It took me a while to find the right place.
The path was still there but narrowed in places where trees had encroached, wider where some had been felled.
The fence was new to me – a relatively recent addition. So like my father to erect a fence around his wife’s grave, possessive of her even in death.
I think that was what made me most angry, the fact that even now he’d pegged her in, limited her to a little patch of scrubby earth under the yews. When I was growing up, he’d contained her with a scowl at her evening classes, a tut at outings with friends, until the time away from him dwindled just as she did. Now all he had to use was cheap cedar panels.
It only took twenty minutes to kick it down.
***
Written for What Pegman Saw, the prompt that uses Google Street View. This week we visit Santo Tomas in Spain. Have look round and join in here.
Word Shamble 
Great story. The tone of dismay is evident from the first sentence. I wonder if the narrator has a bit of a distorted view, or if they were correct in the meaning of that fence.
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It’s a good point, Josh. It’s hard to know the truth of a relationship from the outside and even then there’s always an opposing view. Thanks very much for reading
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That’s tight. Like the yews for some reason, all the economy in the language.
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I like that. Those yews do have a compact, closed in feeling, dark and sense. Thanks Bill
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That much closer to V-day, woo hoo! I’m counting it down too as I end a contract on that day (work contract).
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Brilliant use of concise language provoking such strong emotions- the part which begins ‘he’d contained her with a scowl …’so well written – saying so much with so few words.
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Thanks so much Alyson. Really glad you thought so and thanks for reading
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Oh, wow! That story is just so heartfelt and angry. The narrator’s sheer fury (and hurt and distress) comes across savagely. The description “even now he’d pegged her in, limited her to a little patch of scrubby earth under the yews” summarises a whole lifetime of slights, hurts and restrictions. It made me wonder how she would have blossomed if she had been in a different partnership, in different soil.
Brilliant writing, Lynn
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Aw, thanks so much Penny. Fabulous comment. It’s the kind of behaviour that causes real distress and lasting bitterness as you say. The controlling possibly comes from insecurity, don’t you think? The fear of being abandoned. It’s no excuse but it is a reason. Thank you very much again
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Yea, some folks are like that… male and female both. And you’ve made a lovely piece of it.
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Thank you, Crispina. And you’re right, I’ve seen it myself. Some people oppress and others just can’t break free of it. Thanks for reading
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Always enjoy your little vignettes 🙂
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Thank you again 😊
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🙂
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This was such a powerful write, Lynn. Superbly done. The emotion is palpable.
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Thank you so much Dale, you’re very kind. Thanks so much for reading
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Always a pleasure to read you
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😊
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I really like what you did with the imagery and symbolism of the fence: that a fence can be portrayed as protection from the outside by one person, but perceived as locking someone inside by another. And what a wonderful job you’ve done of tapping into that bitter resentment of the child — now adult — who was powerless to keep one parent from hurting the other then, and powerless to make up for it now.
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Thanks so much Joy. I think I saw those stones hemmed in by a fence and naturally my mind turned to graves! Glad you felt the imagery worked. I’m sure that kind of oppressive v behaviour is very common in relationships. Probably more common than physical abuse. And it’s almost easier to feel angrier for other people than it is for yourself so l could imagine her being angry for her mum. Thanks so much for reading and the kind comment
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I naturally thought of graves too! And yes, I’d say emotional abuse is much more common – in large part because most folks agree that beating your loved one is wrong, but many don’t even recognize what I’d call oppressive behavior as a problem.
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Very, very true. Many don’t recognise the controlling behaviour in themselves or they justify it because they see their partner as behaving in such a way that had to be corrected. Always easier to blame the other person
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