Friday Fictioneers: Lunchtime at the grocers’

 

PHOTO PROMPT © Mary Shipman

PHOTO PROMPT © Mary Shipman

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Connie followed the outline with her scissors, each cut freeing a flounce of paper gown from its frame.

Her sister Bren was rolling cotton reels to and fro, the uneven boards making them spin to the left, falter to the right.

From Connie’s viewpoint under the table, the sky was grained and wooden, Mum just a pair of crossed ankles, stockings wrinkled at the heels.

The scent of bacon wafted from the shop through the open kitchen door – a dusting of spilt flour misting the colours of the linoleum.

One more snip and dolly could go to the ball.

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Written in response to Rochelle Wisoff-Fields’ Friday Fictioneers. See the photo and write 100 words. See here for full Ts and Cs.

54 thoughts on “Friday Fictioneers: Lunchtime at the grocers’”

    1. Ah, thank you, lovely! Sort of based on my mum’s experiences as a child. Her parents owned a grocer’s shop in the fifties when mum was little and she and her sister used to have to sit under the table and be quiet for an hour while my nan had a lunch break! Name’s have been changed to protect the innocent 🙂

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      1. That’s lovely. My gran had a sweet shop and cafe and it was the heart of the town… THE place to be! I have such memories of the jukebox etc.
        I remember those dolls you could cut dresses out for too… but in the 70’s not 50’s! I ain’t THAT old!

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      2. Your Gran had a sweet shop? You must’ve been the most popular kid in your class! Back in my mum’s day, she was put to making paper bags out of sheets of paper to weight out the flour and stuff in – how times have changed.
        And I rember those dolls too – kind of exciting having a range of outfits, but frustrating when the shoulder tabs failed and you had to repair them with sticky tape! Ah, simple pleasures 🙂

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      1. Cool, I can’t always remember who’s British and who isn’t, then I have to read all their posts looking for missing “u’s” and “mom’s” 🙂

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      2. Haha! Yes, it’s tough isn’t it? I often find myself in a dilemma, wondering if I should Americanise some of my language, knowing many of my readers (according to WP stats) are American. Would feel a bit weird, though 🙂

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      4. Haha! Don’t hold your breath, now, will you. 🙂 Funny, though, a lot of their spelling differences make sense – simplifying our complicated language – but still I resist. I love our mixed up, difficult language – a badge of honour for our mixed up, difficult history.

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      5. Dear Lynn and Ali,

        I have to drop in here. Please, oh please, DON”T ever think you should Americanize anything. I adore the cultural exchange going on here. It was one of those things that drew me to Friday Fictioneers and made me stay for four years. It’s like having pen-pals on a grand scale.

        I’ll admit that by the time I retired from my job as a cake decorator I round myself unconsciously writing “colour” rather than “color”. I got some funny looks. 😉

        Like I said…don’t change a thing. Be who you are…that goes for everyone as far as I’m concerned.

        Shalom,

        Rochelle

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      6. Thank you, Rochelle! What lovely sentiments. Yes, it’s fascinating to chat with and read the work of such a wide range of people. It’s a real learning experience and absolutely breaks down any preconceptions about countries and cultures one could possibly have . Such a wonderful community to be a part of. I think the only thing I consider sometimes is clarity – whether others will understand my references. But you’re right – the differences are special.
        Thank you and all the best.
        Lynn

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    1. Ha! I think all stockings wrinkled back then – before they’d worked out how to add the right amount of elastic and yes, lino was quite expensive, wasn’t it? I remember my nan’s linoleum – it had a very distinctive smell, along with her coconut matting and wedges of toast and butter! Thanks for reading 🙂

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    1. Thank you, Bjorn. I sort of nicked the idea from my mum’s childhood as my grandparents owned a grocers when mum was young. Always thought a shop in the 1950s was a very evocative setting. The world under a table can be a magical place when you’re smal, can’t it – my son still loves making a ‘den’. Thanks for reading 🙂

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  13. This is wonderful. You threw me right back to my own childhood. Sitting under the table because it was a cave, a house, a ship’s cabin, a plane… and I cut out paper dolls, too. I love the details you put in there.

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    1. Thank you, Gabi! I remember those paper dolls very clearly myself – exciting to be able to change their clothes so easily. And under the table can be anything, can’t it – especially draped with a table cloth or something. Womb like and snug. Thanks so much for reading 🙂

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    1. Yes, I thought it looked like art – or a managed ‘heritage’ site. Definitely not a real shop, though that was what many of us wrote about. I do like these flashes of story – great fun to write 🙂

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      2. You know, I’m not sure they do. It’s almost thought of as disposable, I think – too easy to write to pay money for it. Great fun and good practice at brevity, though.

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      3. …and I suppose you build up a reservoir of interesting characters to drop into your novels.
        I’m surprised your head isn’t reeling from all those colourful folk whispering their secrets in your ear 🙂

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      4. You do feel like a mad person sometimes – half believing the characters you’ve created actually live in the buildings you pass every day. Is that madness or just being committed to your work? 🙂

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      5. I’m no longer sure of my definition of madness – possibly madness is everything which other people do and I don’t – reading the daily papers, buying those magazines which give you all the gossip about about celebrities I’ve never heard of, shaving the nether regions into styles with silly names, going to bingo (I have a friend who’s been hassling me about that), getting so drunk you can’t walk properly, wearing heels so high that your friends have to hold you up as you walk along the road (yes – I have seen it), buying wallpaper with huge poppies all over it, not finding Spike Milligan funny – do you fit anywhere on this list? If so, don’t worry about it – it could be me who’s mad 🙂

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      6. Haha! I’m totally insane – but your kind of insane. I do none of the things you’ve mentioned, and yes, they’re all mad as far as I’m concerned. Can’t stand those vacuous magazines – or the ones that peddle real life misery in the former of readers’ stories. Why do others read that? Awful, vicarious sludge. We were on our way back from Stonehenge yesterday and encountered some painfully druk people on the train – what a total waste of life that is. And Spike? The funniest thing we’ve ever shown our son is a clip from one of the Q series, where Spike’s dressed as a Valkyrie and blowing raspberries to an old song. Very, daftly funny. Bring on the white coats 🙂 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s4xatzcrnnU

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      7. My daughter rang me just as I finished watching that, and she said “Why are you laughing at me?” I had tears running down my face.
        Thank you for that link – it’s hilarious. I’ve just tried blowing raspberries in tune, and I can’t do it.

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