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 © Jennifer Pendergast
In this week’s photo we’re on a landing looking down a flight of stairs between two brick walls. At the bottom of the steps is a sidewalk, a street and beyond that a parking lot with cars. It’s snowing and between the walls an evergreen Christmas oranamet topped with snow.
Genre: Memoire
Word Count: 100
HONEYMOON SUITE
“The rent is $85.00 a month,” said the landlady, cuddling her yappy Schnauzer. “No pets allowed.”
The third-floor, four-room walkup was our first home together and a few blocks away from my school, the Kansa City Art Institute. Not to mention, the price was right for poverty-stricken newlyweds.
A green Naugahyde sofa between two barrels graced our not-so-great-room.
Our little hide-away, pet mouse, contraband puppy, and all.
The thin walls must have been constructed of foam core board, masking tape, and spit wads. We heard every clever word our next-door neighbors uttered such as, “Oh wow, man! What a rush!”
Rochelle Wisoff-Fields-Addicted to Purple 
Dear Rochelle,
Yesterday Once More is one of my favourite songs. Thanks for that.
Namaste
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Dear Geeta,
Gotta love the Carpenters. 😀 The song seemed to fit my story, too. Thank you.
Shalom,
Rochelle
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Those were the romantic times that make up sweet memories.
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Dear Joy,
It’s easy to romanticize fifty-four years later. 😉 Thank you.
Shalom,
Rochelle
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And yet there is a charm, isn’t there, to that memory of the first steps into adult life?
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Dear Neil,
Well said, sir. Although it took us a few more years to truly step into adulthood. 😉 Not sure I’ve made it yet. Thank you.
Shalom,
Rochelle
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How can we ever forget our little 1st apartment. It was probably smaller than our Den floor is today, 54 years later. Good story.
Sent from the all new AOL app for iOS
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Dear Jan,
And we’ve lived to tell about it. I really wish I’d taken more pictures then. But, oh yeah, we didn’t get a camera until after Shannon was born. Thanks, m’luv. And thanks for still being my first husband after all these years.
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I am still smiling about what you have written, Rochelle. Thinking about some memories just now… hmm.
Lovely song – haven’t listen to it for ages. Still great.
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Dear Chris,
Glad to send smiles. 😀 I always loved that song, too and it just seems to fit the story. Thank you.
Shalom,
Rochelle
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Lovely use of the prompt and nicely read.
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Dear Mr. B,
High praise coming from such a gifted reader.
Shalom,
Rochelle
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If the walls were that thin, it must have put a damper on the newlyweds at times.
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Dear James,
I never stopped to think about what they heard. 🙂 Thanks for dropping by.
Shalom,
Rochelle
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Dear Rochelle,
One needs to have experienced such to appreciate what comes after! What a lovely memory you shared.
Shalom and lotsa love,
Dale
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Dear Dale,
Those were interesting times for sure and certain. 😉 Thank you.
Shalom and lotsa nostalgic hugs,
Rochelle
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“Those were the days, my friend.” Nice slice of life memoir, Rochelle.
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Dear Lisa,
Lai lai lai lai lai… 😀 Thank you.
Shalom,
Rochelle
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Rochelle, you are very welcome.
Shalom,
Lisa
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Nostalgia is a funny thing isn’t it? You can look back and smile while holding the memory of the bad things too. I love the picture you paint of the landlady.
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Dear Jen,
If I’d had more words, I could have used the whole hundred words to paint a broader picture of Shirley. Ironically for all her rules about no pets, when I fessed up to having the puppy, she fell in love and would come upstairs with treats for Bambi. I don’t recall her saying anything about our white mouse, named doorknob. 😉
Thank you.
Shalom,
Rochelle
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Hi, delightful joy you delivered and could feel that new love and new life charm! The Yesterday Once More was new to me – also delicate and fit so well. And did the neighbors do drugs – or was it just that slang of commonly u sed “what a rush” phrase?
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Dear Yvette,
Those were challenging times but it’s fun to remember the good times. Yes, those particular neighbors did do drugs. A couple of long haired hippie freaks who incidentallty were ushers at our wedding. (and I can’t even remember their names). They were later replaced by another young newlywed couple who were much quieter.
That Carpenters song just seems to fit the story. Thank you…twice. 😉
Shalom,
Rochelle
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sending double hugs back
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Very good. Not long after we were married, we had three suitcases and moved into our first rented house. Furnished and a small garden. We were so happy and our first daughter was born in the nearby maternity unit. 40 years later and after many more moves in between, we needed a large removal van. Life accumulates so much stuff.
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Dear James,
It is amazing just how much a couple can accumulate over the years. Not to mention the boxes of our children’s forgotten possessions. We have a few moves under our belts as well.
Thank you and Shalom,
Rochelle
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Lovely Rochelle- took me back to our first flat it was tiny but our little world ❤️
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Dear Angela,
So may of us share those humble beginnings and memories, don’t we? They make for great anecdotes. 😉 Thank you.
Shalom,
Rochelle
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♥️
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Fantastic memories of forgotten sofas. Great story, Rochelle.
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Dear Will,
That sofa was a bright, obnoxious green. Coupled with our red and black kitchen cabinets it was quite a sight. Thank you.
Shalom,
Rochelle
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Here’s mine Rochelle.
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Dear Rohini,
I’ve copied your URL into the inLinkz list. https://fresh.inlinkz.com/party/a909b05ea35741b8b6952455af845951
Few will find it in my comment section.
Shalom,
Rochelle
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Thank you so much.
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did my comment make it? I do not see it here but thought I left one.
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Well I really liked the delightful mood of that young love and early days – where the domicile is simple and the shared walls extra thin
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Hi Yvette,
I found your original comment in my spam forlder. Not sure why that happened.
shalom,
Rochelle
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I wonder why as well – and please only post one of them (ha) and wishing you a great week dear R
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such lovely memory….small/simple things/events make great memories in the end…
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Thank you, Nandini. Humble beginnings. Great memories.
Shalom,
Rochelle
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Reminded me of our first place. And of listening to the Carpenters on the radio 🙂
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Dear Linda,
We had so little and still thought we had it all, didn’t we? Thank you.
Shalom,
Rochelle
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Well, we DID have all that we wanted 🙂
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Our first apartment was in someone’s basement. Fun to remember back, even though there were annoying bits. Lovely nostalgic piece, Rochelle!
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Dear Brenda,
Our appartment was actually Shirley’s attic. 😉 It is fun to remember and be thankful for all we have now. Thank you.
Shalom,
Rochelle
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A lovely memory. What counts is being independent, not living with the parents and make your own decisions, good or bad.
The hide-away, contraband mouse and puppy sound intriguing.
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Dear Gabi,
We thought we were so grown up back then. Our parents all had fits when they saw the apartment. And then there was the night the mouse, Doorknob, bot out of her cage while my parents were there. My mom was NOT happy.
Glad you enjoyed. Thank you.
Shalom,
Rochelle
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with the passage of time, those memories often grow sweeter.
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Dear Plaridel,
Truer words were never spoken. Thank you.
Shalom,
Rochelle
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I miss those kind of neighbors!
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Dear Violet,
They were fun for sure. Thank you.
Shalom,
Rochelle
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$85 per month. That’s my internet bill. 😭
This takes me back to my duplex days, which aren’t all that distant. The neighbors fought all the time. They had parties every Saturday night till 2. Somebody called the police on them, and they thought it was me. It wasn’t. Fortunately, I moved out shortly after that. It’s very nice to live in a house.
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Dear Nobbin,
Time hurries on, doesn’t it and the cost of living rises. Our neighbors seemed to choose the middle of the night to have their fights or whatever it was they did. I do enjoy remembering those days, although I don’t care to relive them. 😉 Thank you.
Shalom,
Rochelle
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“Contraband puppy”, I like that.
Good story, it reminds me of my own youth.
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Dear Dawn,
We weren’t supposed to have that puppy, but when the landlady met her, she fell in love…even provided frequent treats. Thank you
Shalom,
Rochelle
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Haha, she wasn’t so bad after all. ❤
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Sounds like a cozy fit! Gotta really like each other 😍
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