Welcome Dear Readers! Great News! If I was abducted by aliens last night, they returned me! Proving once again it’s the little things that make life worth living.
Speaking of making life worth living, it’s Friday Fictioneers Picture Prompt Challenge Day brought to us by Rochelle Wisoff-Fields over at her blog, Addicted to Purple. Today’s 100-word story challenge is inspired by this picture:
The Old Man and The See
Hello little lady, I see you got dishes.
Yeah.
You got anything for gout?
Sorry no.
I see you got lots of sweaters.
Uh-huh.
I was on a battleship in the Pacific in WWII. Four years.
Really.
I see you got washboards.
Uh-huh.
I was a marksman so they put me as a gunner. I killed a lot of people.
Wow.
You got anything for gout?
Sorry no.
I see you got wedding dresses.
Yeah.
My wife’s been dead 14 years now come September.
Sorry.
I see you got clocks.
Yeah.
You got anything for gout?
Sorry no.
* * *
Until next time . . . I love you
Linda Vernon Humor 
This reminds me if Bud!! I’m pretty sure he had gout didn’t he? Or at least a few bad legs and lots of World War II stories.
Can you imagine if he went into the “shut the hell up Girlfriend” store?
Ahahaha! That makes me laugh out loud thinking about it. And this one is about Bud, the picture even looks like him.
I though she might tell him to “g(et)-out.” 🙂
janet
Made me laugh. I’m such a softie for old folks that I would have let this old guy talk my ear off for hours.
Ahaha! Me too! I used to work in a hotel coffee shop and a lot of old people lived in the hotel and would come down every day for breakfast and ask the same questions and say the same things. I guess the older we get, the more circular our thinking becomes.
Good thing you started looking for “ee” titles from the end of the alphabet instead of the front. A few letters over, and instead of “no”, she might have answered “depends”…
Ahahhaha! I like where you went with that!!
You meet plenty of old timers like this in the real world. Cute, funny and sad all rolled into one. Nicely done.
Oh thank you Tom! 😀
I gout he’s going to get what he needs from that store..
Hah! It’s highly goutful! 😀
😉 I wonder if he know how goutful it is
I gout it. 😀
it’s disgoutcerning..
ahahahah! I have my gouts . . .
Well don’t try that store you mention then they can’t help your gouts
You’re right. I’ll check out the 7-11 on the corner!
I’m sure they have gouts
And they are probably really expensive too! 😀
yes they would be since they seem hard to come by!
:D!!
Hi Linda,(TShirt on) I loved this. I can relate to the gout question. Beautifully expressed Linda. There is a sadness about old age and loneliness.
Aha! I hope that TShirt is comfortable!! I hear gout is the most painful thing in the world. I am so sorry you suffer from it. I read recently somewhere that they think it’s caused by a vitamin deficiency. I can’t remember where I read it or what vitamin it was though. (What I really need is a my brain, Peanuts thinking cap!) 😀
that store probably has everything including someone who will listen / nicely done
Thanks Moondustwriter! I have a feeling whoever’s minding the store probably doesn’t mind the conversation. I would imagine it could get pretty boring.
A man with a mission–cute story.
Thank vb! 😀
That made me laugh out loud, 🙂
Ah! Now that’s really good to hear!! 😀
Dear Linda,
You made me laugh…and you made me cry…all in 60 seconds. Bravo!
shalom,
Rochelle
Oh thank you for that lovely comment Rochelle!! 😀
There are so many old people in the place I live, just longing for conversation and a smile. This story reminds me of them. a cute one
Thanks Nightlake. I’ve always enjoyed old people. You can learn so much if you listen between the lines! 😀 Thanks for coming by! 😀
I always look forward to reading yours, and this week was no exception. I came expecting something funny, and in its way it was, but the underlying concept was heartbreakingly sad. A really good piece Linda – such a truly convincing conversation that characterised the old man perfectly. Thanks for brightening my day. 🙂
Oh Sandra! Thank you so much for your kind words. I used to drive an 83 year old WWII vet to his appointments and we had a lot of conversation like this one. I so glad you enjoyed it! 😀
You are a weird bird, Linda, but in a wonderful way. This was good for a laugh.
Thank you!! You comment has made me feel deliciously validated! 😀
lol i feel like i had that conversation with someone before.. one of the patients at the hospital, i guess. he seems like a nice guy, just looking for a conversation. lovely story 🙂
Thank you KZ. He actually is based on a elderly gentleman I used to know. I’m so glad you enjoyed it/him! 😀
Nothing for the gout, so sorry… I agree with the others that there’s a sadness here, that the old guy sounds lonely. He needs a group of folks to sit down with and play some serious card games and chat about their experiences. That, and he needs something for the gout, too.
I feel that exact same way Zooky! He really could use some friends, a deck of cards and some 800 milligram Ibuprofen! 😀
Ha.. Yes probably anuthinh against gout is hard to find… But at least he got to chat a little — maybe
Well maybe the chatting took his mind off his gout a little.
Dear LVH,
Loved your title and the banter between the two of your characters. Gout to love it.
Aloha,
Doug
Haha! Thank you Doug. Over and gout!
LOL. Great conversation.
Oh thank you Sarah. I’m glad you liked it! 😀
This is very true to life.
Enjoyable read.
Oh thank you so much Dawn! 😀 I’m so glad you liked it.
I like the rhythm of this. It’s like tap dancing – well, if you didn’t have gout, that is. I like the repetition: gout, gout, gout. Adds to the beat. Everything he sees triggers a memory. That’s what happens when you get older, so good characterisation. Well done. Great story.
Oh yeah yeah yeah. You’re right. There is a beat to it. Great observations on my little story! Thank you! And thank you for coming by! 😀
Try concentrated Black Cherry juice and high doses of vitamin C. That’ll clear up the gout. As for the memory problem, there’s no hope. As for the memory problem, there’s–did I already say that?
We’ll look at it this way, at least you remembered the formula for gout elixer.
Cute story, I can see this in real life.
Thanks Patti! I’m glad you liked it!