The photo below is from our lady in Italy. What does it say to you? I dare you step outside the boat and walk on water.
My story follows the prompt and the elusive blue frog.
PHOTO PROMPT – Copyright – Georgia Koch
Genre: Historical Fiction
Word Count: 100
IN ISMAY’S PLACE
Logan hunched his shoulders against the icy North Atlantic wind.
“Me wee Patrick’s one tomorrow.”
“Dinnae fash yersel,” said John, the coxswain. “The morrow’ll be the cold start of May and there’ll be eight more months of 1912 to play with the boy.”
“Two points starboard, John,” said Logan from the bow as he readied the boat hook.
Four months later the memories of the baby they pulled from the water tormented Logan. Patrick’s cries woke him from a nightmare. He gathered the child into his arms and whispered.
“Let fly, lad. ‘Tis a hard life, but a good sign.”
Rochelle Wisoff-Fields-Addicted to Purple 
Such a sad story Rochelle. It must truly be a nightmare for all those involved in rescue operations at sea. Beautifully done. I’ve not seen that memorial before; I wonder why people have left coins on it – it seems such an inappropriate gesture. Great pic this week, but then I would say that, wouldn’t I? 🙂
LikeLike
Dear Sandra,
I’d say this prompt is tailor made for you.
I can’t imagine what it would’ve been like for those who had the grisly task of recovering the bodies. I’m not sure about the coins, I would think flowers would be more appropriate.
At any rate, I’m glad you liked my story.
Shalom,
Rochelle
LikeLike
I think that a coin was all that was available for anyone who wanted to commemorate their visit to the memorial.
This is a very moving tribute, to the passengers and to the first responders.
LikeLike
The Beth Jacob cemetery just down the road has educated me to the Jewish ritual of leaving small stones. Sad but lovely story. 😦
LikeLike
Dear Allan and Archon,
Thank you for visiting and commenting.
Shalom,
Rochelle
LikeLike
Great use of dialect in this piece. Nice one.
LikeLike
Dear Peter,
I’m counting on my friends on the other side of the pond to keep me true to dialogue form. I’m glad this worked.
Thank you.
Shalom,
Rochelle
LikeLike
Really touching tale well told.
LikeLike
Thank you, Louise.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Very moving. Well said in less than 100 words! Amazing.
LikeLike
Dear Alexandria,
Thank you coming by to read and leaving such a nice comment. I hope you’ll be joining us.
Shalom,
Rochelle
LikeLiked by 1 person
What a harrowing experience that must have been … and how well you’ve transmitted the story with so very few words. Chapeau Rochelle!
LikeLike
Dear Georgia,
First, thank you for letting me use your beautiful photo.
I can’t imagine what it must’ve been like for those sailors retrieving all those bodies. I’m pleased that the story worked.
Thank you twice.
Shalom,
Rochelle
LikeLike
This is just such a great story.. and so well captured from the picture and the dialect coming to life after all this time.
Like it a lot
LikeLike
Dear Björn,
“Great story” is a wonderful compliment.
Thank you.
Shalom,
Rochelle
LikeLiked by 1 person
Dear Rochelle,
This is a sad but lovely tale tenderly told.
All my best,
Marie Gail
LikeLike
Dear Marie Gail,
Your sweet words are much appreciated. Thank you.
Shalom,
Rochelle
LikeLike
It was over a century ago but it’s still making a difference for people even now
LikeLike
Maybe they can arrange to donate the coins to some relevant organization
LikeLike
Dear Larry,
The sinking of the unsinkable Titanic is one of those stories that will linger on in everyone’s mind.
Thank you for commenting.
Shalom,
Rochelle
LikeLike
There was a sign on it that said~: “Not even God can sink this ship.” People have said that the sinking was a reminder that nothing’s indestructible
LikeLike
That’s one of those things that makes you say, “Hm,” isn’t it?
LikeLiked by 1 person
I’ve always had a morbid fascination about the Titanic – I suppose many do. This captures so much emotion. Joy over a birthday, sorrow over death. Kudos, my dear.
LikeLike
Dear Alicia,
There are so many things about the Titanic to fascinate, aren’t there?
Thank you for such lovely compliments.
Shalom,
Rochelle
LikeLike
Life goes on…all we can do is try to stay in one piece. A very poignant story.
LikeLike
Dear Loré,
Truer words were never spoken.
Thank you.
Shalom,
Rochelle
LikeLiked by 1 person
Big story in so few words. Great example of what a little dialogue can convey.
LikeLike
Dear Caerlynn,
Thank you for your kind comments.
Shalom,
Rochelle
LikeLike
I too loved the use of dialect, it’s not hard to follow and it adds such flavor to the piece. And what a sad story it is. Just heartbreaking.
LikeLike
Dear Rachel,
I’m glad you were able to follow the dialect. And thank you for such tender comments.
Shalom,
Rochelle
LikeLike
I read 1912 and panicked, Rochelle, but your story had a hopeful ending out of a tragic time. I’ve never seen the memorial before, so thank you for sharing that too. And I felt the dialogue worked well to give flavour without slowing the story.
LikeLike
Dear Jennifer,
The Titanic’s one of history’s saddest stories I think. I’m glad my little tale came across as intended.
Thank you for your kind words.
Shalom,
Rochelle
LikeLike
Nice use of dialogue/voice/accent/whatever. Risky, but you pulled it off.
LikeLike
Dear Paul,
Good to know. 😀
Thank you.
Shalom,
Rochelle
LikeLike
What a sad story, Rochelle. Well told, and I think the dialogue was very effective. Nicely done! Thanks for sharing the photo of the memorial. I find it interesting that coins were left. I wonder if that’s symbolic of something. I can’t imagine what I will write…
LikeLike
Dear Amy,
I’m not sure what the coins signify. It’s been asked before and I think some research may be in order.
I appreciate your uplifting comments. They gave me a smile.
Shalom,
Rochelle
LikeLiked by 1 person
Very powerful, Rochelle. And telling so much of it in dialogue really makes it alive.
LikeLike
Dear Sandra,
I think the research was the most difficult part of this story. Such a horrid tragedy. l
Thank you for coming by and giving such lovely feedback.
Shalom,
Rochelle
LikeLike
Great story of how tragedy affects us and makes us so thankful for what we have. It’s so sad to be apart of sea rescue/recovery. My 28 years in the Navy gave me a glimpse of this. You are, indeed, a wordsmith.
LikeLike
Reblogged this on Jcckeith.
LikeLike
Thank you for reblogging. A high compliment indeed.
Shalom,
Rochelle
LikeLiked by 1 person
You are so welcome!
LikeLike
nice use of conversation in this… so real there would have been
LikeLike
Thank you, Patricia.
LikeLike
Rochelle, I loved this. It was sad, but beautiful. Apparently, I had a great-great aunt that was a piano player on the Titanic. She went down with the ship.
LikeLike
Dear Joy,
Do you know very much about your great-great aunt? That’s a fascinating bit of ancestry.
Thank you for your sweet comments on my story.
Shalom,
Rochelle
LikeLiked by 1 person
Beautifully done.
LikeLike
Dear KT,
Thank you saying so. It means a lot.
Shalom,
Rochelle
LikeLiked by 1 person
I love how you used the dialect in this story, Rochelle! You always make me feel like I’m “in” your story as a participant, not just a reader. That is truly a gift! Beautifully sad. The memorial picture at the end was heart touching.
LikeLike
Dear Kirsten,
An author lives for comments like this.
I can’t thank you enough.
Shalom,
Rochelle
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thank Rochelle for keeping Friday Fictioneers alive. I look forward to it each week. I dont write much prose, so it is a nice change if pace for me. Plus, it is helping me with my writing 🙂
LikeLike
I felt this story in my heart.
LikeLike
As I felt your comment in my heart, Dawn.
Shalom,
Rochelle
LikeLiked by 1 person
Deeply moving, Rochelle. A tragedy in so many ways, but the idea of tiny child floating in the frozen waters, is indeed haunting.
LikeLike
Dear Dawn,
I can’t imagine the magnitude of it. In all accounts I’ve read, the sailors who pulled the baby out of the water were overcome.
As always, I enjoy your comments and insights.
Shalom,
Rochelle
LikeLiked by 1 person
That’s a time when a child crying is about the best sound possible, because at least they’re alive. Great story, but I would not want to experience that ever.
-David
LikeLike
Dear David,
I agree. I’m sure Patrick’s crying was like music to Logan.
I appreciate your comments.
Thank you.
Shalom,
Rochelle
LikeLike
Bitter-sweet story. I love the “let fly”. A great sailing expression serving another purpose.
LikeLike
Dear Patrick,
I love learning new expressions, especially when it comes to using them in writing, Thank you for commenting. As always, it’s much appreciated and half the fun of Friday Fictioneers.
Shalom,
Rochelle
LikeLike
Dear Gertrude Guppy,
You turned this into a whale of a story. Your characters make these tragic events so personal to us. We feel their pain, and sometimes their joy (but mostly pain). This one will stick with me for a long time.
Gone fishing’,
Junior
LikeLike
Dear Junior,
Compliments don’t get much better. 😀
Thanks and hope your catch the big one.
Shalom,
GG
LikeLike
A bitter sweet story, very poignant.
LikeLike
Thank you, Sally.
LikeLike
That’s quite a boatload of emotion you’ve laid out this week. The dialogue works to draw us in. It’s personal touches like that that make your stories so enjoyable.
LikeLike
Dear Stephonie,
Happy to have you aboard. Thank you for your kind words. They mean a lot to me.
Shalom,
Rochelle
LikeLike
This story connected on a number of different levels. The historical aspect, the grief and the wonderful use of dialect. I’ve never had much interest in the Titanic but your story made me think about it in a way I never have before.
LikeLike
Dear Michael,
I couldn’t ask for a higher compliment. I’m please that my story stirred something.
Thank you for saying so.
Shalom,
Rochelle
LikeLike
Dear Rochelle,
I wonder how many of your readers realize the significance of your title? Bruce Ismay could not bring himself to stay with his ship like so many others were forced to. Hard to imagine what his life was like after that.
Beautiful story.
Aloha,
Doug
LikeLike
Dear Doug,
I can imagine that while Mr. Ismay escaped death by drowning he had to live with at least two thousand souls on his conscience. Your comments always add an extra dimension.
Thank you for swimming by after all your swamp draining activities. I’m sure your friend appreciated the help.
Shalom,
Rochelle without a space
LikeLike
Wahoo! I got the historical reference on this one. I love the use of dialogue in this story.
LikeLike
Dear Jenn,
I’m glad you got it all. Thank you for your kind and affirming comments.
Shalom,
Rochelle
LikeLike
Sad but hopeful, and in so few words. Lovely.
LikeLike
Thank you for your lovely comment, Kathy.
Shalom,
Rochelle
LikeLike
Dear Rochelle,
I came to read and apparently wasn’t paying much attention. (Shame on me!) Your use of dialect halted me mid sentence (what’s he saying?) and made me go back to the beginning to start again. Thank you for getting me focused and for the wonderful, if sad, story.
I learn a lot from you every week via your style, which most always reflects compassion, and through your expanded story links.
Thank you,
Lynda
LikeLike
Dear Lynda,
What can I say? Sometimes that little bit of dialect adds a certain flavor to a story. I’m glad it didn’t trip you up too much.
Thank you for such lovely comments.
Shalom,
Rochelle
LikeLike
It’s good to be reminded that most people have to face and cope with trauma at some time in their life. Mostly this increases their compassion. Thank you.
LikeLike
Dear Hilary,
I learned something new about my husband from writing this one. He’s never before told me of some of the search and rescue (or retrieval) missions he’d been part of.
I would think it would be hard to cope with it.
Thank you.
Shalom,
Rochelle
LikeLike
it’s always sad when a child dies. so much unfulfilled promise.
LikeLike
Dear Plaridel,
No argument there. Thanks for commenting.
Shalom,
Rochelle
LikeLike
I never knew of that monument. It breaks my heart.
LikeLike
Mine, too, Danny.
LikeLike
You’d told such a sad story so well, and I like that you gave one of the boatmen a baby. I can imagine him watching his child grow up, always reminded of the baby they pulled from the water,
LikeLike
Dear Ali,
I appreciate your kind words. It would be hard enough to retrieve a baby’s body, but to be the parent of a child around the same age, I think, would make it twice as hard.
Thank you.
Shalom,
Rochelle
LikeLike
Yep, that’s a job that’ll give you nightmares. Well written.
LikeLike
Dear Alice,
It would be a tough job indeed.
Thank you.
Shalom,
Rochelle
LikeLike
Great flash. The titanic was such a large catastrophe but a little baby makes it personal for everyone. I think there is something in the photo prompt because although difference mine is similar. Eerie
LikeLike
Dear Irene,
I think it’s the way the photo has been antiqued that inspires a bit of the dark side.
Glad you liked my story. Thank for commenting.
Shalom,
Rochelle
LikeLiked by 1 person
It certainly gives it history.
LikeLiked by 1 person
So sad. Beautifully told – Logan’s a lovely character, and I feel how he has been affected by his work.
LikeLike
Dear Margaret,
I’m glad my Logan was real to you. My characters have a way of writing themselves for me. 😉
Thank you for such lovely comments.
Shalom,
Rochelle
LikeLike
Your dialogue was great 🙂
LikeLike
Thank you, Helen. 😀
LikeLike
Wonderful voices that take the reader back, and conjure pictures of bearded sailors in aran sweaters. Very atmospheric, Logan’s personal worries making the scale of the disaster real.
LikeLike
Dear Sarah Ann,
If I didn’t set the scene, you certainly did. Thank you for such a wonderful comment.
Shalom,
Rochelle
LikeLike
Sad but lovely story, Rochelle. Well written as always. The dialect added a lot to it. It’s heartbreaking when someone comes in contact with a child who’s died. My dad was a fireman and had carried out the bodies of children who had been overcome by smoke in a burning building. He’d almost cry when he’d tell how they looked like they were asleep. — Suzanne
LikeLike
Dear Suzanne,
That must’ve been awful for your dad. I’m thankful there are people like him who give of themselves that way.
Thank you for your sweet comments on my story.
Shalom,
Rochelle
LikeLike
Dear Rochelle
A sad tale, beautifully told. The dialogue worked very well as did the dialect. You struck a chord of sadness and of what it must have been like for the sailors who recovered and cared for all those bodies, especially the children.
As an aside to your story – following extensive DNA research in Canada, in 2008 the child was eventually identified as Sidney Leslie Goodwin, born in Melksham, Wiltshire, I’ve put the link here. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sidney_Leslie_Goodwin
The band leader who played while the ship went down was Wallace Hartley and he was from my home town of Colne in Lancashire, so I was brought up on stories of what happened to the ship and have been interested in her ever since.
Take care
Dee
LikeLike
Dear Dee,
I actually did know about Sidney Goodwin and the DNA findings. I almost posted a picture of him and a link but decided to go the minimalist route this week.
I’ll bet you do know some stories.
I’m glad that my story rang true for you.
Thank you.
Shalom,
Rochelle
LikeLiked by 1 person
Dear Rochelle
After I posted my comment it struck me that you would know about Sidney, if only through all the research that you do.
Glad you chose the minimalist route, you gave us a lovely story.
Beat wishes
Dee
LikeLiked by 1 person
Such a poignant little story. Great use of dialogue. 🙂
LikeLike
Dear Fairymind,
Thank you for your kind words.
Shalom,
Rochelle
LikeLiked by 1 person
Oh! What an ending! You brought it around to a good zinger tying the whole story together in one package. I loved this Rochelle.
LikeLike
Dear Joe,
Comments like yours make me feel that I’m on the “write” track. Thank you so much.
Shalom,
Rochelle
LikeLike
Most welcome.
LikeLike
A really sad, but beautifully written story this week Rochelle. And we seem to have gone down a similar route, but your retrieval was more successful than mine…
LikeLike
Dear Claire,
Comments like this from an author of your calibre give me a reason to smile. However I think my retrieval would’ve been more successful if they’d recovered the baby alive. As always, I’m in awe of your writing.
Shalom,
Rochelle
LikeLike
I can hardly imagine having to go through something like that. It would stay with a person for a long while, I think. Beautifully written.
LikeLike
Dear Tiffany,
I can’t imagine it either.
Thank you for your comments and compliments.
Shalom,
Rochelle
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thank you for this story Rochelle. As well as moving, it’s intriguing. If the child was not on the list, was he or she a stowaway? Smuggled on by a mother who gave birth out of wedlock? The possibilities are many. Ann
LikeLike
Dear Ann,
It turns out that after all these years, DNA tests were done and the child was found to be Sidney Goodwin who at the time of the sinking, One Year and two-hundred-fifty-five days old. Although your possibilities are more intriguing. 😉 Another story perhaps?
Thank your for paddling by.
Shalom,
Rochelle
LikeLiked by 1 person
I’m glad the child was able to be identified. Science is sometimes good for something. What an awful tragedy. Such a short life.
LikeLike
Wonderful story, Rochelle. Well timed, too, since my husband and I were just talking about the various things that have happened with cruises in recent years.
As for the coins, I wonder if it may be some sort of nod to the old custom of putting coins over the deceased’s eyes, which may have originated back during ancient Greek times. Paying the tithe to get across the River Styx and all. Snopes has an interesting piece on that here.
LikeLike
Dear Emilie,
It makes you think about taking a cruise doesn’t it? One of the many things I found interesting about the Titanic was that it had an Olympic size pool. If I’d been there, I’d probably have been swimming laps when the ship sank. 😉
Interesting thoughts on the coins. By the same token, there’s an old Jewish custom of leaving stones on the grave.
Thank you for your comments. I’ll have to check out your link.
Shalom,
Rochelle
LikeLike
Great job with a delicate subject. Sad to lose children.
LikeLike
Dear Linda,
I suppose the only “consolation” to the baby perishing is that there was no family left to mourn his loss.
I appreciate you taking the time to read and comment. Nice to see you here.
Shalom,
Rochelle
LikeLike
Dear Rochelle, I love your story and I know that some of the original survivors of the Titanic died later. Your story is so moving and the coins are new to me, I am impressed. Nan 🙂
LikeLike
Dear Nan,
No one gets out of this life alive, do they? Are there any survivors of the Titanic still alive.
I think I’m going to have to dig deeper into this coin thing. I hadn’t given it much thought when I posted the picture but it has become a hot topic.
Your comments are always sweet and appreciated.
Thank you.
Shalom,
Rochelle
LikeLike
Very gripping
LikeLike
Thank you, Mike. It was nice of you to come by for a read and a comment. Much appreciated.
Shalom,
Rochelle
LikeLike
So sad Rochelle.
LikeLike
Indeed it was, Colline. And it still fires our imaginations today.
Shalom,
Rochelle
LikeLike
Very sad story in your unique rendering, Rochelle! I wonder if the monument is in the cemetery in Halifax.
Lily
LikeLike
Dear Lily,
The monument is in Fairview Lawn Cemetery in Halifax. Of course now, through DNA, the child is known, Sidney Leslie Goodwin. He was almost two. Very sad.
Thank you for taking the time to read and comment. I don’t take that for granted.
Shalom,
Rochelle
LikeLike
Brilliant historical evocation in a wee wee tale…
We could read it along with the famous ode this Burn’s Nicht nicht as we tuck into our vegetarian haggis (now there’s and oxymoron…)
LikeLike
Dear MJ,
I had to look up the poem in question. Thank you for sharing that. Glad you liked me wee tale.
Shalom,
Rochelle
LikeLike
I did like it…And there’s me thinking how appropriate the dialect was to the date. A nice bit of serendipity and coincidence. We only celebrate Burn’s because me wee daughter has a Scottish education – we sent her North to seek her fortune and now she’s home with odd Scottish habits.
MJ
LikeLike
A beautiful and tremendously moving story, Rochelle. It’s hard to think of all those lost on that fateful voyage, and the heartrending work done by the lifeboatmen to retrieve the bodies. You have written this beautifully, evoking wonderful images aboard the boat, with the lilting dialect playing against the icy Atlantic wind. You have also made excellent use of historical evidence. Overall, a briiliant interpretation of the picture.
LikeLike
Dear Millie,
I can’t imagine the magnitude of the Titanic. When the idea of writing about it in a single flash fiction was suggested to me I was somewhat daunted. There are so many stories that can be told. When I read of little Sidney and the impact finding him had on the sailors I knew that was my story.
I’m pleased that it came across so well. Thank you for swimming by to say so. 😉
Shalom,
Rochelle
LikeLiked by 1 person
You did the story beautifully, Rochelle. So poignant. I enjoyed the swim over to say so.
LikeLike
Your ability to work actual history into these works of fiction is impressive, I must say. (Though you’ve probably heard this so many times.)
LikeLike
Dear Adam,
History was my worst subject in high school, although historical fiction has always been a favorite. It’s only been in the last ten years that I’ve started writing. I’ve probably learned more about history through research. Or maybe it’s the fact that at this stage in my life many of my memories are history. 😉
Thank you for your kind words. I really don’t get tired of hearing it.
Shalom,
Rochelle
LikeLiked by 1 person
How sad. The dialogue/dialect worked great, Rochelle.
The tombstone looks so large for such a young child.
Ellespeth
LikeLike
Dear Ellespeth,
It is sad and it’s only been in recent years that, through DNA testing, they’ve learned the identity of the child. He was Sidney Leslie Goodwin, not quite two years old. He perished with his family.
Thank you for commenting. I’m glad the dialogue worked.
Shalom,
Rochelle
LikeLike
dear Rochelle,
back to FF after months finally…
the dialogue ist brilliant (although I had to google “Dinnae fash yersel” 🙂 ) It brings the whole scene to me, the weather, the two guys, the sea. I always admire how you put so much content in so less words. And you get me with the emotions between the lines. A great welcome for me after a long time of abstinence. My mum had a cerebral haemorrhage and life got completely new focuses. But it was so good to see, that there are things that last and I could come here again and find you and some familiar names.
Now I`ll check up inlinkz and more great stories…
Liebe Grüße aus Deutschland
where all the flags fly at half mast today
in remebrance of the relief of Auschwitz 27.1.1945
Carmen
LikeLike
Dear Carmen,
First welcome back. I have missed you and am sorry about your mother.
I didn’t realize that Germany flew flags at half mast in remembrance and it brings tears to my eyes. Thank you for telling me that. It means a lot to me. Never again.
I’m glad that my story came across the way I intended. Thank you for your sweet comments and, again it’s good to read your voice again. 😉
Shalom,
Rochelle
LikeLike
Rochelle, your story is written beautifully with so much poignancy. I teared up reading about little Sidney.
Incidentally, in my country coins are given to the dead in the belief that they would buy their passage across the Biblical River Jordan. (Hades in Greek mythology) 🙂 But Christianity is making this tradition redundant now. 🙂
LikeLike
Dear Celestine,
I’m guessing that you’re probably right about the coins.
There’s something very wrong about the death of such a young child. I suppose the only consolation with Sidney is that his whole family perished so no one was left to mourn his loss.
Thank you so much for reading and commenting.
Shalom,
Rochelle
LikeLike