Maria was the town’s scarlet woman, though she didn’t help herself.
Well into middle age her hair changed with the seasons – auburn, black, white blond, gold – while the wives of the village turned a respectable steel grey. And while the Mamas went to market in buttoned up dresses and skirts to their thick calves, Maria’s cleavage was always golden in the sun, a camelia nestled in the chasm.
Her neighbour Dorothea would tut over shared cups of black sweet tea and hand rolled cigarettes. ‘Got to play the game, girl. Whole town’s built on lies – why’d you have to be the only honest soul?’
When Maria died her memorial was there among the others, jostling with the Mamas who’d feared her, the Papas who’d loved her. And though she had no family and Dorothea had already passed, there was always a freshly picked camelia tucked by her smiling image.
***
Written for What Pegman Saw, the prompt that uses Google Street View as its starting point. This week we are in Patagonia, Chile.
As it’s Mother’s Day here in the UK this weekend, I have a very busy week ahead, so please forgive me if it takes a few days for me to reply to your comments. Normal-ish service will be resumed soon.
Word Shamble 
I smile at that end line. And it has a real Patagonian feel to it. 🙂
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Thank you so much Crispina. Glad you liked my rebels 🙂
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Did indeed. 🙂
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🙂
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What a character! Love how the story deepens when the skillfully rendered Dorothea delivers the line ‘Got to play the game, girl. Whole town’s built on lies – why’d you have to be the only honest soul?’.
I noticed this story isn’t in the Link up. Did you want to add it?
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Ah, yes, sorry I missed the link up. I wrote and scheduled the story then was so busy at work I didn’t have a chance to go back and join the happy squares! Playing catch up after British mothers day. Hopefully will join in properly next time. Thanks for the kind comment, Karen and so glad you like my ladies
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This is a lovely story, Lynn, clear-eyed and yet warm and sympathetic. The details you choose to illustrate the characters of Maria and Dorothea are very endearing, and the “freshly picked camelia tucked by her smiling image” is a delight.
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Ah, thank you Penny. Love a bold, brassy female, flying in the face of convention. Hard not to admire women who push against what society expects of them, especially through history when options were so limited. Thanks so much for the kind comment
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I love Maria. And so did everyone both overtly and secretly, methinks!
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Thank you Dale. Yes, she was clearly very easy to love – or hate! Thanks so much for reading
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Wonderful.
Brilliant portrayals of main and secondary characters, right down to the Mamas and the Papas.
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Thank you so much. I do love a woman who can give as good as she gets. And the mamas and papas need taking down a peg. Thanks for reading
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