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19.3.14

HAREM - Friday Fictioneers

HAREM

She was elegantly dressed and her emeralds were real, as were the tears washing her cheeks. Maryse paused by the ascenseur, shifted the towels to one arm and touched the thin hand.
“May I help you, Madame?”
The woman drew a calming breath. “How old are you, child?”
“Sixteen, Madame.”
“At sixteen I was imprisoned behind a screen of this design.” She gestured at the metal grille. “For a moment just now I was back in the harem.”
“How did you escape?”
“My babies were girls, so my husband sold me to a merchant.” She smiled. “Our sons still run the business.”
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Please leave a comment - preferably a kind one! - and do feel free to browse the rest of my blog.
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Friday Fictioneers is a group of writers who write 100-word stories prompted by a photograph posted each week on Rochelle’s site
You can read all the other stories – free! – by following the link.
  http://new.inlinkz.com/luwpview.php?id=380417

34 comments:

  1. Interesting past... Makes me wonder about the people I pass by every day. Nice job.

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    1. I wonder about them all the time, Judah!

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  2. Dear Liz,

    No doubt the first husband blamed her for giving him daughters. He had much to learn about biology, didn't he? Good one.

    Shalom,

    Rochelle

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    1. Men never think it could be them, do they?

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  3. That would give you a turn. The grill looks very like those of the harems. Realistic comparison, Lizy.

    janet

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    1. I only realised is wasn't a harem grille when I read Rochelle's story!

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  4. Good to know she found a Man - or did she?

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  5. I loved the ending. It's a sad tale yet so elegantly written

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    1. Thank you Raj - a little sad but mostly happy, I thought?

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  6. A fabulous story. A whole world in 100 words

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    1. Thank you, Sarah - I love the 100 word challenge to write a complete story.

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  7. Once again you've got a lot of story in a very few words.

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  8. Well-written. This is a story with a sad beginning and a happy ending. : )

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    1. I thought it was about time I wrote one with a happy ending!

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  9. What a sad life she must have had! Nicely done, Liz

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    1. Sad, Shailaja? Perhaps she loved her merchant?

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  10. I like a happy ending to a sad story and you've delivered both - great job. I got a bit confused about who was speaking when, but 100 words doesn't allow much room for tagging speech and your other words are too valuable to trade.

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    1. Thanks Elmo. I thought the speech marks delineated the conversation, but i'm sorry you were confused. Hope you got it in the end.

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  11. Very well done, enjoyed this.

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  12. The one lucky woman that got sold into a better situation than where she was from. The other women's stories are haunting. I wonder what Sojourner Truth would have to say about this story?

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  13. ah,, very intriguing .. the blessing of not getting male children. being imprisoned like that...

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    1. I wonder if the husband ever fathered a son?

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  14. Great story - and the first husband thought it was her fault for daughters? Now she has sons with a new husband. I enjoyed this so much! Good one! Nan :)

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  15. There's a dark twist. Cleverly told.

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  16. Lovely interpretation of the prompt. I just finished a book set in the Middle East and this brought that feeling to mind.

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    1. What was the book, Erin? Thanks for your kind words.

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