The door squeaked open. Kurt stepped out onto the tenement roof and propped the door open with an old metal chair he’d saved from a skip. He felt in the brick planter – no plants, just bricks – and fished out his tobacco wallet.
The cigarette paper slipped easily through his practiced fingers, flakes of tobacco tamed into a tube. The lighter flared, clicked shut.
The lead roof was still hot, petrol fumes dissipating a little as day gave way to night.
Laney’s voice reached him up the stairwell. ‘Kurt! Dinner.’
Downstairs the baby was giggling, hiccuping, giggling.
Not a bad life.
***
Written for Rochelle Wisoff-Field’s Friday Fictioneers. See the picture and write along. See here to join in the fun.
Word Shamble 
A delightful picture of a simple delight
LikeLike
Thank you very much Neil
LikeLike
Shame about the fumes… Great place for a smoko though.
LikeLike
Haha! Yes, though he probably didn’t even smell them, he’s so used to them! Thanks for reading, Tannille
LikeLiked by 1 person
He took all the trouble so that his baby doesn’t get to do passive smoking.
That’s a considerate father.
Wish he uses this lockdown opportunity to kick the cigarette smoking habit.
Stay safe.
LikeLike
Lovely, understated little snapshot that made me smile, Lynn.
Susan A Eames at
Travel, Fiction and Photos
LikeLike
Thank you very much, Susan.
LikeLike
Beautiful depiction of a moment in a life.
LikeLike
Thanks very much C. Glad you thought so
LikeLike
Dear Lynn,
As always you’ve painted a picture of a day in the life with a colorful, yet light brush. Understated and descriptive. Applause!
Shalom,
Rochelle
LikeLike
Seems like a picture of contentment 🙂
LikeLike
We grab our little moments of joy where we can, don’t we? Thank you Crispina
LikeLiked by 1 person
My moments of contment at the moment is reading Wired for Story by Lisa Cron.
LikeLike
It’s a fascinating idea for a writing guide. Do you think it has some m merit? Be nice to engage people through story, get them hooked
LikeLiked by 1 person
It’s an excellent book. It builds upon the results of neurologists to determine what hooks a reader, and keeps them hooked. It’s not just a craft book, it goes way beyond that. But then, I’m fascinated by the human brain, and our propensity as storytellers
LikeLike
Sounds really interesting. Do you think it will inform your writing?
LikeLike
A breath of fresh air – even with the cigarette and the petrol fumes! 🙂
LikeLike
Haha! Hell of a view though. Thanks Iain
LikeLiked by 1 person
It was the details, right down to the tobacco flakes, that really set the mood of this story.
LikeLike
Thank you so much. Really glad you felt so
LikeLiked by 1 person
Reblogged this on wordrefiner.
LikeLike
Thanks so much for sharing Mark
LikeLike
Nice scene. At first I thought it might be a snippet of noir. I bet the baby is a girl, lol
LikeLike
Haha! If our next door neighbor’s kids are anything to go by – it’s a girl ☺️. Thanks for reading
LikeLike
Laney knows. Sneaky smokers think they’re clever, but that smell clings to them.
LikeLike
Haha! You’re right there. Thanks for reading
LikeLiked by 1 person
Great description of an idyllic setting. The man is one of those unsung heroes of great character. You make me a believer.
LikeLike
Thank you so much for the lovely comment and thank you for reading
LikeLiked by 1 person
You are very welcome.
LikeLike
Just a few minutes of peace and quiet doesn’t harm anyone.
LikeLike
And don’t we all need it sometimes? Thanks for reading
LikeLiked by 1 person
It is the small pleasure, the moments of peace, the carved out breaths … lovely!
LikeLike
Thanks so much Na’ama
LikeLiked by 1 person
Wonderful, Lynn. A slice of not so bad life, all in all.
LikeLiked by 1 person
It’s the little things we have to value. Thank you Dale
LikeLiked by 1 person
I so agree.
LikeLike
A beautifully crafted vignette. There are some moments in life as sweet as that.
LikeLike
Thank you, Sandra. You have to take the odd moment it and just enjoy what’s around you, don’t you? Thanks for reading
LikeLike
Wonderful sense of contentment put across here, Lynn. Someone finding pleasure in the small things…
LikeLike
Linda is right – it’s the details that make this such an excellent piece of work. My favourite line was “and propped the door open with an old metal chair he’d saved from a skip.” Not just any chair – it was old, it was metal, it was salvaged and it came from a skip. That tells us so much about the man. Kudos!
LikeLike
Thank you so much Penny. I value your keen eye, that close inspection of detail. You’re right, that chair described part of his character and his life – he’s either not too well off or loves to reuse things! Thank you so much, as always
LikeLike
Hiya, Lynn! Neat story with a nice touch to it. Five out of five cigarette wallets. 🙂
LikeLike
Thanks very much! Really nice if you to say so
LikeLike
A moment of peace. Very nicely constructed, I could see both of them in my mind.
LikeLike
Thank you so much, Eugenia. Very kind of you
LikeLike
What a wonderful place to be… such a good reason to be where he is
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thanks so much Bjorn. Heaven’s where to make it, it think. Thanks for reading ☺️
LikeLike
I could clearly see Kurt on the roof, hand rolling his cigarette. Think you evoke that special evening time of day, love the sound of the baby giggling and hiccupping. Lovely story/
LikeLike
Thanks Francine. Really glad you thought it worked so well. Thanks for reading
LikeLike
You create a great picture here with brilliant description of every day acts like rolling a cigarette. You can sense how happy they are as a family together. NIcely done
LikeLike
Thank you so much Michael. Really glad you liked it
LikeLike