The cabin walls closed in. The fixed porthole prevented fresh air entering and the stale air weighed down on me. ‘I’m a sardine in a can,’ I fought the urge to scream. My heart pounding, I escaped to the deck. I paced, looking for a place I could sit and drink in the velvety night. All the seats, bar one, were occupied with lovers entwined. A solitary man, a priest, sat alone. He patted the seat, inviting me to sit. I did. We sat in silence. Connected. Content. Hours later he stood to leave, saying, “Sometimes, words aren’t necessary.”
In response to Charli at Carrot Ranch who this week prompts:
June 1, 2017 prompt: In 99 words (no more, no less) write a story about feeling content. Explore what is contentment and any direction will do. Go where the prompt leads.
Respond by June 6, 2017 to be included in the compilation (published June 7). Rules are here. All writers are welcome!
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About Irene Waters 19 Writer Memoirist
I began my working career as a reluctant potato peeler whilst waiting to commence my training as a student nurse. On completion I worked mainly in intensive care/coronary care; finishing my hospital career as clinical nurse educator in intensive care. A life changing period as a resort owner/manager on the island of Tanna in Vanuatu was followed by recovery time as a farmer at Bucca Wauka. Having discovered I was no farmer and vowing never again to own an animal bigger than myself I took on the Barrington General Store. Here we also ran a five star restaurant. Working the shop of a day 7am - 6pm followed by the restaurant until late was surprisingly more stressful than Tanna. On the sale we decided to retire and renovate our house with the help of a builder friend. Now believing we knew everything about building we set to constructing our own house. Just finished a coal mine decided to set up in our backyard. Definitely time to retire we moved to Queensland. I had been writing a manuscript for some time. In the desire to complete this I enrolled in a post grad certificate in creative Industries which I completed 2013. I followed this by doing a Master of Arts by research graduating in 2017. Now I live to write and write to live.
Reflections and Nightmares- Irene A Waters (writer and memoirist) 
Simply to be connected to another human being without expectation – that is contentment. This is a wonderful story, Irene, just right in every way.
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Thanks Sharon.
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Sounds like a good evening, a good drinking companion. Nice.
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Absolutely.
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Sometimes silence truly is golden.
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I agree. There is nothing better than being comfortable enough with someone that you are happy in silence.
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Sometimes words aren’t necessary…. Company matters.
http://ideasolsi65.blogspot.in/2017/06/contentment.html?m=1
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Yes it does. You aren’t always happy being silent in certain company.
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really lovely and so true irene
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Thanks Geoff.
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Nice! The easy acceptance in a comfortable silence~~
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Thanks Liz.
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Ahh…this is beautiful and so true Irene. Lovely to read your flash again. I feel so strange being back in blogland, as if I’m new all over again and unsure…but coming here is like pulling up a chair at an old friend’s table, sitting next to you and just being. No words necessary. True contentment as friends 🙂 ❤
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Hopefully that means you have settled in Sherri. Welcome back. It is always good to see you. Won’t be long before you feel as if you had never been absent. Glad you are contented here as I am in your company also.
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Thanks Irene. I hope not. I feel strangely discplaced from the blogging community. I even feel strange on my own blog, where I did actually get a post up today, which I can hardly believe! I’m weird like that, ha! I think this absence has done a bit of a number on me, but with so much going on I suppose it’s not surprising. We won’t be moving until late July, there’s been so much back and forth with ‘stuff’. The Conveyancing process in the UK is maddenlingly frustrating and long winded. Meanwhile, I will do what I can. And yes…lovely to see you too my friend 🙂 ❤
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Don’t worry Sherri. I understand totally. Perhaps it is moving that does it. I’ll get over to you to visit.
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Irene, you created and resolved the tension in your flash all with 99 words and none needed to connect the characters. Great expression of human connectivity and contentment.
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Thanks Charli.
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Finally worked my way here…I like that – listening in the silence.
Thanks for stopping by my post on this prompt.
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Thanks Jules. You’re welcome.
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