Diabetic Daze

by Teddy Entwisle

 

I gazed out of the window, ‘Why had I walked into the kitchen?’ The garden looked pretty, but that wasn’t the point.

Absentmindedly I washed a coffee cup and turned to put it away. Dizziness grew, I steadied myself wondering ‘What’s up? Maybe I should write my book!’

Back in the living room the world made even less sense. I sat dazed, feeling tired and woozy.

Something nagged at the back of my mind, slowly I reached for my emergency Diabetes pack. Zombie like I ate 4 Jelly Babies.

Very.. very.. very slowly the world steadied itself to level..

 

Written Mon 1 Aug 2022

Published Friday Flash Fiction 8 Aug 2022 https://www.fridayflashfiction.com/100-word-stories/diabetic-daze-by-teddy-entwisle

A Six Year Old’s Hike

By Teddy Entwisle

Sasha waited impatiently, waterproofs and snacks packed.

“Grandad, come on!”

From the bus, across rough grass to Playground 1, then following the river, ‘Who lives in barges?’ We reached Playground 2.

Beyond the city tall grass and flowers, Sasha’s amazed. “Look Grandad, no rubbish!”

Playground 3 then lunch atop a hill. Refuelled, excited, we walked by a brook. Sasha saw her first Kingfisher.

Playground 4.

The path narrowed, trees, shrubs and dappled sunlight. Finally playground 5…

Exhausted from walking all day the bus home gave her just enough rest to re-energise.

That night Sasha kept Mum awake retelling her adventures.

Craig Face

by Teddy Entwisle

My six year old feet first climbed the Craig ignorant of danger. My ten year old feet were confident, I had climbed this way many times before. At sixteen they knew respect, they loved the wild and rugged Craig face.

Then just a memory fading. Forty years passed. In time on urban pavement I’d stumble, uneven cracked and dangerous.  

But returning to the Craig face once more, breathing in that fresh fresh air, I stepped onto the rough terrain. My feet remembered, surely knowing their place and pace.

Completed writing 25 Jul 2022

Published at https://www.fridayflashfiction.com/100-word-stories/craig-face-by-teddy-entwisle

Jubilee

by Teddy Entwisle

I did NOT want to follow as Great Grand Mother stepped carefully ahead of us onto the balcony. So high – I might fall!

I had no choice being swept along in the middle of my large family.

Cheers rose from below distracting me, I let go and carefully waved. ‘Ooh!’

I waved a bit more and – actually this was fun! But then Charlotte pulled me back telling me to stop. She can be so bossy!

Aeroplanes roared down The Mall and overhead, I grinned, pointed, waved excitedly, then clasped both my ears to dull the thundering roar….

The Tow Path

Originally written as an exercise at The Flash Fiction Group of ACW, on or around Good Friday 2022

 

I shifted my rucksack to a more comfortable position. Where possible treading upon grass or undergrowth, comfortable for my feet. Ahead lay Donkersville, I’d be sad to leave the quietness of country paths behind, coffee and cake however would be welcome. Somewhere too to replenish my water bottle and snack pack.

 

Multicoloured barges chugged past, there was a day it would have been real horse power plodding along this very path. I wondered, which was best?

Many of these barges were summer homes, a few only lived in all year round. Hardly any worked the traditional business of a barge hauling freight down country waterways. Replaced instead by the roaring of rail and road.

 

My head went hazy, I sat on a log clasping my head in my hands, waiting for the world to settle. Before I could look up, Clop Clop Clop, a steady plod drew close.

I opened my eyes, a horse caked in black dust hauled a laden coal barge. Grey fug rested over  Donkersville, smoke pouring from chimneys here and there.

 

Gone were my hiking togs, replaced with grimy work clothes topped off with a sweat stained flat cap. And was I? Indeed I was, leading the horse.

Clicking my tongue, “Come on Bess. We’ll be home soon enough.Deliver this barge to The Works, home to oatmeal, a rub down and rest. Then for me, bath, supper and bed. Always good to look forward.”

 

Donkersville was busy and loud, the waterway cut straight through to the center. Turning off into a small harbour I unhitched Bess, as we left, folk were scurrying back and forth already preparing to unload it’s black cargo.

Five minutes later we turned into a courtyard, home at last.

 

After far too short a sleep next morning we were back to collect an empty barge, retrace our steps to Bartell Bow to collect more coal, then back to The Works. Same tow path, same route, plodding day in, day out. Still, I was lucky to spend my days in good clean fresh air out of a smoggy town.

 

Lifting my head, had I been dreaming again or really been back in time? Sipping coffee, feasting on cake I noticed grimy hands…

Sock

‘Ping!’, who was messaging me? In the photo Hannah grinned at me wearing a sock on her ear.

Grabbing an odd sock from the coffee table I did the same,

‘Hannah, can you hear me?’

‘Grandad, loud and clear.’

We chatted, Hannah told me of her latest story writings, plans to colonise Mars with Unicorns and other exciting adventures.

Too soon my sock power drained and she had to go to school anyway.

I recharged my sock in the fridge and placed it back on the coffee table thankful for my nutty family.

Jonah

A partial narration in the first person.

Life could get no worse, running away. Running fast in the opposite direction. Now look at the trouble I’d caused! I did nothing to resist, they tossed me overboard to the raging water. Suppose I’d come face to face with my maker now. How was I going to explain my fright, disgust or fear, my refusal to carry out his request?

Down I went, deeper and darker, ‘till drawn by current, hands and arms bumped soft squidgy sides and I felt sucked through! Being thrown this way and that then slithering to a stop, water sloshed, air tasted rank and the ground a living heaving mass.

Was this where I’d meet God? Helplessly I cried, pleaded and begged. I drifted in and out of consciousness. Rancid induced nausea, I’d swear this dark God meeting place moved rhythmically from side to side. Was this punishment for running away, disobedience?

Days? Weeks? Months? Or just moments? I had no way of telling.

I was roughly deposited on a beach! Sand, sun, fresh air. The bright light hurt my eyes after so much darkness, but laughing manically I rose to my knees praising and worshipping God. Shouting I made wild promises, then I knew, this was where the running stopped.

Read the full story of Jonah in the Bible here.

Written as A 15 minute exercise during our July 22 meeting of Cambridge Christian Writers

Beach Walk

COVID now, so not walking on the beach…. except maybe in my mind. To stop myself busily doing things as I keep on launching myself into ‘little’ tasks I sat down for a relaxing draw.

Beach Walk

And I must say, it did the job, distracted me from distraction and promoted at least a bit of self healing.

It is annoying though to see tasks mounting up.

Snoozing on the Beach

We were given a HOOK at writers group to complete a 15 minute writing exercise, completed we logged back onto zoom becoming StoryTellers as we sat and read and listened. A most enjoyable evening.

A quick edit later, well more like rewriting with a few word changes and the picture redrawn twice – mostly so I can send it to my GrandChildren… voila!

When I make up stories for the grandchildren they often like to join in. Rather than finish the story I’ve left it where I stopped after 15 minutes,

Beauty lifts the heart

January & February can be difficult months, cold, lack of energy to get moving, motivation down at low levels.

Looking up the the silhouetted conifer branches.

Battle through toward the reward of being out and about. Amazing effect on energy, health, heart. Recovery from my op has been long, constantly analysing, why did that happen, what makes this better, trying to go beyond my abilities – but then setting boundaries hoping eventually they will disappear.

Spaghetti Junction of branches.

Must admit to getting fed up, same parks daily, but do always enjoy come wind rain or sunshine. Today I determined to look and notice anew, or maybe to increase appreciation by looking more carefully at what I already know. So I trudged, looked around, pointed my camera…..

Bark