Thanks, Dale Rogerson, for these beautiful bouquets (haven’t I seen these beauties before?) And, thanks, Rochelle Wisoff-Fields, for posting them for the Friday Fictioneers.
Never sell yourself short, my beauty. Sometimes the world will require you to stay low as savanna grass; watching, waiting. Other times you must walk softly forward camouflaged as a delicate rose or an unremarkable daisy; collecting information, storing it in your heart. But a moment will come when you will be forced to take up the sword, shine like a bird of paradise in your glory and fight.
Machete resting against her fiery red dress, Rusayla strode across the sand. She had gathered and stored information about the men who stole her grandmother’s cattle. There would be no time to run.
The flowers were blissfully secondary in that story. I loved it
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Thanks, Neil. I had a whole story written around the flowers, went to aerobics, deleted my first story and came up with this. I’m glad you liked it. As always, I truly appreciate your comments.
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ooouuuuu, I likes it… hidden fury… hidden in plain sight… good story.
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Thanks, Jelli. I’m pleased to know this worked. Alicia
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Ooooh, someone’s going to pay!
Great story. Come see mine here.
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Thanks, Audrey. Have you been gone for awhile or have missed all your stories?
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Wow, what a warrior. Definitely a character and story I could read more of.
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Thanks, Ian. I wish I had more to tell!
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I very much enjoyed what you did with this story
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Thank you, Michael. I always appreciate your thoughts.
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Dear Lish,
She’s certainly was about to spread her bird of paradise wings with lifted sword…well machete. I didn’t see that ending coming. Well done.
Shalom,
Rochelle
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Warrior women unite!!! I didn’t see it coming either. I just didn’t like my mamby-bamby first story. As always, thanks so very much for reading and leaving a comment! Lish
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That opening quote feels so familiar!
I love this!
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Thanks, Dale, and thanks for sharing your flowers with us!
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My pleasure! Though Rochelle did “steal” them…😉😄
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I just knew all those hearts and flowers were leading up to something.
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she’s one brave woman. i hope she prevails.
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Oh, me too. But I think Grandma’s advice will help.
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I liked the flow of this. She was definitely building her case and biding her time. BTW, I love the name Rusayla. 🙂
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She truly was! I found the name on a Sudanese Women’s name website. Thanks for noticing it.
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Such a great story! I love the descriptions of all the ways she may have to act. It sounds like she’s utilised the first two to reach this point and it’s now time to be a bird of paradise and fight!
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Gosh, thanks, Ali. I had fun trying to decide how to use the flowers as a personality trait.
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I loved the start, the middle and the end. Flower power at its best. Superbly written, Alicia.
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Thank you, Neel. I’m awfully glad you enjoyed the story.
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Yes, I’m with Neel. Great story. Love strong women.
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Me, too! I’m thankful for all the women before us that paved the way. Thanks, granonine
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I love Grandma’s rather poetic advice. Not sure if I like how she’ll apply it. Or if she’ll come out the winner. Well told.
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Thanks, Christine. That’s the nice thing about 100-word stories, the reader can use their imagination to make it come out however they like.
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Nice work, Alicia!
I was struck by the opening of how reminiscent it was of Carl Sandburg’s “The People, Yes” Section 9, where the father tells his son —
“Life is hard; be steel; be a rock.”
And this might stand him for the storms
and serve him for humdrum and monotony
and guide him amid sudden betrayals
and tighten him for slack moments
There’s more, of course, but your intro for the character really got my literary mouth to water. I think a really good literary creation is in the making here.
Five out of five Sandburg Songbags. 🙂
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Thanks for the Sandburg Songbags! I haven’t read Sandberg in forever! I appreciate you reminding me to pick up one of his books. What a lovely section of his work you included in your reply. Gracias, Lish.
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Glad I was in the neighborhood. 😉
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Me too.
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Grandma and grand daughter are cut from the same cloth I think – fiesty, firy ladies, not to be messed with. Those cattle rustlers better beware. Nicely told as always Alicia
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I do think they’ll have a little hell to pay. Thanks for reading! (I love fiery ladies and as I grow older, hope I can be counted among them.)
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Love, love, love this. The imagery was terrific and I was transported to a remote African village. Brilliant writing.
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Thanks so much, Tracey. I had fun writing it but had my doubts. Mamby-pamby? Too predictable? Your words mean a lot.
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I agree with Tracey the imagery was terrific. I pictured a lioness stalking prey. Loved the line “collecting information, storing it in your heart.”
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Thanks so much. I appreciate your stopping by and leaving a comment.
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I wouldn’t want to get on the wrong side of her that’s for sure. Great little yarn.
Click to read my FriFic
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Thanks so much!
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This is brilliant. I just love the so colourfully illustrated words of wisdom, followed by the call to action later. I think those cattle thieves are about to get cut to pieces.
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Thanks, Sarah. Somehow I imagine a wise old woman using flowers to illustrate what her grandchild needs to know.
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Loved it, Alicia. Absolutely well written.
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Thanks very much, Varad.
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I thought this was a piece from the flowers perspective, which was great, unusual, then you supposed with with the real viewpoint at the end. Such revenge, will be bloody, I fear, not beautiful. Nicely told flash fiction story.
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Thanks for stopping by, Kelvin. As the title says, it’s actually her grandmother’s advice. I will need to go back and see if you’ve joined our merry band. I appreciate your comments.
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Rusayla doesn’t sound like someone to be messed with. I love the first paragraph it’s poetic and beautifully descriptive, a perfect accompaniment for the second paragraph.
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Thank you so much.
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I like the build up. Words from the past when she is being trained and then to the present she she uses that training. Nice one.
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Thank you!
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A woman with purpose. Impressive.
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Thanks!
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I have yet to see a ‘mamby-pamby’ story from you, but I know about writing something and then throwing it out completely… that said, I love this so very much. It starts so soft, grandma’s wise words, with flowers and slowly it becomes fiercer and fiercer until, wham, pure power. A Wonder Woman of a different kind. 🙂
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A bouquet of metaphors..enchanting!
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Thank you!
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Yikes!!
I didn’t see that coming!
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Surprise!!!!
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🙂 🙂
🙂
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Very insightful and beautifully put. Also true, true, true.
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Thank you for reading and commenting, Alicia
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