Write On Wednesdays Exercise 25 – I heard a song on the radio during the week and I thought the lyrics would make an interesting prompt for WoW. So, write the words “The saddest thing I ever heard” on your page, set your timer for 5 minutes and write the first words that come into your head based on the given promp
June put down the newspaper. It was just too much to bear at only 8.30am in the morning.
‘It’s the saddest thing I ever heard’, she uttered aloud as she reached for the phone. She had to call Dot. Her best friend would be up, and she would have already scanned the morning newspaper and been given her breakfast.
June had Dot’s number on speed dial. Both women had moved into Queen’s Retirement village the previous year, and had known each other since childhood. June was still mobile and therefore able to live independently, but Dot’s recent hip replacement meant that she was temporarily residing in high-grade care.
The phone would only ring twice, Dot always picked up the phone before the third ring….
‘ Hello Dot’
‘Oh June, it’s the saddest thing I ever heard’
Dot was crying quietly, and June soon felt the trickle of tears flow down her checks.
‘They didn’t stand a chance June….they were so helpless’
And the two women comforted each other, the conversation enabling them to raise their concerns, fears, sadness and anger at the fate dealt to the residents of the nursing home fire that had raged only days before in the nearby suburbs killing 9 elderly people.
‘Thank goodness for you June, thank goodness you called, you are always able to brighten my mornings…and today required a good deal of brightening’
June smiled, she felt exactly the same way.
‘ Have a good day pet….don’t do anything I wouldn’t’
A hearty chuckle was heard down the phone line ‘I’ll try not to my dear!’
Nov 23, 2011 @ 12:44:04
Such a very sad story. Heart breaking. You told the story with empathy and care.
x
Nov 24, 2011 @ 05:21:23
Thanks Ink Paper Pen….it was inspired by the Quakers Hill, NSW, Australia nursing home fire…a very sad story…..
Nov 24, 2011 @ 09:30:26
Very sad story. Great how you were able to make it so topical and so real.
Nov 24, 2011 @ 22:34:33
Thanks MissieK…the nursing home fire story that has been in the news recently is very sad ..Thanks for your comments.
Nov 26, 2011 @ 13:25:43
Incredibly sad.
I like the way you made it personal. A conversation between two friends who could empathise rather than just a report on the events.
Nov 27, 2011 @ 07:16:25
Thanks for reading Sarah….this story was based on a event that occured recently in an Australian nursing home. Very sad, the death toll has since risen to 10 people and there will probably be more fatalities….