Little Helps
The
house wept. Inconsolable sobbing woke them. The lights flickered on,
glared with klaxon grief then dimmed to a pallid glow. The house
computer whimpered. Tina spoke kindly to it and started to ask it
questions but Jim cut the power and rebooted the operating system.
member of the Shrewsbury Scribblers Writers Group and member of a
number of online writers communities. He is group host for the
WriteWords Flash Fiction One Group. His work has appeared in Right Hand
Pointing, Boston Literary Magazine, FlashQuake, Mytholog, Heavy Glow,
21 Stars Review, Foliate Oak and other places. See his web page at http://www.writewords.org.uk/bill_west/
house wept. Inconsolable sobbing woke them. The lights flickered on,
glared with klaxon grief then dimmed to a pallid glow. The house
computer whimpered. Tina spoke kindly to it and started to ask it
questions but Jim cut the power and rebooted the operating system.
The diagnostic screen said, “Out of love.”
They looked at each other. Then got dressed and drove to Tesco's.
The
car park was nearly empty. Inside cheerless assistants drifted up and
down the aisles. Some stacked shelves. Jim thought he knew where he
could find love but this was a new store and everything had changed. So
many new products — cheaper bargains had elbowed out the commodities
they had grown up with.
They found the familiar blue and white branding of the
value range and carefully selected and purchased two Third World
orphans and an elderly Ghanaian lady to work as a Nanny.
Every little helps.
*
Bill West lives in rural Shropshire. He is amember of the Shrewsbury Scribblers Writers Group and member of a
number of online writers communities. He is group host for the
WriteWords Flash Fiction One Group. His work has appeared in Right Hand
Pointing, Boston Literary Magazine, FlashQuake, Mytholog, Heavy Glow,
21 Stars Review, Foliate Oak and other places. See his web page at http://www.writewords.org.uk/bill_west/
Brilliant, Bill – so you can buy love after all!
Frances
Thanks Frances!
Very funny, Bill, and also sad. Loved it.
Thanks Sarah, glad you liked it.