Thanks to Rosemary for tagging me with this challenge (is it a challenge? Not sure what else to call it). Sadly, my WIP hasn't reached page 77, so with no other cheating, this is page 7; the first 7 or so lines. The setting is an old people's home, where some premature deaths are about to take place. Edith is one of the residents; Betsy, her poor beleaguered daughter:
"Since she supplemented the meagre diet with snacks of biscuits and chocolate, and took no exercise whatsoever beyond that which was required to convey her from one room to another, Edith grew steadily heavier and less mobile, until she had to have recourse to a walking frame.
'So handy,' said Edith, scraping her way along the carpeted corridors. 'And you can hang your things from it.'
'It didn't have to come to this,' Betsy told her sternly. 'You've got a perfectly good pair of legs, if only you'd make a bit more effort.'"
I'm supposed to pass this on to 7 other writers, but I think most of the writing bloggers I know have already done it. If anyone reading this would like to help themselves to a nomination, please do (and please let me know), and apologies to anyone I may have missed.
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That sums up a picture of my mum, she had a perfectly good pair of legs, but she stopped using them. Now when we go to see her in the home, she keeps telling us how she wishes she could still walk.
ReplyDeleteThey did some test on her a couple of years ago to see what the problem was and told her she needed to use her legs more, but she liked the fuss and the wheelchair as just stop using her legs.
A great piece of writing. I can't wait to read the rest.
I love this, Frances. I have a very clear picture in my mind of these ladies and I especially like the comment about being able to hang things from it. It says a lot about her character.
ReplyDeleteI really want to read more of this.
I agree with Jarmara and Joanna - a lovely character excerpt.
ReplyDeleteI know someone very like Ethel!
ReplyDeleteOoops - I meant I know someone just like Edith.
ReplyDeleteThe fact that I know someone called Ethel who doesn't walk about much and who eats a lot of biscuits is purely coincidental and has nothing to do with this conversation.
Great characterisation - I can see them.
ReplyDeleteThanks for all those comments. I've got a bit behind, what with Blogger playing up...(Who or what IS Blogger?)
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