PHOTO PROMPT © Ronda Del Boccio
As Fi left the living room, Callie removed one earbud. She rested a pink DayGlo marker pen on the textbook that was open on her lap. ‘You didn’t read a word the whole time she was in here.’
‘What?’ I returned to staring at The God Of Small Things, ignoring her slight smile.
‘Uplift,’ she said.
‘You going to give me a physics lecture now?’
‘Uplift is how my mum describes the feeling of meeting my Dad.’ She put her earbud back in place and picked up the marker. ‘And it’s not physics, you pillock – it’s chemistry.’
***
Written for Rochelle Wisoff-Field’s Friday Fictioneers. See the prompt photo and write a story of no more than one hundred words. See here to join in.
I admit, I struggled over this one. So I followed the lead of our gracious host and attacked the subject tangentially.
The God of Small Things is a novel by Arundhati Roy that I haven’t read in years but remember it being amazing. It won the Booker Prize in 1997.
Word Shamble 
Love this. The dialogue is spot-on. Nice work
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Thanks so much Josh. Great feedback
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Dear Lynn,
Had I been drinking my coffee when I read your last line, I’m certain it would’ve spewed through my nose. Well done. Chemistry indeed. 😀
Shalom,
Rochelle
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Thank you, Rochelle. So glad you liked it
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You’re welcome, Lynn. 💜😘
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Uplift is a great word.Both up and lift are positive!
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Thanks Anita and thanks for reading
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There are people like that, and you describe the effect so well.
I also liked ‘you pillock’, so much more genteel than the Scottish equivalents!
And yes, that is a great book.
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I always struggled with chemistry – I hope your MC gets the hang of it 🙂
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Brilliant use of the uplift metaphor
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I like that last line…
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Chemistry is as chemistry does, and it is dancing beautifully afoot in your story.
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Great dialogue and excellent ending.
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LOL! Chemistry!!!
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Some one wants to be left alone. 😀. I managed to avoid chemistry. Smooth writing.
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Uplift! Did you make that up or did someone say that to you? 🙂 Either way, it was delicious 😀
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Brilliant, and I love those final few words! Well done.
Here’s mine!
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I love this Lynn. The exchange is great and, like everyone else, I love the last line… I am going to have to remember “pillock”!
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Tangentially works 🙂
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Really glad you thought so. Thanks so much
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Even the best of books are hard to read when you apply chemistry to the equation…
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Wonderful!
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The dialogue is pitch perfect, including what is not said explicitly. I really like the details of ear-bud and day-glo marker. Well written.
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I loved the closing line, but must confess I got lost in the first paragraph. Who was speaking in the line, “You didn’t read a word the whole time she was in here.” ?
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