Squish! I stepped on the fallen strawberry. Its cold, grainy wetness irked me just as my blank future irritated me. As a child I loved eating chilled strawberries with whipped cream, and I thought eating them now would uplift me again. But I am older now, and have outgrown a lot of things from my past.1
Instead of lifting my spirits, the open possibilities I have had in a fresh, new, optimistic life have frustrated me. I guess leaving sick old ways behind can be painful and difficult to bear, or rather, for others around us to bear with us, while we go through them! Hmmm.. nowadays I seem to have a lot of time on my hands to think, feel and plan. Now that I have stopped complaining and started to see the positives in life, life definitely seems better, happier, and lighter. But I do not understand this extreme discontent which seems to be tagging along. Like a black dog sitting in dark dusty corners panting out silent shadows, my discontent seems to have always been there, tagging along...waiting, but for what?2
I remember when I was in high school, I picked strawberries for a friend's uncle on his farm. Putting them in quart sized plastic cartons for grocery stores or for people at roadside stands, I think I ate more of them than I packed. I made a quarter or two for each one that came to him full, with no weeds attached. Even then in the midst of summer's heat, and just beyond the playful laughter between me and my best friend in the field, the nagging sadness was there. Like the bees that buzzed by my ears while I slipped strawberries from their hiding places to my mouth, the discontent threatened to sting me. It had continually grown stronger, until my life seemed to be just a maze of different ways to tame it, control it; because it certainly could not be ignored. And now I didn't even like strawberries anymore. The blackness had swallowed them too.3
Squish, I stepped on one more... staining the cement with luscious redness that reminded me of the day I remember first feeling this discontent. I must have been, at the most, ten years old; but in the South they want you to grow up fast. So every child whose parents didn't have money to buy their child's lunch, had to work one week a month in the cafeteria's food line serving the other children as they marched by with mouths full of yearning and gossip too. I wondered why I felt so funny and lightheaded as I plopped the potatoes onto tray after tray, until they were all gone. When I went to the bathroom and took down my panties, I was frightened by the strawberry red stain that I saw. Staring at it and wanting to cry, I knew my world had split in two. A child on the outside, now a woman within, I felt different and new somehow, estranged from my body that had rejected my childhood too soon. Even then, the easy possibility of a fresh new life frustrated me rather than bringing me good feelings. So it has been; until recently...4
The nearing birth of my child is changing the way I feel. Awaiting her arrival, time has stood still and the chill of my emotions are becoming warmed by thoughts of her. Perhaps it has been her with me all along, nagging me to let her in, let her come. But ten years old was very young to have a child. Even though my body was ready to receive her, my mind was not. I waited and she knocked. That nagging feeling of discontent was her; I know it now, and I am ready. 5
I will call her Sophia: the goddess of wisdom, for she has followed me a long time and has learned so much from being around me in spirit. When she arrives, drenched in my strawberry blood, she will be magnificent. Together we will cry out all of the pain and darkness that has lingered around us for far too long. Together, with love, we will bind our lonely sadness with bands of joy and fill our blank futures with life.6
Squish... I will let this strawberry taste good in my mouth. 7
Author notes
I hope you do not mind, host, that with all the extra time, I did a bit of editing on my story, which included changing the initial paragraphs just a tad. I did keep the original intent and meaning, to be sure. I hope you enjoy my entry. Cheers.
What did you think? Please comment!
Comments
1 - 15 of 15
-
Excellent
Thank you for commenting on my story and the congratulations. And also congratulations on winning the gold. You story was so beautiful and touching. It truly deserved the gold. -
fathom me: Thank you so very much for giving me the Gold on "Strawberry Fields". I really enjoyed your contest and I feel very honored that you picked my story as the best for you. Thanks for hosting the contest and of course thanks again for the Gold and the points too! -Pome
-
Hello Pome,
congratulations! You deserve it undoubtedly.. But it took me a while to judge cause penman's, enigma2's and EchoNChaos2U's piece were real good too. Only after developing a detailed scale was I able to find out whose story was more better...
Keep writing,
Enjoy your Gold~
Kunjal. -
Hi String of Pearls. I thank you for your kind comment on my "Strawberry Fields" story. I enjoyed writing it so I am really glad you enjoyed reading it. -Pome
-
EchoNChaos2U I am glad you enjoyed my story of "Strawberry Fields" I did enjoy writing it and must give FathomMe credit for his contest's opening with the red color of strawberries just waiting for development. I do appreciate your comments very much. -Pome
-
Thank you so much for the chance to enter a short story contest... I am kind of new at writing stories, but I do enjoy it. I like the opening you gave.. it left a lot of room for development. I guess I could expand upon this story more... but it seemed to naturally stop where it did. I am so glad you enjoyed it and appreciate all of your kind comments and again thanks for the contest. It was unique and fun. -Pome
-
I loved this story, I thought you were very creative in where you went with the beginning. Thank you, I've enjoyed reading this write.
-
Great story write
I enjoyed reading your story Pome. How you just let it flow out before you, I like how you can talk about emotions side by side with details. -
Beautifully dealing with emotions
Dear Pome,
Thank you for entering your beautiful piece.. and being patient I see you’ve given a more introspective & positive flavour now.
I think you’ve dealt the issue of growing up & loneliness very well, and emotionally. Your write reminds me of my dear friend here on AP- wattle (this is a compliment- I consider wattle a very good writer). The mood and thought and emotional level seems well spread throughout the story giving it a one-feel which is difficult when some part of it is required to be copy pasted from else where.
Great work.. thank you for entering it in my contest.
My only suggestion- More!! I loved it and didn’t want the story to end so soon.. but that’s only saying you write so well.
Keep writing,
~Kunjal.
Edited on Feb 15, 3:43 because ''. -
Well it was an ambiguous start so I had to just go with the flow.. no pun intended there. I am glad you enjoyed the story. Thanks for reading. -Pome
-
Glad you enjoyed the Strawberry Fields story. Thanks for stopping in and reading my strawberry stuff. lol.
-
Well, Pome, I was going to mention the ambiguous start, slowly developing toward something, and then again maybe not... then I read the contest title and rules! You pulled it all together in the end, but not before weaving in a fascinating little 'growing up in the South' vignette... and VERY important revelation on that particular discontent... nature driving a person and the frustrations one must have...
-
Excellent
You took a very good direction with this lead in. I enjoyed the way you made strawberries link together in different sections along with giving it a very personal touch. Made it seem to real. -
I am so glad you liked my story. Thanks for stopping by and reading. -Pome
-
wow !
Good story and loved it!
Adding your comment:
1 - 15 of 15
