We never have candy at home. “Waste of money,” Ma says. And there was some just sittin’ in a bowl, askin’ me to take it.
It was the kind I love, too. Those round lollipops wrapped in white paper with the flavors on ’em in different colors.
I wanted one real bad.
I tried to make myself small. Which isn’t that hard. I’m already sorta small. “Scrawny” some kids call me. I don’t get mad.
My teacher says I have no muscle tone. Can’t even ride a bike right. It always falls over ‘cuz I can’t pedal fast enough to keep it up.
I snuck a look over at Ma, then slid down in the chair a little. I kept my eyes on her and stuck my hand out to get one. She slapped my hand away without even lookin’ at me.
“You didn’t ask for one of them pops and, anyway, the answer woulda been ‘no’ if you did.”
“I’m sorry?” The man in the suit said to Ma.
“Are you?” She spat at him.
“What I meant, Mrs. Carter, is that I didn’t understand why you said…”
“I know what you meant,” she leaned forward so her chest was squished into the front of the desk. “I’m not stupid like you think I am. I know what’s goin’ on here.”
“I never implied you were…unintelligent. Nor did I say you were incapable of understanding the situation.”
This was not a good time to open my mouth. I knew that. But I did it. “Ma? Please can I have one of them pops?”
Now she did look at me. Not even out the corner of her eye. No. She turned her whole self to stare me down. I knew that look. Was expectin’ it even. But it still made me shake a little, sorry to say.
“Here you go,” the man reached across his desk and gave me a lollipop with little red fruit on it. I think it was strawberry. But I never tasted it.
Ma snatched that thing outta my hand so fast I didn’t barely feel the stick. She smashed it down on the desk so hard the thing musta cracked and I thought what a waste as I coulda’ been eatin’ it. Made me wanna cry.
I didn’t cry, though. I never cried. That’s a thing about me.
“You wanna give him candy?” Ma stood, palms spread out on the man’s desk staring him down now. “You think that’s makin’ up for what you’re doin’ here?”
The man held his hands up like he was tryin’ to catch raindrops on his fingertips. “I was only trying to give the child a treat, Mrs. Carter. There’s no need for dramatics. Please,” he poked his long nose to the chair, “have a seat.”
So then this is when it happened. All of it.
Ma walked over to the man, raised her arm like she was gonna hit him. She called him somethin’ made my ears go red. The man stood up so fast he dumped his chair right over, crashing into a shelf loaded with stuff that looked real classy, knockin’ some of it on the floor. And I took a lollipop. A fresh whole one with brown spots on the paper that I hoped so bad was root beer flavor.
The man shouted to the big windows behind me, Ma grabbed her bag, I stuffed the pop in my pocket and ran after her.
When we got outside, Ma was cryin’ big, fat tears. She was suckin’ in air. I thought she was gonna throw up. “He’s gone!” she hugged me so hard it hurt a little.
“I know, Ma. I know all that.”
“You don’t know,” she kept those tears goin’. “There’s no will, you understand? No paper sayin’ we get money now he’s gone. Your papa went and left us nothin’. We got no money.”
“I know, Ma.” I wanted so bad to cry with her. But I didn’t. I wiped her face with my sleeve and handed her my lollipop. “I think it’s root beer flavor,” I said. “Your favorite.”
#Blogbattle is a weekly writing prompt for flash/short stories hosted by Rachael Ritchey – Join the fun every Tuesday
Read more stories and vote for your favorites here.
Week 49 Prompt: Lollipops
Genre: Drama
Hi ya, it’s good to see you writing stories again. If I’ve missed them I must try and catch up with them. 🙂
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No, you didn’t miss any. I haven’t been writing for about two months… It feels really good to be back. Thank you! 🙂
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I know you said you were giving up. I guess things get like that and we take a break. Good to see you 🙂
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Yes. I did say that. It felt like the right thing to do at the time. (It was torture. So here I am.)
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We all have funny times… I know I do. So are we going to see more of your great works?
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Aw, thanks, Simon. I really hope so. I plan on it… 🙂
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Good 🙂
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Nice one Lemon Shark!
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Thanks! Can’t wait to see what you all managed with the “lollipop” prompt. 🍭 I’m assuming no westerns… ? 😉
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Hmmmmm…no comment 🙂
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You didn’t… 😀
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I tried to fool you into thinking I had gone for a Western – didn’t work – sigh!
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Wow!!! Sarah…this is magnificent! Everything about it. The emotions and the descriptions are real and tangible. You’ve done an outstanding job on this. Brava!
The root beer ones…were pretty good if I remember. 😉
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Aw, thanks so much, Eric. ❤️ I really appreciate this (especially since I almost didn't post…) This one was out of my comfort zone but wanted to stretch my writing muscles, you know? Is that a mixed metaphor?
The root beer ones are good. I used to love the cotton candy, I think… 🍭
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There was also one that was a milky white color. It was called mystery flavor and had ?’s on the wrapper.
And
You’re welcome! 😊
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I think the “?” ones are random. I hated getting those when I was a kid. I never knew if I was going to love it or be disappointed. I have never liked surprises. (The one you’re thinking of is, like, banana or something.) 😝
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Bells go off. Sirens call. This is awesome!
😀 😀 😀
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Did I trip the damn alarm again? 😜 Thank you! 💖
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Ha, cute. Very emotionally moving. Very nice 🙂
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Thanks. 💖
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Told through the eyes of a child a story can be read in an entirely different way. The kid has a simple understanding of what’s happening, and in his world, the lollipop is the thing that will temporarily make things better. Loved it. 🙂
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It was supposed to be in third person but wound up being through the eyes of this kid so I’m glad you liked it. 💖 Thanks!
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aaaawe moving stuff….
~B
P.S. who does not like a root beer lollipop
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Thanks, B. 💖
And I’m not sure… Can we trust people who don’t like root beer lollipops? 🍭
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No!!!!! 🙂
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I love this one! Reminds me of Depression-era B&W dramas in a really, really good way. The ending was wonderfully touching but also nicely reminds the reader that kids get more than we usually suspect.
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Thank you. 😀❤️ I appreciate the comment and support. Also, yes, kids really do understand more than we think…
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Very moving. I like the story being told through the child’s eyes. Nice to have you back! 🙂
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Thank you! 🙂 Much appreciated on both counts.
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Congrats on the win, btw!
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Thank you kindly. 💖
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Very well done. Incredible use of the prompt. I could only think of a throwaway reference, but you made it an integral part of the story. 🙂
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Thank you. I honestly didn’t know what I was going to do. Lollipop? Really? Rainbows and unicorns… 😝 But then this boy took over. And I kinda love him.
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That was great, Sarah. ❤ I felt soo sad. 🙂
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Thanks, Rachael. 💖 Maybe next time I’ll try writing about a portal… 🍭
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hahaha! Nothing like a portal that swirls with the colors of the rainbow in a giant lollipop-like flow.
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This is so good, and its so nice to read more than 99 words of your fiction. This is a competition piece, just so you know. gorjus story, with a heartfelt ending, and I personally loved the accent in it too. Was just enough to be perfect, without distracting from the dialogue or the character. In fact, it perfected the characterisation. I don’t think there was anything I didn’t like actually. Annoying that, I like to moan! :p
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Thanks so much. 💖 I struggled a bit with the dialogue (not my usual writing) but it was fun to get out of my comfort zone with word count and such a different character. Sorry it was so amazingly good. 😂 Lollipop? 🍭
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Congrats! YOU will this week, Sarah! 🙂
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Thanks, Rachael! 🍭😀🎉 That’s awesome!
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Echoing everyone’s sentiments but wow, well done!
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Thanks! 🍭
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This is great Sarah. Really!
Lovely to read something longer than 99 words. 😎
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Thanks, Lisa. 💖 It was supposed to be shorter (and in 3rd person) but you know I’m a pantser. The story just kept going. And I’m glad it did. Still not very long but it feels good to write! 😎
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Splendid. Maintained the voice of the child perfectly throughout the story, and resonating as real how a child would tell the story, as the swirl of the adult world goes on around them. Quickly pulled me into the story and wanted me to know how it would all end. And the lollipop becomes such the symbol of those things in life we want but cannot have because of forces outside ourselves, especially when we can’t quite grasp why it has to be so. Just like the mother at the end. Bravo.
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Thank you. This was a tough one, with the dialogue and voice, but a fun challenge. I really appreciate your comment. I’m so happy it pulled you into the story. I felt for both mother and child but wasn’t sure it would work for the reader. (Love your thoughts on the lollipop becoming a symbol of the things we want but can’t have because of external circumstances.)
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You had me at ‘We never have candy at home’. Sarah, this is an excellent flash from start to finish. Gripping. I didn’t expect the ending, great twist (not for the mother and child…). I won’t forget this story… ❤
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Aw, thank you, Sherri. ❤️ I so appreciate this comment. Makes me feel like a real writer.
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You ARE a real writer Sarah…and a fantastic one at that 🙂 ❤
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❤️
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