laura liked to do to others, how she herself would like to be treated? Today she had taken her new phone to Phone Plus Store off market square. Smiling she entered the store such friendly nice young men these tec guys. What it was to be talented? The world at your finger tips. "Twenty pounds to set up the new phone. Transfer every thing over from the old phone." "Go ahead." Said Laura, the money they would allow her on the old phone, would cover the cost.

Smiling Laura left the shop she would pick up some cans of pop and cakes for the tec guys. Alot would nod their heads, having already paid. Not Laura she liked to please others? Besides it made her feel good about herself. Walking through the market square she ordered the eclair cakes and tins of coca cola. Unfortunately the assistant squeezed the cakes into the cake box. Packing them into a white paper carrier. Laura paid for the cakes. As she left the shop some one knocked her arm. The flimpsy paper carrier broke, the cakes sat in a dirty pool of water in their box. While coca cola poured over Laura's suede shoes.

Laura gave a scream. A nice fellow came over to help offering Laura his bag. "Its ok mate." Said an embrassed Laura digging into her coat pocket for a spare plastic carrier. With eyes watching her she confronted the young assistant. In the cake shop. Who offered more cakes and tins of coke cola free of charge.

Would she live it down? People staring at her. With dignity he proceed to collect her new phone from Phone Plus Store. The guys were surprised to recieve the cakes and cola's. Still it wa a nice thing to do, and Laura felt better for pleasing others.

As she left the store people were talking in small groups , and examing goods dispayed on the market stalls. Maybe people had forgotten her incident with the cakes and cola. Has she edged to the end of the market square, Laura noticed her bus pulling up at the bus stop. Running forward she felt her heel creak. Removing the offending shoe, Laura caught the number 27 bus to her home . "Not your day dearie." Laura blushed, was it a nosey woman from the market square? At least the bus was crowded, Laura did not have to sit next to the nosey woman.

Turning The key in the latch, Laura threw he offending suede shoes in the kitchen bin.Time to relax with a cup of tea and read a book. Sitting in her kitchen diner, Laura close her eyes tomorrow another day? Thinking of past events, where she had tried too hard to please others, some times they had took advantage of her kindness. Alan she never pleased enough? A smile came to her lips, better off without him. Now he had remarried Clare with swollen ankles and noisy kids, plodding through market square.

Rumour had it Alan had wondering eyes. Well Laura still had her trim figure and a sense of humour if today was anything to go by. A few surprizes along the way perhaps, other wise life would be dull? One had to move forward and adapt to situactions. Rubbing her eyes Laura yawned. The heat of the fire was getting to her or the experiences of today.

She dreamed of conquering heros, Lancerlot. Beautiful people white horses, enchanted forests, birds singing, stillness, love calmness and adventure. Valor, gifts perfume, being treated like a princess. Blond locks instead of grey ones. Magic carpet rides to far off places. Nothing bad in her dream. When she woke the fire had gone out. The room looked dark, errie how long had she slept.

Had the frustration of the day worn her out would she sleep again later? She felt a lump in her lap, it was squiggy her cat. She was not alone together they would survive all odd together. Even squiggy bringing her the odd gift of a field mouse from he railway track. Picking Squiggy up she mounted the stairs. They would share a bed together. She still had her book to read. About cities and a nures adventures in Florience. Vaguely she remembered her dream but could not put all the pieces together. Maybe that really was for the best. Better than taking a reality check.

Suddenly there was light at the bedroom window, had she not forgotten it was New Years Eve? Fire works or some do at the local pub perhaps. Her new phone rang out, it was the new neighbour a retired teacher, ringing to see if Laura was okay. He was worried, as no lights on in the house.

Think straight girl? There is life in the old girl yet. Play it cool not too eager, keep him waiting and maybe she would find her prince charming to go walks with.

He had to like cats and be adventurious of course. She so, hoped so. After all that had happend to her? Now maybe it was time to enjoy what life had to offer.

Was Colin a romantic name, think Colin Firth. Mr Darcy, holding hands walking the hills and dales. Not a greying vegan, she would change Colin to her hero. He would become her next progect. Or would she learn from him?

As you got older were looks that important? Surely kindness was more important to care for each other. There she was planning ahead, already he made her feel young again. This seemed good not a dream.

Humming she picked up her new phone, to invite him over for lunch. Cheese spreads come to mind. Apple pie home made of course. He would appreciate her efforts. Oh yes, her new phone would bring her luck. Squiggy to of course her black knight in shiny fur. Sweet dreams she would not sleep her head full of ideas. A spring to her step and it was not even Spring.


December 22, 2023 21:36

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4 comments

Michał Przywara
21:38 Jan 04, 2024

Laura has a strong set of beliefs, and she'll stick to them no matter what hurdles life throws her way. She's resilient. Self-conscious too. When the cakes are dropped, she worries about people remembering it and talking about her, but I doubt anyone was. But her gift did make a nice and unexpected gift for the phone store people. Her actions aren't entirely altruistic though and a part of her wonders when it will be her turn. She's lonely - that's understandable. A call from her neighbour is an opportunity to change her life, and she's ...

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Morgan Aloia
03:17 Jan 04, 2024

Hey hi! We got matched for the critique circle. You’ve set the theme up really nicely early on, knowing the prompt I can really see where the piece is going in a way that felt satisfying. There’s something to that repression of frustration that you capture really well here. My biggest piece of critique for this piece would be that it frames a lot of the narrator’s internal thoughts as questions, which feels unnatural and makes it a little stilted to read. Consider going back through and rephrasing to statements. Lastly, some general gramm...

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Christine LW
19:16 Jan 04, 2024

Thank you,

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Christine LW
21:56 Dec 22, 2023

Happy go lucky life no put downs.

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