A resounding HAPPY ANNIVERSARY to Pegman. Can you believe it’s been a year already? Many happy returns to Karen and Josh. You’re doing a great job.
For guidelines and rules for the What Pegman Saw weekly writing prompt, visit the home page.
This photo didn’t take me to Iowa, but to the back woods of Arkansas. The story is an edited snippet from a story in my short story anthology THIS, THAT AND SOMETIMES THE OTHER which is out of print (save copies still available from the author 😉 ) It’s still available on Kindle. The story is based on one of my husband’s memories of spending summers with his best friend Ray (Francis Ray Stills). We had fun working on the longer version together.
Genre: Realistic Fiction
Word Count: 150
SWIMMING LESSON
Granny Stillwell’s shack, built into the hills, was propped up on cinderblocks. Another rough-hewn cabin sat just the other side of a vegetable garden. A tire-less, 1940’s pick-up truck, also set on cinderblocks, had been pushed up against one wall “to keep it from a-leaning too much.”
After supper, his stomach full of catfish and rhubarb cobbler, Kenny Lord lazed on the porch and thought about the day.
“Hey, Lordy-Lordy, know how to swim?”
“No.”
“Time to learn.”
He would never forget his terror when Boyce shoved him off the cliff to the Buffalo River 50 feet below. Boyce’s evil laughter filled his ears until water surged up his nose and his panic-stricken lungs blazed.
Kenny seethed. “Boyce better watch his back.”
“He was jest funnin’,’” said Frankie-Ray Stillwell.
Granny spat out a wad of chewing tobacco. “Vengeance is mine, saith the Lord.”
Kenny smirked. “That’s me, Kenneth Donald Lord.”
Great story. I love the image of the truck holding up the wall. And fifty feet is a very long way to fall. I don’t blame the kid for harboring a grudge. Nicely told, and thanks for the props. We’re happy to have you aboard.
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Dear Josh,
On one memorable vacation and float trip on the Buffalo I got to experience Granny’s house and see the cliff. It’s always been one of my husband’s favorite stories to recount…I just took it to a new and fictitious level. 😉 Thank you for the comment and for a good year.
Shalom,
Rochelle
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A fifty foot fall off a cliff into water could very well prove fatal for a non-swimmer so Boyce really better watch his back. It wouldn’t have been funny to me.
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Dear James,
It wasn’t too funny to Kenny either. 😉 Thank you.
Shalom,
Rochelle
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Oh man it set my stomach spinning just thinking about a fifty foot drop. Masterful job packing this tale into 150 words. I especially enjoyed the rich scene-setting. So glad to have you popping by Pegman over this last year with us!
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Dear Karen,
I’ve seen that cliff and I wouldn’t want to be pushed off of it. Jan says it might not have been 50 feet but it got longer on the way down.
I’ve really enjoyed taking part in Pegman. It’s just different enough from FF to draw me in. Not really different as far as choosing the prompt, though. 😉 Maybe it’s the extra 50 words that allow me to expand some of the 100 word pieces.
Again, thanks for facilitating and for being faithful to comment. Everyone in FF knows exactly how I feel about interaction this week. 😉
Shalom,
Rochelle
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These Arkansas summer vacations were special to me. Lots of memories. As stated, it might not have been 50 feet exactly, but the further I fell with arms flailing, the further away the water seemed. This little Anthology of Rochelle’s short stories is a fun, and a great read. As it is still available on Kindle, it is a very frugal and fun read. Check it out. “This, That and Somtimes the Other”.
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Dear Jan,
Of all the stories in that book this is memorable because it was so much fun to take an old story and collaborate on a new one. ❤
Thanks for the comment and the sales pitch, m'luv. 😉
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‘A stomach full of catfish and rhubarb cobbler’. My, you’ve made me hungry! Loved the story, Rochelle!
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Dear Penny
No doubt it was catfish the boys had caught themselves. 😉 Thank you.
Shalom,
Rochelle
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Dear Rochelle,
That was great! So much fun and I sure as heck would NOT consider it “just funnin'” to be pushed off a 50-foot cliff!
Hope he did get his vengeance! (Love the drawing…)
Lotsa love,
Dale
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Dear Dale,
Even Jan admits that the drop got longer every time he told the story. However, I’ve see the cliff and the swimming hole and 50 feet or not it’s quite a drop. I don’t know if Jan ever got true revenge.
At any rate you’ll have to long version. 😉 Thank you, my friend.
Shalom,
Rochelle
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Times were tough in the old days !!! And the houses were crooked !!!
Great story until the swimming lesson, and then my blood ran cold.. could have been a nasty accident !!!!
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Dear Valerie,
No doubt those boys never thought about the possible consequences. Fortunately my husband lived to tell about it….over and over again. 😉 Thank you for taking the time to read and comment. Seeing you here makes me smile.
Shalom,
Rochele
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Yeah, Boyce better watch it. I’m not a fan of such teaching methods. Oddly enough, the same people who espouse such teaching methods don’t like being taught that way either. Funny that.Next time Boyce decides to take a bath, he might get the lesson: What to do when in a bath full of Water Moccasins.
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Dear Eric,
A bath full of Water Moccasins? That might be over the top. 😉 I don’t think instruction of any kind even crossed Boyce’s small mind. Thank you.
Shalom,
Rochelle
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What? Me? Over the top? 😉 😀
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When I read this the first time in This, That and Sometimes the Other, I didn’t think it was a good way to learn to swim. It’s still a very harsh lesson edited down!
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Dear Sarah Ann,
I’m glad the edited story worked. But, it pleases me to no end to know that you read my anthology. 😀 😀 😀 Thank you for that.
Shalom,
Rochelle
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I certainly don’t blame Kenny for being furious! Such a witty last line.
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Dear Magarisa,
Kenny does get back at him in the end. 😉 Thank you.
Shalom,
Rochelle
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Dear Rochelle,
Good to know. 😉
You’re most welcome.
Best wishes,
Magarisa
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Wow, I can swim, but a fall of 50 feet? That’s about, what, 15 metres? I’d be terrified too! Boyce had better watch his back, the nasty fellow.
I love the scene you’ve painted with the cinder blocks and so on. It sounds very “out in the middle of the woods” 🙂
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Dear Ali,
Don’t ask me to think in metres. I could never grasp the metric system. Thank heaven for converters. 😉 (It came in handy when I was competing with my rabbi as to who swam the farthest in the shortest amount of time. His center’s pool was measured in metres and mine in yards. Bother! I still won.)
At any rate, I’m pleased you liked the story. The scene takes place in the Arkansas hills…very back woods. Thank you. 😀
Shalom,
Rochelle
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I loved the story and your picture to go with it, Rochelle. They play dangerous games there. Good writing as always. 🙂 — Suzanne
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Dear Suzanne,
Teenage boys don’t really think things through, do they? I’m glad you enjoyed the story and the picture. I had fun with both. 😀 Thank you.
Shalom,
Rochelle
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Dear Rochelle
I loved the scene setting in this the most, then the dialogue. Very convincing. It must have been such fun reminiscing then working on this story with your husband.
Shalom
Kelvin
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Dear Kelvin,
The full version of this story was a lot of fun for both my husband and myself. He’d told our kids the story of his swimming lesson for years. It was time to up the ante. Glad you enjoyed. I’ve read this one for our nephew’s high school English class and they get a kick out of the dialogue. Thank you for your kind comments.
Shalom,
Rochelle
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I greatly loved this tale. Rich scene too. All in all a treat. Merry Christmas to you.
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Dear Neel,
I’m glad you enjoyed this one. The longer version is forever one of my top favorites. Merry Christmas to you if you celebrate it. 😀 ❤
Shalom,
Rochelle
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