The following photo is the PROMPT. Let it speak to you, then tell us in a hundred words or less what it said.
Genre: Realistic Fiction
Word Count: 100
NIGHT AND FOG
To escape the downpour, I duck into a musty antique shop.
“Willkomen, sir,” says the elderly shopkeeper.
I walk past her to browse the cluttered shelves. A hauntingly familiar porcelain teacup catches my eye.
“Lovely, isn’t it?” she asks.
“My sister had one just like it until we quarreled and I broke it.”
The shopkeeper’s eyes brim. “That was the day the train took my brother Helmond and me to Auschwitz. I thought he died.”
“Esther!” I gasp.
My heart pounds as her radiant smile transforms her into the mischievous child I remember. We embrace and she whispers, “Apology accepted.”
What a heartwarming story to start my day with.
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Dear Louise,
Your comment was a lovely way to start my day as well. 😀
Thank you and shalom,
Rochelle
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My God. I got goose bumps. Or reallly, it sent shivers down my spine, in good way.
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Dear Helene,
Your comment has me smiling. Happy to send good shivers your way.
Shalom,
Rochelle
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Beautiful story, Rochelle. Well written as your stories always are. 🙂 — Suzanne
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Thank you, Suzanne. Sweet of you to say so. 😀
Shalom,
Rochelle
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Just then, the fog lifted and the family reunion commenced. Very nice.
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Dear StepHonie,
I’m not always sure why my mind goes were it does with some photos. There was a decree on Dec. 7, 1941 that went out from Hitler while everyone else was preoccupied with another horrible event. The decree was called ‘Night and Fog’ and was one directed at political prisoners and underground resistance fighters, etc. These people went to the camps or gas chambers with no documentation. They just ‘disappeared.’ Of course my characters didn’t but it seemed like such a relevant title.
All that explanation for such a short and very sweet comment. Aren’t you glad you stopped by? 😉
Thank you.
Shalom,
Rochelle
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Great story. I am interested in the “Night and Fog” decree. It is very similar to the Surrender on Demand clause that the occupied French government signed with the Nazis in 1940.
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Dear Patti,
First I’m glad you liked my story. 😉 Here’s a link to one of the articles about the Night and Fog decree. http://www.ushmm.org/wlc/en/article.php?ModuleId=10007465 There’s so much that’s still unknown. I just found out about this a few months ago in researching for another story.
Thank you and shalom,
Rochelle
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I think what I admire most is how you do poignant without ever getting to schmaltz.
Powerful,and beautifully written, as always.
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Dear CE,
I save the schmaltz for special occasions. 😉 Thank you for such an uplifting comment. The kind an author cherishes.
Shalom,
Rochelle
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Lovely story Rochelle, well written as always. A long time to wait for an apology but hopefully there will be no need for any more now.
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Dear Sandra,
I think Helmond regretted his last words to his sister being cross ones. Now he has a second chance. I love a happy ending…at least a bittersweet one.
Thank you and get better,
Shalom,
Rochelle
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It’s a great story Rochelle. I love the irony of the apology.
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Dear Mick,
Thank you for such lovely comments.
Shalom,
Rochelle
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No more than you deserve.
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What a wonderful story. Heartwarming and joyful.
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Many thanks, Jolly.
Shalom,
Rochelle
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I love your story, so heart touching! Cute ending, “apology accepted.”
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Dear Joy,
Thank you for coming by with such sweet words.
Shalom,
Rochelle
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What timing. Just returned from two weeks in Germany and Austria were I visited some of those horrible camps. One thing to read about it; something entirely different to see and feel.
DJ
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Dear Danny,
I’ve never been over there to see the camps in person. I can only imagine.
Thank you for coming by and taking the time to read and comment.
Shalom,
Rochelle
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A lifetime in a moment, staggering in its scope. Beautiful.
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Thank you, Joe. I appreciate such a wonderful comment.
Shalom,
Rochelle
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Most welcome Rochelle!
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Very touching!
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Thank you, Graham. 😀
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If I am crying it is for joy.. what a wonderful sweet end…
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Dear Björn,
Those tears make me smile. Compliments don’t get much better.
Thank you.
Shalom,
Rochelle
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Wonderful, warm story out of a cold, gray photo–and an even colder, darker history. Loved the ending ❤️
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Dear Jan,
Thank you for stopping to read and comment. Your compliments warm my morning.
Shalom,
Rochelle
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Goosebumps! How you manage to tell such beautiful stories in 100 words is beyond me. So well done.
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Dear Dale,
I’ll take those goosebumps as a high compliment.
Thank you.
Shalom,
Rochelle
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As you should!
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Wow! Heavy, but oh so lovely.
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Thank you, Caerlynn. 😀
Shalom,
Rochelle
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Those supposed coincidences happen quite frequently. I recently read of a thirty year old paramedic who saved the life of a guy who turned out to be the doctor who delivered him as a premature baby. People have said that coincidence is where God works anonymously
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Dear Larry,,
There are so many stories like this one even though mine is fiction. I quite agree about so called coincidences. I prefer to think of them as Divine Appointments. 😉
Thank you for reading and commenting.
Shalom,
Rochelle
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What a beautiful reunion! What are the odds? This story made me smile. Most excellently written Rochelle! 🙂
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Dear Eric,
I’m happy to leave you with a smile.
Thank you.
Shalom,
Rochelle
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That is an amazing little 100 word story. Magical and very poignant. 🙂
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Thank you, Deborah. 😀
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Who would ever think that after so many years and miles apart, something like this could happen? It can and does. Such a warm and good story from a dreary photo. Now, who would ever think that a story this good could ever happen in 100 words or less? It can and does every week with this wonderful writer.
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Dear Jan,
You speak as if you know the writer. 😉 Something good had to come out of that unexpected rainfall.
Love,
Rochelle
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What a sweet story Rochelle. You end your stories very well. Shalom.
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Dear Indira,
Not all endings are happy. This one just had to be.
Thank you.
Shalom,
Rochelle
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You are right Rochelle. Even one nice gives a reason to smile. Shalom.
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The best kind of lost and found story. Loved it and cried a little.
Tracey
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Dear Tracey,
Compliments don’t come any higher than tears. 😉
Thank you.
Shalom,
Rochelle
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A moving story, Rochelle, and like so many of yours, it gives me the feeling that it could have happened, even if it’s not as such a true story. Excellent writing.
As I have sworn to honesty and critique, I will give you a couple of extra thoughts, which you are welcome to ignore / disagree with, though. In my head, the narrator was a woman (no reason, except possibly a natural association of narrator with author), so I had to read the middle part a couple of times to understand who was talking and who the brother was. Secondly, she finishes the story for him, but maintains the third person, which seemed a bit unnatural to me. And thirdly, it might possibly flow better into the apology if they were separated immediately, for example only one of them taken to the camp, or taken to different camps.
Hope the shift of gears is going well,
Jen
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Dear Jen,
As always, I do appreciate your honesty. You make good points, but given the word limit there were things I couldn’t shoe horn. I can think of a couple of tweaks I might do to establish his gender. Aside from that, I like the fact that she keeps in the third person when she finishes his story. I’ve thought about separate camps but there wasn’t enough leeway with the word count and males and females were automatically separated within the camps.
At any rate, I’m glad you were moved by the story, which is based on true stories.
Thank you,
Shalom,
Rochelle
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PS…you’ll note that I added sir after ‘wilkommen” decided her eye color wasn’t necessary. 😉
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I haven’t been able to check in with Friday Fictioneers much lately, but I’m glad stopped by today. A sweet tale…
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Dear Lisa,
I’m glad you stopped by, too. Thank you for your kind words.
Shalom,
Rochelle
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I just read a book on the history of the Nazi concentration camps (Why? I don’t know it was a HUGE book with tiny, tiny words.) I remember reading about NIght and Fog. Your story gives it a much better ending.
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Dear Alicia,
Sometimes I wonder if I overdo the Jewish history/Holocaust theme, but there are so many stories to tell. Even in a book that size, I don’t think the surface has been scratched. They’re finding out new things all the time.
Thank you for reading and commenting.
Shalom,
Rochelle
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Gave me chills, Rochelle. I think this story is one of your better 100.
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Dear Ted,
Your comment means a lot to me. Thank very much.
Shalom,
Rochelle
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A ray of bright hope after such darkness. Lovely!
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Thank you, Lorna. 😀
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A very touching tale Rochelle, I had a lump in my throat. 🙂
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Dear JWD,
The lump in your throat beings a smile to my lips. High compliment.
Thank you.
Shalom,
Rochelle
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Such a heart-warming story. To find each other after all those years must be amazing. Expertly portrayed.
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Dear Ansumani,
While my story is fiction it’s based on a few true ones. Each one of them made me cry.
Thank you for your kind words.
Shalom,
Rochelle
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So rare that families are reunited, but it happens. So heartening, yet so terrible to know that families are torn apart by holocausts now, world over, and in the past, Jews and Gentiles alike
Thanks, Rochelle.
Randy
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Dear Randy,
Would that it were not true. All I can say to your comment is amen and thank you.
Shalom,
Rochelle
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it was a great story with a happy ending. please, pass the tissue…
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Dear Plaridel,
Passing the tissues along with my appreciation of your comment.
Shalom,
Rochelle
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Would that all such stories ended this way, Rocelle. I won’t say “hope you’re enjoying your retirement” as I know it for a fact. 🙂
janet
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Dear Janet,
It seems there are a few of those stories out there and can be found on You Tube. This one needed a happy ending.
I’m already adding my voice to those who’ve said they don’t know how they found the time to work. 😉
Thank you for coming by.
Shalom,
Rochelle
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That completely SLEW me! What a haunting, heartbreaking, beautifully narrated story! I love the tightly packed details, the back-story, the dialogue, and the gentle humor at the end. How on EARTH did you manage ALL of that in just a hundred words? You are a genius!
(And, by the way, I’ve seen “Night and Fog,” a truly haunting and horrifying documentary of Auschwitz and the camps.)
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Dear Vijaya,
This is the kind of a comment that thrills this author. Thank you.
Shalom,
Rochelle
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🙂 My pleasure!
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Whoops. Stinging behind the eyes.
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Dear Patrick,
Your stinging eyes make me smile.
Thank you.
Shalom,
Rochelle
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A happy moment and some sad memories. Brilliant.
Rosey Pinkerton’s blog
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Thank you, Rosey. 😀
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Very touching.
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Thank you, Sarala, I’m pleased you found it so.
Shalom,
Rochelle
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What a great reunion. I love it.
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Dear Phyllis,
I can only imagine what that would be like.
Thank you.
Shalom,
Rochelle
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So glad you don;t have to live it.
Phyllis
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Oh my gosh, what a great story. So emotional. I’m glad they found one another.
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Thank you for such a wonderful comment, Solo. 😀
Shalom,
Rochelle
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Bravo Rochelle, that’s such a marvelous story and so well told!
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Dear Karen,
Thank you for such a marvelous comment. 😉 I’m glad you enjoyed my story.
Shalom,
Rochelle
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I’m so glad this had a happy ending. It’s beautiful, as always, and, for some reason, irritated my eyes. 🙂
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Dear Gah,
I seem to be irritating the readers’ eyes this week. That makes me smile. 🙂
Thank you for your sweet comments.
Shalom,
Rochelle
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a heart warming story, Rochelle 🙂 thanks for sharing ❤
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Dear Lady L,
I’m pleased you found it so. Thank you. 😀 ❤
Shalom,
Rochelle
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Such a beautiful ending! You wrap it up very nicely with “Apology accepted”.
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Thank you, Ali. 😀
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Dear Rochelle,
Lovely reunion!
I thought she had found her brother who had another teacup, but then she found the same sister with whom she had quarreled!
Couldn’t guess that her elder sister had more teacups as your story says- “My sister had one just like it until we quarreled and I broke it.”.
A reader thinks there was just one cup, while a surprise greets:)
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Dear Anita,
I’m glad you like the story.
The narrator is the brother who broke his sister’s teacup. There is only one sister in the story–the shopkeeper. The teacup on the shelf is like the one the brother broke.
Thank you.
Shalom,
Rochelle
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I love stories like this. Another great one hundred words!
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Dear Ruth,
Thank you for stopping by to read and leave such a nice comment.
Shalom,
Rochelle
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Your stories go right to the heart and trigger the tear ducts every time, Rochelle. Always so real and raw. A beautiful story with a tragic middle but a happy ending. Shalom, Cheryl-Lynn
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Dear Cheryl-Lynn,
What a wonderful thing for an author to hear. Thank you for such an affirming comment.
Shalom,
Rochelle
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Rochelle,
You’re welcome! I noticed a comment you made wondering if you are “overdoing the Jewish/history theme”. With a dying generation from those days, we need to remember, put a face and a story to the history and you do that so well, Rochelle.
Other countries have other realities and write about that and I enjoy (even if tragic and heart wrenching) reading stories from Afghanistan, India, China (I used to love reading Pearls S. Buck) Jerusalem, Russia, Rwanda and the list goes on. Stories are what bring the history to life. I may not understand the politics but I want to hear about the stories behind these wars and genocides. We are all connected to the same race…the human race.
Shalom
Cheryl-Lynn x
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Such a wonderful story, Rochelle!
Lily
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Thank you, Lily. 😀
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What a beautiful story!
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You brought me smiles and tears with your little gem of a story! Thank you!
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Dear Corina,
Smiles and tears are the best compliments an author can receive.
Thank you.
Shalom,
Rochelle
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Dear Rochelle,
You took my breath away this week. One of your finest stories! This type of tale is difficult to tell from a fresh perspective in a way that doesn’t feel tired or overwrought, and yet you pulled it off. Kudos!
Peace,
Marie Gail
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Dear Marie Gail,
Your comments a lot to me on many levels. ❤
Thank you.
Shalom,
Rochelle
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Rochelle, what a reunion this is. The teacup as the focal point reflects how nothing has changed, but at the same time everything has changed. The teacup is now broken, but their love isn’t and they still have each other. Wonderful, moving story this week, Rochelle.
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Dear Amy,
Thank you for such a wonderful and understanding comment.
Shalom,
Rochelle
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I held off reading, as I always do, until I could write my own. This photo took me to much darker places, I’m afraid. Your story is inspiring and lovely, Rochelle. Our dear friend Noemi, a Holocaust survivor, just stopped driving… I fear there will be few of them left soon. You do this so well. 🙂 Shalom.
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Dear Dawn,
I can’t explain it, but there are times I know what I have to write even though I’ve tried to take it other places. This was one of those times. Alas, these precious people are dying off. Someone has to keep their memories alive. 😉
Thank you for taking the time out of your travels to read and comment.
Shalom,
Rochelle
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Rochelle, this is a delightful piece. I love it. Thank you for sharing it. It comes on the heels of reading a historical fiction about The Children of Bullenhuser Damm School. Also a wonderful piece, but so tragic. It is unfathomable to me that people deny the Holocaust. If you’re interested, here is the link: https://jenspenden.wordpress.com/2015/09/22/kleine-mause-2nd-round-nyc-midnight-flash-fiction-challenge/
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Dear Sara,
Thank you for such a lovely comment. I’ll read the other story soon. I skimmed it and it looks like a good one. It’s unimaginable that humans can be so cruel to one another…and then to deny it ever happened? Unconscionable.
Shalom,
Rochelle
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Greetings, Rochelle! I hope you enjoy Jenna’s story. She’s quite a word smith!
It is unconscionable what humans will do to one another. Good thing there are so many of us that pursue education and improvement of ourselves and the world around us.
Best,
Sara
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Rochelle,
what a wonderful story, although I wrongly assumed the shopkeeper was male first, so I had to read it again to sort out the genders.
Every time I see this picture I think of the night Leah and I stayed at the hotel north of Kansas City, the same day we saw you and Marie Gail. The weather looked a lot like this and the scene as I looked down into the parking lot to make sure a tornado hadn’t carried off our car was a lot like this one. 🙂
-David
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Dear David,
Funny, I ended up adding ‘sir’ and taking out an unnecessary word further down do clarify that the narrator was a man. At any rate, if you felt compelled to read it twice it’s all good. 😉
I took this picture last month when we went to Wichita. There had been no rain in the forecast. And of course, as we all do, I thought it might make a good prompt photo.
I did enjoy meeting you and Leah that weekend so I’m really glad a tornado didn’t carry off.
Thank you and Shalom,
Rochelle
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What a lovely story Rochelle! I enjoyed it very much and it had a perfect ending! Nan
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Dear Nan,
I’m pleased that you enjoyed my little story. I had to obey the muse this week and write a happy ending. 😉
Thank you.
Shalom,
Rochelle
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Lovely! That’s the kind of miracle I like to read about. I just heard on the radio that a married couple in their 80s were reunited after over 60 years of separation. The Korean War separated them. Did you hear about the reunion visits they’re now able to have? I can’t imagine the emotions – the wife was 19 when they separated.
Margaret
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Dear Margaret,
I hadn’t heard about that particular couple but I’ve read a few others. There’s an organization in Israel that is working to reunite survivors with their families.
I’m pleased you enjoyed reading my story as much as I enjoyed writing it.
Thank you.
Shalom,
Rochelle
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Rochelle, I didn’t receive your Challenge Post in my email this week. I went into my “Manage Subscriptions” and requested to follow you (although I already am following you, but I wanted to make sure it had not been deleted) and it gave me the message, “You do not have access to this blog.” Did you block me from receiving posts from your blog???
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Certainly not!!! I’ve no idea what that’s about. You might contact WordPress.
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Thank you so much for getting back to me. I have contacted WordPress but I wanted to check with you and make sure you hadn’t blocked me. I also wanted to alert you of this in case it is happening to anyone else. WordPress has been messing up some of my subscriptions lately.
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