Week 703 of #ThursThreads was a success, a remarkable feat for 13 solid years. Thank you to everyone who writes each week. You are why we’re still doing this. I’m truly grateful for all y’all!
If you’ve just found us, welcome to the crew! May you come back again and write more great flash. A thousand thanks to M.L. Gammella for judging this week. Follow Siobhan Muir on Bluesky or check out the #ThursThreads #flashfiction server on Discord to keep up with news, etc.
Entries:
- Bill Engleson
- Joe Hesch
- Kelly Heinen
- Silver James
- David A. Ludwig
- Siobhan Muir
- Mark Ethridge
Honorable Mention
Kelly Heinen | Website
M.L. says: I enjoyed the personification of Death here, named Horace, as he waits for the elderly woman to pass. He seemed curious but polite, agreeing to wait until the old woman’s family arrived to say goodbye; all done with the backdrop of them watching a space mission.
winner announcement
Week 703 Winner
M.L. says: The sweetness of this won me over as the narrator tries to explain to his friend for the umpteenth time how he has been able to stay married to the same woman for five decades. There’s no big secret to longevity in a marriage, but despite that, Harry just doesn’t get it. Hence his four failed marriages and Charlie’s single successful one.
The Anniversary
“Wow. Fifty years. That’s impressive, Charlie.”
I nod my head. Harry is easily fascinated by marital fortitude. And not a little suspicious of mine. He’s marched to the alter, which he often refers to as the anchor, four times. Muriel, his fourth spouse, hit the road just last year. He’s still smarting.
“How do you do it, Charlie? I mean, one woman, five decades. How many hours is that?”
Interestingly, I looked that up two days earlier.
“Four hundred and thirty-eight thousand, two hundred and ninety-one,” I reply, smiling a bit, for Harry didn’t exactly expect an answer.
“Really. That’s a lot of hours. And way more minutes I suppose.”
“Harry,” I say, “It’s all the same time. Minutes , hours, years. Life isn’t always rosy but it’s been a blessing having a trusted travelling companion down the years.”
He puts on his hang dog look. I’ve seen it before each and every time one of his marriages fizzled out. I’ve never been convinced that he actually is seeking domestic longevity. His track record speaks to that.
“I don’t know, man. One person. Must get dull. Do you know something I don’t? Something that spices the whole thing up?”
He’s asking for my secret, if that’s what it is.
“Look, I just pay attention. Take it as easy as I can. Enjoy the closeness. The quiet. The planning. You either embrace all of that or you don’t.”
Harry just shakes his head.
He’s heard it before.
Often.
~~~~~~~
Congratulations FORTY-FOUR TIME WINNER Bill, and Honorable Mention Kelly! Don’t forget to claim your badges and display them with pride. You certainly earned it!
Pass on the great news on Facebook, Discord, MeWe, Bluesky, Mastodon, shiny mirrors, Morse Code, and signal flags. Check out all the original tales HERE. Thanks for stopping by and happy reading! 🙂
