Enga mellom fjella

Ring of heartbreak

Ring of heartbreak


The new decade had just begun, the 50s were finally over and Mack had placed a diamond in her white gloved hand. It felt as if she'd won First Prize! Yet, Jeane saw another man's eyes sparkling back.

Mack was handsome, sure. Sure of himself enough to go to the jewelers and pick out a ring. Certain that Jeanne was the prize he'd been born to win.

Mr. Hall was helpful, eager to see another happy customer. Business was slow when sadness set in. His jeweled cases sparkled with joy.

They caught his smile, Mack's laugh, Jeanne's tears.

It had only been a year since Paul had left town, whereabouts unknown. Jeanne had been thankful for a shoulder to lean on, flattered when Mack had called for a date. Encouraged to move on, she accepted. She had enjoyed these last six months.

Mack had been smitten. Brunette and slim waisted, Jeanne fit into his embrace, a phrase between commas, a sentence to be finished with the exclamation of a kiss. It was her innocence that had attracted him at first. Her simple pain seemed to heal with each date.

Was it too late, Jeanne sighed. Too late to ever see Paul again. How could she accept Mack's ring, when every sparkle reminded her of Paul's black eyes?

© 2008 Kåre Enga [165.123] 2008-06-22

[217 words] A flash fiction based on a postcard: Romance Pulp: 30 postcards. [Girls' Romances #66 (March 1960)] Needs to be fleshed out. I want a max of 300 words, more verbs, and eliminate as many repeating words as possible. The last line is the main prompt.

So I wrote this on-line looking at the postcard. I even made an item out of it so it'll be easy to edit (or "kill" ). "Ring of heartbreak" 

Oh ... I love prompts that stretch me in new directions!

ME:

Well, yesterday I bought some books and the box of 30 aforementioned postcards. One poetry book, "A Wren", by Ger Killeen, is signed. A couple others I got for ideas on how to arrange an 'art' book of poetry. Both are from the 70s and the use of drawings and paper is beautiful. Oh ... and a book on Portuguese grammar, so I can relearn what I once knew.

Today I went out for coffee spoke to a couple people, took notes along the path, ate mulberries both black and white (look like lavender maggots when ripe). Avoided the poison oak and ivy. Managed to avoid most of the mosquitoes (ravenous little buggers).

Spoke to my cousin in Arkansas who encouraged me to take care of housing first then travel. He lives in a old tiny house he is renovating room by room over time. Fortunately, he has recovered from a severe motorcycle accident last September and is thoroughly enjoying the heat of Summer.

Not too bad here. High 80s; better than the 100 degrees in Dodge City and 101 in Chandler, Oklahoma.

I've been enjoying my visits to Paris and Amsterdam today. Webcams (webbkamera) are so much fun! There is one in Sweden that shows a Great Tit and the family of three nestlings: http://holken.corren.se/ [remember the time zones]

Kansas: 73º at 22:00 and dry.

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