photo prompt @ Sandra Crook
He told me to meet him under the oak tree. Sit at one of the tables and wait. All the others were empty. I sat. I waited. How long did he expect me to wait? Inconsiderate: my time was also precious. Too often I’d waited. If the cafe had been open I might have waited longer. I wasn’t going to sit there like a dog waiting for my master to turn up. The oak tree looked like it was crying but perhaps it was reflecting my tears. I’d had enough. I was gone.
Lucky as “the tree fell and obliterated” the headlines read.
For more Friday Fictioneers visit Rochelle who kindly hosts.
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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) 
The tree was not so lucky ….
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True.
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Being stood up is so irritating!
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Absolutely but I think he wanted her to stand down.
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You always surprise me, Irene. This tale is terrific. Too bad the tree didn’t get the message – maybe it could have been proactive and prevented its fall.
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Oh I like the idea of a proactive tree. Watch out humans.
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I thought the first part of the story was very moving. I hope the finally paragraph referred to the dastardly coward who stood her up.
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Ambiguous but I was thinking more that the dastardly coward was trying to do her in but she foiled him. This time she didn’t wait.
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Did the tree fall by accident, or was this his evil plot all along? Glad she decided not to wait any longer!
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Yes that is the way I would have taken the story. She foiled him, leaving when once she would have waited.
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Sounds like she had a double lucky escape!
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Absolutely.
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Waiting is one of the worst experiences, but being crushed would have topped that.
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LOL. Yes being crushed would have topped it. I left a comment on your beautiiful poem but you either received the comment numerous times or not at all. Glad you brought it out after 30 years somewhere.
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Just in time! Nice tension here.
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Thank you.
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Hm, this one is mysterious…. My guess is that this was an internet romance, and she didn’t realize that the “man” who loved her was really a tree, who died of heartbreak after she wouldn’t even talk to him. Either that, or he used to be a man, but something horrible turned him into a tree, and he was hoping beyond hope that she would un-curse him, but she didn’t even recognize him.
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Haha. Reading your story of my story tells me I have met my match. My husband gets so cranky with me making up a scenario for everything I see – you and I could have fun.
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I figure there is always at least *one* fanciful story to help explain any given scene. 🙂
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Me too.
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methinks it was a setup. she was lucky to survive. 🙂
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Absolutely. Lucky she had given up on him first.
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A lucky escape it seems. Excellent.
Click to read my FriFic!
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A very lucky escape. Good thing this was the occasion she became tired of waiting.
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Keith I loved your story but I don’t know if my comment was posted.
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I’m thinking he had it in for her and she escaped just in time?
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I agree. Lucky this was the time she had had enough herself.
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She was set up! To quote Admiral Ackbar: “It’s A Trap!” Well done!
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Absolutely. Thanks and thanks for admiral Ackbar’s quote.
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Dear Irene,
It did sound like a set up. Glad she escaped both a crummy relationship and being crushed by a falling tree. Well done.
Shalom,
Rochelle
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Thanks Rochelle. Yes I think she is better off out of it. Cheers Irene
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Have to agree with Sandra, the first part of the story is excellent.
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Thank you. 100 words is such a small amount to set up and conclude – I’ll have to work on my endings. 😀
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Definitely her lucky day!
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Absolutely
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