My parents may have considered me a yellowbelly, although they never used that word. At carnivals, I was terrified of roller coasters and other such crazy attractions. When hiking, I was afraid of falling when climbing and descending steep hills. I tried cross-country and downhill skiing, landed flat on my back, and gave up after my brother said I wasn’t falling right and could get hurt. In my old age, I’m afraid to walk when it’s icy because I worked in a nursing home long enough to know I don’t want to live in one because I fell and broke something. It’s always better to be cowardly than injured.
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Thanks to GirlieOnTheEdge for inspiring the above flash essay with this week’s six-sentence prompt in which the given word is “yellowbelly.” You can click here to participate in this week’s hop and read other six-sentence creations.
Photo Courtesy of Tess Anderson Photography
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New! Why Grandma Doesn’t Know Me
Copyright 2021 by Abbie Johnson Taylor.
Independently published with the help of DLD Books.
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Sixteen-year-old Natalie’s grandmother, suffering from dementia and confined to a wheelchair, lives in a nursing home and rarely recognizes Natalie. But one Halloween night, she tells her a shocking secret that only she and Natalie’s mother know. Natalie is the product of a one-night stand between her mother, who is a college English teacher, and another professor.
After some research, Natalie learns that people with dementia often have vivid memories of past events. Still not wanting to believe what her grandmother has told her, she finds her biological father online. The resemblance between them is undeniable. Not knowing what else to do, she shows his photo and website to her parents.
Natalie realizes she has some growing up to do. Scared and confused, she reaches out to her biological father, and they start corresponding.
Her younger sister, Sarah, senses their parents’ marital difficulties. At Thanksgiving, when she has an opportunity to see Santa Claus, she asks him to bring them together again. Can the jolly old elf grant her request?
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