From Pumping Your MuseSituations come into life unplanned and how we deal with them is a story. I sat at a garage sale today and a stray dog wandered into our midst. His golden coat was dingy and dirty. He'd been around for three days. Someone probably dumped him hoping he'd find a home.
The grandkids begged to keep it, and with each potential shopper the dog's ears perked up as if to ask, "Are you my new family." Each individual reacted differently.
For your prompt today, write three short paragraphs telling the story of three different people and how they reacted this this two-year-old yellow lab.
Include the sense of smell or hearing in each paragraph.
Her hip bothered her that morning. Aches and pains were part of the daily routine, but it was inconvenient that morning. She looked forward to browsing through small, cast off items at the garage sales. A cup here. A plate there. The carafe of a long gone coffee maker. As she walked up the driveway, she paused to take in the heavy, scent of homeowner's climbing roses. She turned and her leg was blocked by something warm and soft. The dog looked up at her; his tail thumped in anticipation. She smiled and caressed his broad head with a stiff hand. He was so like Charlie. She missed a dog's companionship. Something else to put aside to remembrance.
~~~~~~~~
The mother was huffing and puffing and she just gotten out of the car. She told her four year old son to hold her two year old sister's hand; she carried her newborn in the carrier along with the diaper bag. The walk up the drive way seemed an eternity of watching, lifting, carrying and worrying that someone would fall. No one did. The yellow lab stretched out across her path. One more thing to worry about. She told her son to step aside of the dog as a bead of sweat poured down her cheek. All that effort and the mother saw no clothes, no toys or anything that she could use. She stopped to take a breath and heard her baby make a familiar noise. She closed her eyes and turned around. She summoned her children and took the long walk back to the car. She knew what awaited her. The smell followed her.
~~~~~~~~~
He got up early and rode his bike in the quiet morning sun. He loved that time of morning when the day was filled with possibilities. The day before he found a rogue cicada and the day before that a yellow caterpillar. There were lots of cars by his neighbor's house and found the garage sale. After saying hello, he looked around the tables. It looked like the same kind of stuff his mom had at home. The garage smelled the same at theirs too, musty and old. The yellow lab approached him and he took a step back. When he saw the wagging tail, he held out his hand, which was promptly licked. The boy smiled and stroked the dog's head. He went through his pockets and found a green Skittle, which he popped in his mouth. He smiled at the dog, said good-bye to his neighbor and ran home to get some money.
Her hip bothered her that morning. Aches and pains were part of the daily routine, but it was inconvenient that morning. She looked forward to browsing through small, cast off items at the garage sales. A cup here. A plate there. The carafe of a long gone coffee maker. As she walked up the driveway, she paused to take in the heavy, scent of homeowner's climbing roses. She turned and her leg was blocked by something warm and soft. The dog looked up at her; his tail thumped in anticipation. She smiled and caressed his broad head with a stiff hand. He was so like Charlie. She missed a dog's companionship. Something else to put aside to remembrance.
~~~~~~~~
The mother was huffing and puffing and she just gotten out of the car. She told her four year old son to hold her two year old sister's hand; she carried her newborn in the carrier along with the diaper bag. The walk up the drive way seemed an eternity of watching, lifting, carrying and worrying that someone would fall. No one did. The yellow lab stretched out across her path. One more thing to worry about. She told her son to step aside of the dog as a bead of sweat poured down her cheek. All that effort and the mother saw no clothes, no toys or anything that she could use. She stopped to take a breath and heard her baby make a familiar noise. She closed her eyes and turned around. She summoned her children and took the long walk back to the car. She knew what awaited her. The smell followed her.
~~~~~~~~~
He got up early and rode his bike in the quiet morning sun. He loved that time of morning when the day was filled with possibilities. The day before he found a rogue cicada and the day before that a yellow caterpillar. There were lots of cars by his neighbor's house and found the garage sale. After saying hello, he looked around the tables. It looked like the same kind of stuff his mom had at home. The garage smelled the same at theirs too, musty and old. The yellow lab approached him and he took a step back. When he saw the wagging tail, he held out his hand, which was promptly licked. The boy smiled and stroked the dog's head. He went through his pockets and found a green Skittle, which he popped in his mouth. He smiled at the dog, said good-bye to his neighbor and ran home to get some money.
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