Short Story

BROKEN PIECES

Nancy's Notes 🖊️🎶
© Ayr/Gray

How could this have happened to me …. a savvy, street-smart, strong- willed woman of the 21st Century who has seen and done it all?

Oh sure, I heard the warnings from well-meaning friends. I chose not to put much stock in what they said. After all, this is my life …. not theirs.

I’ve been hurt very badly twice in my life …. once about 14 years ago when I gave my entire heart and soul completely only to have my world crumble about me. God only knows how much I wanted that piece of my life to work. Strange how I’m still holding on to those broken pieces.

The second time was about three years ago. It was love at first sight, as cliched as that sounds, and I fell hard. I was left in shambles and have now come to the realization that if something is meant to be, it will be. It will pass the trials and tribulations of life without having to work so hard at making all the pieces fit. What’s that old saying? You can’t put a square peg into a round hole? That should be printed in giant red letters on all the owner’s manuals we collect in our lifetimes.

Well, I’m at it again. I tried to resist the charm and allure but I’m weak and the pulling forces are strong. I’m aware of the FRAGILE signs and I will be vigilant. I simply cannot resist that table.

Mama’s coming, IKEA!

NAR © 2023
250 Words

The Unicorn Challenge-27/10/23

This is Patsy Cline singing “I Fall to Pieces”:

55 thoughts on “BROKEN PIECES”

  1. Pingback: Broken Pieces Revisited – The Elephant's Trunk

  3. You had me goin’ there.
    And don’t we all hope for furniture that comes pre-assembled and secure?
    But until then, there’s IKEA and an Allen Wrench. And maybe a tot or two of brandy to ease assembly…

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  4. Haha!! I just love where you took this. Your ‘along the way’ hints worked to a treat. I had no clue until the ending and then the aptness of your metaphors really shone through. Fantastic.

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  7. Among the list of the most stressful life experiences (public speaking, loss of a loved one etc) should be added ‘assembling IKEA products’. My wife and I had to refrain from all future temptation in order to save our marriage. 😉

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  8. I never saw the twist coming so it got me completely unaware. It was fun to read it a second time and see the little hints you planted along the way! Good luck with the new IKEA purchase. As someone who has pretty much zero mechanical skills I stay away.

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    1. Thanks, Michael, but this one is total fiction; there is no IKEA purchase.
      Now, if I switched out IKEA table for anything computer-oriented, then we’d be talking non-fiction. Damn, if I can only get a handle on this AI stuff and all the fabulous images there are to create.
      Well, in any event I’m awfully glad you enjoyed the story!

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    1. You? A piece of the furniture? Non è possibile, caro mio!
      I’ve bared my soul in many stories but I can well veil the facts.
      You just need to know where to look
      and read between the lines.
      Clever and funny;
      I will gladly accept that compliment, Blue Eyes.

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  15. Ha, you had me there.
    I was getting ready to weep and then…
    Excellent.
    (During a particularly chaotic period in my life I used to drive to IKEA sometimes on a Friday after work, have a coffee, read a book and then just walk through all the clean and tidy ‘rooms’ to r😏estore my sense of peace and order! )

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          1. A confession and an admission: I should read carefully what is presented (especially late at night), and I haven’t been to IKEA in almost 30 years. Taken by another phrase in your story, I completely missed the subtle reference to furniture. Instead, I was taken by the phrase “all the owner’s manuals we collect in our lifetimes”. I thought you were referring to “imaginary” owner’s manuals we write for ourselves as we move through our lives.

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