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The next photo is the PROMPT. Remember, all photos are property of the photographer, donated for use in Friday Fictioneers only. They shouldn’t be used for any other purpose without express permission. It is proper etiquette to give the contributor credit.
PHOTO PROMPT © Liz Young
Anyone remember playing solitaire with real cards you held in your hand? Those who don’t will probably never know the “joy” of playing 52 Card Pickup. 😉 I still remember the colorful backs of my parents’ plastic coated playing cards. I learned early how to shuffle them and became adept at making a tunnel. A playing card turned your plain old bicycle into a motorcycle like magic. All it took was a clothespin to clip the cards to your wheel spokes.
I could go on about the joys of playing cards. Instead I’ll leave you to your own memories and musings and present my story for the week.
Genre: Fiction-ish
Word Count: 100
SOLITAIRE
“Two of hearts joins the ace of hearts.” Ten-year-old Elise arranged the four suits in neat rows on her beach towel. “King of clubs marries his queen.”
Elise’s mom, who worked full time, had found the perfect summer babysitter when she joined the pool. Leave childcare to the lifeguards.
Hot sun beat down on Elise’s bare back. She stacked and shuffled the cards. “I win,” she said to no one. “Time for a swim.”
Diving under the waves she imagined herself to be a mermaid with iridescent fins. The water caressed her. Immersed in her chlorinated haven, who needed playmates?
Rochelle Wisoff-Fields-Addicted to Purple 
An intriguing mixture of imagination and order, this child
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Dear Neil,
She did have her pockets of order for being an otherwise disorganized daydreamer. 😉 Thank you for swimming by.
Shalom,
Rochelle
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I remember playing with real cards, both solitaire and with my brothers and grandfather.
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Dear Sadje,
I loved playing cards with my dad. 😀 Thanks for sharing your memory.
Shalom,
Rochelle
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My pleasure!
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I did spend a lot of time with cards as a kid – games, houses, etc., but I never did that spoke trick. I like the story and get the “ish” part of the “fiction-ish”…
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Dear Trent,
I don’t recall ever doing the spoke thing. My parents wouldn’t have been happy to find a missing card in any of the decks. My brother’s the one who introduced me to 52 Card Pickup. 😉 Glad you got the ‘ish’ part. Thank you.
Shalom,
Rochelle
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Your story gives depth to the painting. I see little Elsie’s joyful world as a mermaid. I would feel sorry for her since her mom is clueless about her lonely child, but it seems Elsie has found a way to cope that’s not half bad!
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Dear Clare,
I didn’t have enough words to add that Elise’s older brother (by 6 years) was supposed to keep an eye on her. 😉
No need to feel sorry for Elise. She did have friends they just weren’t members of the same pool. Good memories do abound. Thank you.
Shalom,
Rochelle
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The only cards we played with when I was a kid were Old Maid and the like. There were no face cards in our household. My dad had learned to gamble when he was in the Navy during WW II, and he saw the dangers up close and personal.
I do enjoy the website I found that offers many, many varieties of Solitaire. No money lost or gained :). It sure helped pass the hours when I was so sick!
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Dear Linda,
Cards were cheap entertainment at our house. My dad was in the army in WWII but he never said anything about gambling. I guess it wasn’t his thing. He taught me to play gin rummy and casino. Some of my fondest memories center around cards.
Solitaire was an escape mechanism for me, in childhood and adult years, until computers. Then I played it until I could no longer stand it. Now I play Scrabble on my iPad and iPhone. 😉
Shalom,
Rochelle
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Dad was in the Navy, in submarines.Plenty of time for gambling when they were off-duty. I’m thinking part of his aversion was going from calm to terror when the alarms rang. There were either torpedos or depth charges coming their way. Got their minds off the game, I guess.
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Cards, cards & more cards. I’ll never forget the annual Christmas & holiday treks up to my hometown of Galt, Missouri. Our relatives would gather from everywhere to Grannies house, set up card tables throughout the house, and the games began. It was a great time. And, yes, I used cards on the spokes of my bicycle mimicking my dreams of a motorcycle. Wonderful memories from childhood. Great story.
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Dear Jan,
I remember how you wanted me to learn to play Hearts until I won the first time I played. I loved playing cards with my dad. Thank you re my story, m’luv
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Dear Rochelle,
Amazing how 52 (54, counting the Jokers) cards can truly work the imagination. Yes, there are the games people play, but you are not limited to that and can amuse yourself for hours. My friend Roxanne and I played countless games of gin rummy, while drinking pots of tea. And I have spent many an hour playing variations of Solitaire.
Of course, socializing IS important, eh, Miss Finn?
Shalom and lotsa pleasant love,
Dale
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Dear Dale,
It’s not to say that Elise didn’t have friends. Not many of them belonged to the Jewish Community Center pool. 😉 I loved playing gin rummy with my dad. It seems we’ve lost something these days with all the electronics. Thank you for swimming by. 😀
Shalom and lotsa social hugs,
Rochelle
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Oh, I don’t imagine Elise didn’t have friends 😉 Gin rummy… I miss playing that. Or, actually, I just realised that I kinda sorta lied. We used to play Rummy 500 🙂
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I played Rummy with my friends which was different than Gin Rummy. And no one played Casino with me but my dad.
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It’s pretty much the same thing, really. In Gin rummy, you hold all your cards until you have all your sets; in Rummy 500, you put ’em down as you make ’em and count your points until you reach 500… Never played Casino, though
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Absolutely love playing cards, and I use the real ones with my kids too. For me – their beauty is in the endless variation of games you can play with something that fits in the pocket. I remember inventing new games with them too with my cousin.
I sense there’s more ish than fiction in your story, and love it all the more for that!
Jen
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Dear Jen,
I kind of miss card games with friends and family. My dad taught me solitaire and other games. I remember him sitting at the dining room table playing game after game of solitaire and explaining his moves.
And yes, there’s more fact than fiction in my story. 😉 Thank you.
Shalom,
Rochelle
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Very cute story. Children who know how to play quietly and use their imagination are so endearing to watch. She reads as a contented child.
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Dear Lisa,
She had her contented moments. 😉 Thank you.
Shalom,
Rochelle
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Rochelle, you are very welcome.
Shalom,
Lisa
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Lovely story of a self-confident Elsie with a wonderful imagination, both with her cards and in the pool. I hope she does have friends, they would love her company.
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Dear James
Elise does have friends but most of them don’t belong to that pool. 😉 Thank you.
Shalom,
Rochelle
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Hi Rochelle,
Is it Lisa or Liz’s Photo Prompt? I changed to Liz Young after reading your comment on Trent’s page.
Thank you.
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Having my own merDNA, I understand that feeling. I was 7 years old when I learned to swim and I was this little girl, alone and abandoned until I was submerged. I still find solace and healing in the water. Thanks for the flashback; bitter sweet.
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Dear Tracey,
My mother enrolled me in swimming lessons around six or seven because I wasn’t afraid of the water. I had no fear of jumping off the diving board and dog paddling to the ladder. I’ve always been grateful for those lessons. As you can guess this story is more autobiography than fiction. So we have a lot in common. Thank you.
Shalom,
Rochelle
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Reminded me how playing cards was a great family pastime in our household. I believe I must have been quite proficient at Solo Whist by the time I was eleven. Your character seems to be as happy within her own skin as she is in the water. Well done.
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Dear Sandra,
We played a lot of cards in our house, too. 😀 Thank you for your kind comments.
Shalom,
Rochelle
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The contentment of a happy child. Long may it last.
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Dear Iain,
Elise had her moments of contentment. 😉 Thank you.
Shalom,
Rochelle
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Cute little tale!
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Thank you, Neel.
Shalom,
Rochelle
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Dear Rochelle,
Beautiful mermaid painting, and as for the tale, a deck of cards and a swimming pool, what more can a child ask to keep her out of trouble if she can’t have her mother with her, right?!
Shalom,
Dora
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Dear Dora,
Those were good times indeed. And the mermaid painting is who the little girl imagined herself to be. 😉 Thank you.
Shalom,
Rochelle
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Thank you Rochelle for this inspiration. Imagination, such a faithful friend. Beautiful artwork, hoping it’s found a home worthy of your craft. Take care.
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Dear Susan,
The original mermaid is still looking for a home. 😉 Several prints have been sold, though. 😀 Thank you.
Shalom,
Rochelle
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Reblogged this on https:/BOOKS.ESLARN-NET.DE.
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I enjoyed your story, Rochelle. Beautiful painting. Thanks for hosting. 🙂
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Thank you for your kind words and your participation, Kitty. 😀
Shalom,
Rochelle
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Thank you very much , Rochelle. 🙂
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I love the story and your painting Rochelle.
In my younger days, it was called Patience rather than Solitaire in the UK. Nowadays I confess to being almost addicted to playing it on my tablet – most evenings I have one eye on the TV and the other on the game!
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Dear Keith,
Thank you re my story and painting.
I got bored with electronic solitaire but am addicted to Scrabble on my tablet. There are a couple of other games I play as well, with one eye on the TV. Nice to know I’m not the only one. 😉
Shalom,
Rochelle
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Would this be autobiographical, by any chance?
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Dear Liz,
Totally autobrographical. Thank you for the photo!
Shalom,
Rochelle
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The child sounds so resigned and resolved to her faith.
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Dear Chioma,
Those were good days for Elise. Thank you.
Shalom,
Rochelle
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i guess those were the memories to be cherished as we get older.
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Dear Plaridel,
There are some memories I cherish. Yes. Thank you.
Shalom,
Rochelle
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Cards and playing games have lost their hold on me. Too bad. Yes to the bike spoke motor.
My bike now (unlike Jan’s dresser) is a 2014 Honda Forza 300 (I’m wondering how old is too old to ride). My son said that if I can’t pick it up, I shouldn’t ride it. So I sold the big bike and got this in 2015. I’ve never had to pick up the scoot, but I must have played 52-pick-up hundreds of times.
The other day at the pool I watched a lady swim laps with mermaid fins. Dolphin kicks only, but she seemed to be having fun.
Wonderful story.
Peace,
Bill
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Dear Bill,
My big brother taught me to play 52 Card Pickup. We played at least once. 😉
I’m not sure about mermaid fins. Whatever makes you happy. 😀 I do half my workout with fins though.
Thank you re my story.
Shalom,
Rochelle
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It depends on where I swim. At the Rec Center, I wear them the whole time. At other pools I wear them for the last half (leg workout). 🙂
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I remember feeling that way.
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Dear Dawn,
I hope it wasn’t all the time. 🙂
Shalom,
Rochelle
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Entertaining oneself is a good ability to have, but it comes with a melancholy undertone.
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Dear Nobbin,
Elise did grow to appreciate her own company. Melancholy indeed. Thank you.
Shalom,
Rochelle
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Who needs playmates indeed? It’s all in how you look at it. Lovely story.
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Thank you so much, Athling.
Shalom,
Rochelle
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Great story and painting – we always played cards at the weekend when I was young especially when my aunt and uncle descended with our cousins, cards, Monopoly, or Cluedo 🙂
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Dear Angela,
It sounds like you have some good memories. Thank you for your kind words.
Shalom,
Rochelle
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Hopefully she’s a great swimmer. We’ve mostly played Uno instead of normal cards.
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Dear Bernadette,
I’m not sure she’s a great swimmer but she does enjoy long swims. 😉 Thank you.
Shalom,
Rochelle
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Gosh, I had forgotten about “clothespin to clip the cards to your wheel spokes”. Brought a happy face to my face.
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Dear Mike,
Happy to bring out your happy face. 😀
Shalom,
Rochelle
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Ah, I almost feel sad for her. I remember my schoolmates playing solitaire together. I tried it once. It’s so much fun playing this with someone else.
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Dear Brit,
My mom and I used to play double solitaire. It was a lot of fun. Thank you for your sweet comments.
Shalom,
Rochelle
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I imagined being a mermaid or a dolphin as a child. I still imagine being a dolphin when swimming. Thank you.
Shalom,
Ronda
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Dear Ronda,
I still imagine myself to be a mermaid or dolphin, too. 😉 Thank you.
Shalom,
Rochelle
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