Amy’s red rubber boots leave ziq-zag patterns in the mud.
She’d discovered them in a pile of seaweed.
Best find this month.
Amy had lived in the big house across the bay and
worn red high heels with diamonds on the heels
before Peter kicked her out.
Now she lives in an abandoned U-Haul truck.
Each day Amy comes to the beach and stares across the water
and wonders how her three babies are. So young.
Ages one to six.
Today she thinks she can hear them laughing.
She wanders down the shore, discovers the shopping cart.
Second best find.
Up From the Ashes 
So sad.. Amy should have had a prenup.. seems like Peter is a bastard.. but maybe she was just the mistress..
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Nope, bought and paid for with a wedding ring. Thanks for reading, Bjorn. Loved your “newspaper” post. See you next week.
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Fantastic characterisation in this. A woman down on her luck, without her children, trying to make the best of things.
I think you might need to put ‘had’ in between Amy and lived, to make sense of the tense.
Claire
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Shall do! Thanks for noticing and taking the time to correct.
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Love the onomatopoeia of the first line where I could feel the squelchy boots. And the bittersweet ending as well.
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Thanks so much! Glad you liked the boots. There’s something kind of icky about them, but they are very useful. Yes?
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You brought this poor woman to life so adeptly, Alicia, and made me feel for her. Yet she has a bit of snark that makes me feel as though she’s going to make it. Being a poetry person, I also like the way you divided the story and made it poetic.
janet
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Thanks, Janet. I think she only has a few months as a homeless person then Peter better watch out. Glad you liked Amy (and I love the word “snark”. So few people I know use it.)
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Very well done. You caught her circumstances beautifully.
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Sandra, thanks. Abandoned shopping carts often remind me of the homeless and make me wonder how a person falls into that circumstance.
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Makes you wonder what happened to make her sink so low. No divorce settlement would leave someone like this. Fascinating piece of a mother forever separated from those she loves.
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Perry, thanks! I think it would be sad to be separated from those one loves, Parents, children, lover, or spouse. Thanks for reading.
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Dear Alicia,
There’s a lot of story written between the lines. I felt for her and wondered what could’ve happened to get her to this point. Nicely done.
Shalom,
Rochelle
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Thanks a bunch Rochelle. Between-the-lines stories are often the best, don’t you think?
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Alicia, I agree that Amy sounds like a survivor to me. Judging by the ages of her children, she’s still young enough to make it back. I think that Peter has a future fight on his hands. All she needs is the right help. 🙂 Good story. Well done. 🙂
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Thanks! And, yes, Mother Bear might just win out. Glad you read the story.
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Very human, very real. Terrific story, Alicia!
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Thank you. Feels kind of dreary and lost, but that’s what mud flats seem to do to me. “Read” you next week.
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Such a sad story, very well written. Really well done, Alicia!
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Thanks, Dawn. I love writing about the water although, having grown up in Denver, CO, it often leaves me feeling a bit desolate. Cheers.
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I choose to believe she is mentally ill because I refuse to believe she should end up like this simply because a man no longer gave her money. Losing your children could drive you mad.
Yup, that explains it!
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Dawn, that works! Thanks for the suggestion. And thank you so very much for reading and commenting.
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It was an enjoyable read. Any time you can get a comment that thought out you know you have connected with your reader.
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Don’t I know it!
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I agree with Bjorn. That poor girl needed a prenup.
MG
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Or she may just need a good dose of revenge.
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There’s a sad story. Hubby was a bit of a swine. Or she had behaved badly? Whatever, she having a hard time. Terrible to lose your children.
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Shed a tear -stop- hate suffering -stop- loved the story
Tay.
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Thank you -stop – tears may not be necessary – stop – she will rise again. Thank you for your wonderfully rendered comment.
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All of the above! Thank you so much for taking the time to read and comment, Have a good weekend.
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I like this perspective. Although the horrible has happened, she seems to have retained her optimism.
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Thanks! I think she is a strong woman who will make it. After all, she wears red shoes.
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Beautifully written and such a sad story but she seems to be a survivor.
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I do believe she is. Thanks for reading The Best Find
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she appears lost. i hope the next thing she’d find is herself.
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What a wonderful thought! Thanks for reading.
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A beautifully written and poignant story, Alicia. Love the detailed images you use to show us this woman’s life: ‘red rubber boots leave ziq-zag patterns in the mud’ discovered in a pile of seaweed, ‘worn red high heels with diamonds on the heels before Peter kicked her out’, her excitement about finding the shopping trolley. Superb!
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Karen, thank you so much for taking the time to read The Best Find and making such a lovely comment about it! I appreciate your time. Have a great day. Alicia
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That’s so sad, she’s lost not only her home but her babies too. Peter sounds like a real nasty piece of work.
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Rich jerk! Thank you so much for reading my story. Have a great Sunday.
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Peter, not you! : – )
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It just goes to show that life can chew us up and spit us out without warning, doesn’t it? I loved the tone of this. Hopefully he will get his comeuppance one day, and she can wear diamond encrusted wellies 🙂
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Oh, wouldn’t that be fun? Thanks for reading!
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Such a change in lifestyle. She needs to get a marketable skill set. That or open a second hand store.
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Oh, Alice, what a splendid idea. Thanks.
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Very well done, Alicia. You made us feel exactly what she feels. And that last line where she names the shopping cart the “second best find of the day” gives us a clear understanding of her attitude: makes me know she’s got the chutzpah to take the bull by the horns and turn things around.
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Thank you, Sandra. I do think Peter will pay.
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There is so much mystery and wonder behind this story! I’m deeply intrigued! My mind is just rambling with possible explanations as to why she was kicked out and why she seems complacent in her life. This was a very striking and intriguing piece!
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Adelie, thank you so much for the thoughtful response. Glad Amy made you wonder. She makes me wonder, too.
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This is a really affecting piece. Thanks for sharing
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Thanks for taking the time to read.
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what’s with Amy? maybe mental illness untreated since she’s about to get a shopping cart to match her rubber boots:( great story!
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Amy’s a little down on her luck. She’s a survivor, though. And will rise again. Thanks for reading.
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I have been enjoying your blog and have nominated you for A Liebster Award. Check it out http://fabricatingfiction.wordpress.com/2014/05/14/my-liebster-award/
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Thank you! I will.
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So sad. The pity is I can see her as an old woman still in those boots, head down pushing that trolley. I’m willing for her luck to change.
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Sarah Ann, thanks for reading The Best Find. I hope she bounces back WAY before she’s an old woman.
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