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26.9.19

KEEPING UP APPEARANCES - a 100 word story

It's Thursday, so I'm only a day late on parade this week. My excuses are manifold - I am heavily involved in our local Arts Festival, we had a leaking pipe that almost brought down the kitchen ceiling, and the tail end of a hurricane has battered my garden. It's only a very small plot, so tidying up didn't take too long, but the sunflowers are definitely looking ragged in the petal area.

Which leads me nicely into telling you about a bit of verse I wrote a long time ago, about a different garden, and linked this week to Twitter, where one of the vss365 prompt words was 'garden'. You are cordially invited to pop over to my 'VERSES' page and read it.

And finally, welcome to Carole Anne Carr, my 103rd 'follower' - thank you, Carole, for taking the trouble to read my stuff!

Meanwhile, here's this week's story, prompted by a photo on Rochelle's blog,   https://rochellewisoff.com/      
Photo taken by  Na'ama Yehuda.

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KEEPING UP APPEARANCES

‘Take your umbrella, Sanji.’
‘But Mother – it’s so old-fashioned.”
‘A hundred other boys wanted that Government job but you won – carrying an umbrella is expected.’

So Sanji took the despised umbrella, with its curved handle worn smooth by his father and grandfather, and hung it beside his coat.
When the flash flood hit town unexpectedly, the umbrella’s metal tip broke through the office ceiling, the handle hooked a rafter, enabling Sanji and his colleagues to climb to the roof, and its black silken circle sheltered them until rescue arrived.

Eventually Sanji passed the treasured umbrella down to his son.

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Do please leave a comment before you go - on this story and on my bit of verse!

25 comments:

  1. Dear Liz,

    I loved the way the umbrella went from despised to treasured. I hope you fare better in your fair than we did in ours.

    Shalom,

    Rochelle

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    Replies
    1. Thanks Rochelle. Uour fair has been on for nearly two weeks, and the opening day - the only outside event - was sunny and warm.

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  2. The humble umbrella saves the day! :-)

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  3. I bet that brolly could tell a tale or two!

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    1. Over four generations it probably could.

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  4. Not to mention that John Steed made brollies cool

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    Replies
    1. True - I wonder if they've heard of John Steed in India?

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  5. Ah, I wondered where that was heading. How very creative!

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  6. Ah, lovely take on the photo prompt - not least because you led me along and surprised me halfway through!

    Susan A Eames at
    Travel, Fiction and Photos

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  7. Oh, an heirloom - and priceless.

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  8. How lovely. Such a meaningful story. Reminds me of the walking stick my husband's uncle wanted to give to him, but sadly someone stole it. Never mind, there are still so many memories.

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    Replies
    1. Stole a walking stick? What a low life!

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  9. Liz, I liked everything about your story. Ninja umbrella wielder, who would have thought it. I like that the umbrella is passed from generation to generation.

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    1. Thank you, Jade. I wonder how long the silk cover will last?

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  10. it's one heirloom worth keeping.

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    Replies
    1. Global warming being what it is, the umbrella might be useful again!

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  11. How a piece becomes an heirloom.
    Lovely, Liz!

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    1. With such a rescue story behind it, how could it fail to become a treasure?

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  12. I hope his son appreciates it or is at least as dutiful as his dad. :)

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  13. A good story, Liz. The old umbrella proved it's worth. Well done. I hope your poor yard recuperates successfully. :) Suzanne

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Do leave a message before you go!