Wretched

A change in the weather; a exchange of winter’s icy teeth for the gentle caress of spring.  The wind will coax the ice from the ground and chase it to the clouds.  Spring will bring rain.

His home is damp; the walls streaked with water.  Today he will shed his home; trade it in for a new one as easily as a hermit crab exchanges shells.

He drags the box to the dumpster behind the Giant Eagle and throws it in.  He spies a bunch of bananas, brown in spots, but edible.  He smiles: Breakfast is served.

Three months into this experiment, he’s not sure how long he can continue.





A woman drives up in a shiny red Volvo.  She pulls up beside him, puts her window down a quarter inch.  Diamonds glitter upon her ears and wrists.  A fur coils about her neck.  “How can you possibly live that way?”  Her smile is vapid.

He shrugs.  He often wonders that himself.  He thinks of his bank account; his luxury car; his expensive clothing, five miles away.  His net worth far exceeds this woman’s. 

He hated that life.

She looks at the bananas tucked beneath his arm.  “Are you going to eat those?”

He nods.

She wrinkles her nose and takes a sip of her takeout coffee.  “That’s absolutely wretched.”

“Funny,” he replies, nodding at her coffee.  “I was about to say the same thing to you.”

He chucks a banana peel into the dumpster, grabs a new box and heads for the bridge.

On the way, he passes Leo, homeless for three days; no health insurance; hungry.

He takes a crumpled ten dollar bill from his pocket and hands it over.

Leo protests.  “You keep it, honey.  I know you ain’t got much neither.”

“I insist.”  He smiles and heads for the bridge where he will arrange a new home, of sorts.

  And this life he knows, is worth much more than the life he left.

He’s not certain if he’ll return.


This post was written in response to the Trifecta Writing Challenge.  This week's word was wretched.


Labels:

Writing in the Margins, Bursting at the Seams: Wretched

Monday, February 27, 2012

Wretched

A change in the weather; a exchange of winter’s icy teeth for the gentle caress of spring.  The wind will coax the ice from the ground and chase it to the clouds.  Spring will bring rain.

His home is damp; the walls streaked with water.  Today he will shed his home; trade it in for a new one as easily as a hermit crab exchanges shells.

He drags the box to the dumpster behind the Giant Eagle and throws it in.  He spies a bunch of bananas, brown in spots, but edible.  He smiles: Breakfast is served.

Three months into this experiment, he’s not sure how long he can continue.





A woman drives up in a shiny red Volvo.  She pulls up beside him, puts her window down a quarter inch.  Diamonds glitter upon her ears and wrists.  A fur coils about her neck.  “How can you possibly live that way?”  Her smile is vapid.

He shrugs.  He often wonders that himself.  He thinks of his bank account; his luxury car; his expensive clothing, five miles away.  His net worth far exceeds this woman’s. 

He hated that life.

She looks at the bananas tucked beneath his arm.  “Are you going to eat those?”

He nods.

She wrinkles her nose and takes a sip of her takeout coffee.  “That’s absolutely wretched.”

“Funny,” he replies, nodding at her coffee.  “I was about to say the same thing to you.”

He chucks a banana peel into the dumpster, grabs a new box and heads for the bridge.

On the way, he passes Leo, homeless for three days; no health insurance; hungry.

He takes a crumpled ten dollar bill from his pocket and hands it over.

Leo protests.  “You keep it, honey.  I know you ain’t got much neither.”

“I insist.”  He smiles and heads for the bridge where he will arrange a new home, of sorts.

  And this life he knows, is worth much more than the life he left.

He’s not certain if he’ll return.


This post was written in response to the Trifecta Writing Challenge.  This week's word was wretched.


Labels:

21 Comments:

At February 27, 2012 at 3:10 PM , Anonymous Leslicollins said...

WOW! I think we need some back story here. What motivated him to make this change?

 
At February 27, 2012 at 5:11 PM , Anonymous Novemberraindrop said...

Nicely done. As a coffee crazed woman, I can relate to a "wretched" cup of jo.

 
At February 28, 2012 at 4:32 AM , Anonymous kgwaite said...

Thanks for reading!

 
At February 28, 2012 at 4:32 AM , Anonymous kgwaite said...

Wish I could say, but I'm limited to the 333 words. Sometimes that makes things easier; sometimes more difficult.

 
At February 28, 2012 at 5:03 AM , Anonymous jaum said...

This may have had a word limit, but a sequel would be VERY interesting. Liked this piece.

 
At February 28, 2012 at 6:32 AM , Anonymous Columbibueno said...

Yes, very interesting!

 
At February 28, 2012 at 8:13 AM , Anonymous kgwaite said...

Thanks for reading!

 
At February 28, 2012 at 8:14 AM , Anonymous kgwaite said...

I'm wondering what's going to happen, too. Thanks for reading.

 
At February 28, 2012 at 6:54 PM , Anonymous Justanothersahmother said...

Nicely done. :-)

 
At February 28, 2012 at 7:56 PM , Anonymous jesterqueen1 said...

I like this character. He seems to need the contrasts. You have an amazing way with dialogue. Leo's voice was just perfect.

 
At February 28, 2012 at 10:17 PM , Anonymous Dana said...

A day (or months) in the shoes... so powerful, eye-opening. Beautifully written!

 
At February 29, 2012 at 7:46 PM , Anonymous NicoleleighshAw said...

I like him. I want to know more about his choices. Good stuff.

 
At February 29, 2012 at 7:48 PM , Anonymous NicoleLeighShaw said...

Whoops! I was saying I like him and want to know more about him. I was saying I like this piece, good work! And then I got all iPad fingers up in here and botched the comment. Oy! Sorry if this is a repeat.

 
At February 29, 2012 at 9:48 PM , Anonymous Trifectawritingchallenge said...

Thanks for linking up, Kelly. I absolutely love that first paragraph -- what a beautiful way to describe the shift from one season to another. It's an interesting story and I'm with a few of the other posters in wanting to know how the 'experiment' came about and whether he 'can continue' with it. We may have to coax a Part Two from you some time.

Hope you can join us for the weekend too.

 
At March 1, 2012 at 4:05 AM , Anonymous kgwaite said...

Thanks for reading! This went through many many edits before I ended up with my 333 worlds. I'm curious to see what happens, too.

 
At March 1, 2012 at 4:05 AM , Anonymous kgwaite said...

Thank you for reading! Maybe I'll continue with his story...

 
At March 1, 2012 at 4:07 AM , Anonymous kgwaite said...

Thanks for reading!

 
At March 1, 2012 at 4:07 AM , Anonymous kgwaite said...

Thank you!

 
At March 1, 2012 at 10:24 AM , Anonymous Lexy3587 said...

well done - your homeless rich man is really intriguing. What kind of life must it have been for him to have everything and feel better off with nothing?

 
At March 1, 2012 at 7:40 PM , Anonymous karen said...

That's delightful. I have spoken with quite a few people on the streets, and each story is as interesting and unique as the last. It is a hard life for certain, but there's a certain wildness to it that must have it's own particular pull.

 
At March 1, 2012 at 11:01 PM , Anonymous Debbie said...

A touching story from a word that evokes negativity. Your first paragraph is beautifully visual. Well done.

 

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