Daylight is preparing to exit the stage. The clouds are settling in for the night, and the sun is getting ready to take a sink. I’m riding in a tricycle caressed by the wind, embracing the moment. Soon, twilight will summon its elements, and I will step through its door.
Thompson Emate spends his leisure time on creative writing, particularly poetry and prose. He is trying his hand at every genre of fiction. He lives in Lagos Nigeria.
In the nursing home, she describes what she’s been up to: floating along the canals of Venice, wandering through the streets of Rome. “I know I’m not, but I think I am,” she tells my mother.
We know she’s there, but we think she’s here, in Maryland with us.
Nina Feinberg is a writer, photographer and distance runner. She lives in Brooklyn, NY and works in user experience design.
“I don’t like this place,” said my 100-year-old mom. She lives in an ARF. “I’m going to leave soon.”
“You’re lonely,” I responded. “I understand loneliness. Have you tried connecting with God?”
“Oh, don’t give me that mushy God talk.
I want to go home and be with my mother.”
A former journalist, Maria Miller is working on a novel while enjoying life in Spain.
A baby. A beginning. Exciting! Eager anticipation of the end goal: Adulthood! Every growth step welcomed.
If lucky, the journey continues, rewards received: Grandchildren! Cute and cuddly morphing into talented and fun. Finite time parenting yielding eternity of grandparent ecstasy.
Then, horrific awareness. No one prepared us. Grandchildren grow up!
Eileen was dazed when the truth was revealed. Boyfriends, girlfriends, drivers’ licenses, graduations, jobs, even marriages. Suddenly, outings and stories and sleep overs had become history, and the toys have become dust collectors.
A flick of the wrist brings a new page, new number, possible new beginnings. Can one calendar page make me a year older? Does it matter? Admitting to the day might result in friendly celebrations or freebies from businesses trawling for customers. Others don’t need the real numbers. Do they?
Eileen comes from a family that puts great store in celebrating birthdays, even during the pandemic.
I’m calling to tell you: I’ve been kidnapped.
I laughed.
What’s funny, David? He’s got me trapped here…
Who?
This chubby elf-man.
WHO?
My CAPTOR.
You mean George?
Who the heck’s George?
GEORGE, your husband.
Later, George returned. He helped sprinkle salt around the house, to ward off the elves.
Piper Pugh is a writer and educator living in Los Angeles, CA.
When my children were young, they’d play outside ‘til the streetlights came on. A cranky old lady lived down the block. They called her Crab. Woe be the kid who chased a ball across her lawn. Now that I’m old, I think I get it. It wasn’t about the lawn.
A prolific writer, Carol Reeves is loving the fun, freedom and challenge of Flash Fiction. She frequently writes about the privilege and vicissitudes of aging. Her stories are frequently published in Flash Fiction Magazine and 50 Word Stories. Her memoir, “All the Little Miracles,” was published in 2022.
We grow old together, the house and I. We inch towards the end of our useful lives, sustained by temporary repairs and fixes. I lose height; the foundations settle. The front door gleams with fresh paint and I dye my hair: we must present a brave face to the world.
Madeleine McDonald relishes the challenge of flash and micro-fiction, but has also published newspaper columns, short stories and romance novels.
“I’m practically freezing. Why do they crank the air-conditioner up so high at these events for seniors?”
“I don’t know. My best guess is the organizers suspect some of us attendees have gone past our freshness date. They keep the place as cold as a refrigerator so we won’t spoil.”
John H. Dromey has contributed to a wide variety of online and print publications.
The girl hesitated.
Then, she left the walker by the steps, grabbed her crutches, and held the handrail. It was her fourth trip.
The older woman watched with concern. She couldn’t help.
Two women, two generations, matching walkers.
She sighed in defeat. Her granddaughter’s condition was temporary, hers was not.
Yennifer Pedraza is a writer and designer based in Boston, who believes in using storytelling as a tool for connection, healing, and change. In her spare time, she is the creator and host of Her Own Words, a podcast dedicated to amplifying the stories of everyday women.