Flash

Remains Of The Day

The Sicilian Storyteller

Rochelle, our gracious host at Friday Fictioneers,
has challenged us to write a story of 100 words or less,
using the photo below as inspiration. This is my story.

Photo Copyright Alicia Jamtaas

Too many arguments, too many years of spiteful words. She’d had enough.

He walked into their bedroom where she was packing. “How can you do this, like it was nothing?”

“Like it was nothing? Do you really think this is easy, like tossing out yesterday’s leftovers?”

“Twenty-three years, Beth. You can’t throw that away.”

“Would you just let it be, Sam, and go to work.”

“I’ll see you when I get home, Beth.”

“Oblivious” she murmured.

Of course she was gone when he returned. Nothing left but remains of the day.

And he didn’t have a clue what to do.

NAR©2024
100 Words

23 February 2024

This is Steve Tyrell with “A House Is Not A Home”

All text, graphics and videos) is copyright for The Sicilian Storyteller, The Elephant’s Trunk and The Rhythm Section and is not for use by anyone without permission. NAR © 2017-present.

53 thoughts on “Remains Of The Day”

  3. Well written! I wish I could hear the tones and know the history. Intriguing that this dialogue could be angry screams or regretful whispers. She’s obviously had enough and made a decision, but is the man (who is going off to work, not sitting on a couch surrounded by beer cans) doing his best to support the marriage, but it’s never enough? Or is he an abusive spouse with anger problems? So much to be explored here… -Angela

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    1. Too bad I couldn’t read this aloud on FF; I don’t have the know-how to do that!

      Her voice is one of resignation and disappointment. She realizes he doesn’t have a clue about what it takes to make a marriage work or to make her happy. Sure, he goes to work but we can’t assume she doesn’t also. She doesn’t strike me as the sort to sit around watching soap operas all day.

      His voice is one of dumbfounded surprise. He wouldn’t see a two by four aimed straight for his face.

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  8. He’s in denial for sure. She’s summed him up perfectly with her murmured ‘oblivious’. Even in this little snippet of dialogue you show the lack of connection between them. They seem to be on different wavelengths. I like how you’ve used the idea of ‘leftovers’ and ‘remains’. Great title, and also great ending.

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    1. There’s no connection, no communication between these two; all they share in life is a house.

      Thank you for picking up on my use of the words ‘leftovers’ and ‘remains’; obviously, that was deliberate.

      I appreciate all your very gracious comments, Margaret.

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  16. Sounds exactly like our neighbours, four houses down. My mother said it was something to see the moving truck come, she packed everything and left him nothing. He was totally lost. Did he deserve it? Apparently…

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    1. Moving truck? She meant business!

      I know a guy whose wife began removing things from her room a little at a time (they had separate bedrooms for health reasons) and he was unaware until one day after she left with a flat screen TV, he went into her room to discover it was stripped of all her personal belongings. Can’t make this stuff up!

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          1. Oh for sure. I was telling my mother years later when we were talking about it (coz I don’t remember it from then)… Poor him… My mother’s response? He was an asshole. Okay then.

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