Genre: Mainstream fiction
Word Count: 100
~~LIPSTICK AND HIGH HEELS~~
“Lunar, my dear, you’ve a heavenly body but, for heaven’s sake, keep your mouth shut in front of my parents.”
“What’s it worth?”
“My everlasting love.”
“Liar! All you care about is your inheritance.”
“Not so. I just don’t want my snot-bag of a sister getting her hands on the money.”
“What if she’s at the dinner party, too, and wants to engage in girl-talk.”
“She doesn’t do girl-talk. …Look, it’s essential that my parents don’t get wind of my sexuality, or they won’t leave me a penny.”
“I can’t wait to kick off these stilettos and become Michael again.”
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Friday Fictioneers: 100 word stories
Photo Prompt: image copyright © Dale Rogerson
I hope that parents like that are becoming a rare breed these days, though I know it still happens.
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Unfortunately it does. In my time of psychiatric nursing, I occasionally had to help mend someone who’d been told by his family that homosexuality was a disease that could be cured. And try running family therapy sessions when you had to deal with attitudes like that!
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It is awful. Attitudes are changing, but there are those who resit it with everything they have.
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Dear Sarah,
Oh my. That is a sticky wicket, isn’t it? Rather sad tale and social statement. Well written.
Shalom,
Rochelle
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Dear Rochelle,
Thank you 🙂
Perhaps I shouldn’t call it humour, as it does have an underlying sadness to it. There I go again, writing something that doesn’t fit into any particular genre! What genre do you think it should be?
All best wishes,
Sarah
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Oh! Love that last line. It certainly turns the story on its head! Very well done.
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Thank you, Alicia 🙂
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I was thrown for a loop because this is Friday and you normally publish it on Thursday. You had me checking the calendar. LOL Of course it was fun to read; it always is. I wonder what I would look like in high heels???? 🙂
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I know, Bill. Time got the better of me yesterday as I had a day out on Tuesday and didn’t even begin to catch up until today. …Now that’s a vision, you in high heels. I wonder what the farmers would think down the market; if it would improve your sales or not 😉
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Very sad that such attitudes persist even now.
Loved your story nevertheless, Sarah.
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Thanks. And yes, Neel, it is sad, but very hard to persuade them otherwise.
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I know what you mean, wanting to give this a genre label… dunno if you can!
It does have a funny note to it but the underlying message is a sad one. I say that because I did laugh at first.
I hope this lovely couple pulls it off!
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I see trouble afoot!
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Now do I see a play on words there? “Afoot” indeed!
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I liked your story, it was funny and very visual but it was also a sad reminder of how messed up our society is.
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Thank you 🙂 Yes, society is very messed up and getting more so, but there are still a few glimmers of light that give us hope amidst the mess.
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Very creative take on the prompt.
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Thank you 🙂
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Killer twist, Sarah
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Thanks, Neil 🙂
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A sad situation but you’ve caught the humour in it. Is he going to be able to pull off the deception all through the evening?
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If the sister is there, I doubt it, unless she’s too self-absorbed to notice anything other than herself!
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I didn’t see the end coming Sarah and yes, it’s a sad indictment, but you captured a societal ill in a very few words.
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I think (s)he would do great with girl-talk….
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I think so too, and I would certainly like to be a fly on the wall at that dinner party…
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I saw the humor in it until the end. Then it made me sad. I can’t imagine not being able to be myself around my own family. Great story!
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When I first posted this story, I labelled it as humour, but then changed my mind and called it mainstream fiction. As you say, it has a sad side to it. Unfortunately, there are many people in this world who can’t be themselves around their families. If they could, it would be a much happier place.
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thought provoking as always!!
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Thank you, Cybele. I enjoy provoking thought!
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of course!! 🙂
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Very sad that she thinks (or knows) her parents match their love to their money.
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Unfortunately, there are parents like that. Of course, in my story “she” is really a “he”, which means that the parents are also exceedingly prejudiced.
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Twist on twist. Crisp dialogue. “Snot bag of a sister” was a good one!
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Thanks, Kent. I take that as a great compliment coming from you, re crisp dialogue, considering your work background 🙂
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Well, it IS a compliment. When dialogue is just right in terms of not too much or too few or even information giving without knowing it, that’s something special.
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Reminds me of the 1978 film “La Cage aux Folles,” although that was a comedy.
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I’ve not watched that film. My story did start off as a comedy, but somehow turned into something more serious.
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The 1978 French film was remade as an American film called “Birdcage” starring Robin Williams. I haven’t seen the American film, but it would have to go a long way to be funnier than La Cage.
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Couldn’t resist putting in my two cents’ worth Sarah and James – I absolutely adore ‘Birdcage’. Sarah, you would roar, it is absolutely hilarious. Nathan Lane at his absolute best, in my humble opinion! I have wanted to watch ‘La Cage’ for a long time, thank you for the reminder James 🙂
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I feel in need of a good laugh, so will definitely have to see if I can find the movie.
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🙂 xxxxxxxx
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Bravo! xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
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