The Thaw of Pa (Again)

47 Replies
PHOTO PROMPT © Dale Rogerson

Yep, when that big drift melted, there was Pa, sitting in his chair, just as he was back in December.  He was looking a might bit unhappy, as you’d expect.  Solved the mystery of where his favorite chair was.

And where Pa was.

We thawed Pa by the fire.  When he could move, he ate about every bite of food in the house, like a spring bear. Said he was some hungry.

Pa said he’s feeling himself again.

When the chair is free, we’ll move it to the creek and set Pa in it so he can fish all summer.

***

OK, not sure what this bit of silliness means. And I am not condoning any type of abuse! Nor of humor at the expense of a disabled person.

(Later edit, after removing this post) – OK, too complicated ;) I was not trying to be insensitive, but perhaps removing it was what was really insensitive. So I am putting it back.

***

word count = 100

Friday Fictioneers is hosted by  Rochelle Wisoff-Fields.  This week’s prompt is here and uses a photo by @ Dale Rogerson. If you want to join or see other stories, go to the inlinkz linkup.

47 thoughts on “The Thaw of Pa (Again)”

  2. Bill

    As I read your post scripts, Trent, I thought of my own concerns regarding what I write and who I may offend. I got my copy of “On Writing” by S. King so I could get this quote right: ‘If you intend to write as truthfully as you can, your days as a member of polite society are numbered anyway” (p. 148). Well done story and talk about it.

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    1. trentpmcd Post author

      Thanks, Dale. I don’t know why, but for some reason when I reread it I thought that it could be interpreted as they are abusing the invalid, Pa, and that I was making fun of Pa for being a invalid. Yeah, I know, but I did panic, but cooler minds prevailed and I dug up poor old Pa and put him back on the (digital) page…

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      1. Dale

        Sometimes, our mind goes one way and then another :) I thought it was lighthearted and not abusive. We so often are pushed to overthink things in this day and age of “political correctedness” – it’s annoying. So, let go and know that this was fun!

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          1. Dale

            Yeah, ya gotta let that go and not worry what others thing. Write for you. Some might not like it, this is true; but that’s the case for anything, dontcha think? :)

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    1. trentpmcd Post author

      So the title is longer than the plot description… lol.
      After I had posted this, I went back and reread it and my first thought was, “Yikes, this can easily be interpreted as humor based on the abuse of a disabled person.” So I panicked and took it down. But cooler heads prevailed, and it is back up as another chapter of dark comedy on our Friday Fictioneers list. Thanks.

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    1. trentpmcd Post author

      I think that is just the problem – when Pa is set out to fish all summer, it might turn into ALL summer – day, night, rain, shine. Maybe Pa is just just short for Papa bear.

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  15. Writing Sparkle

    This actually made me think of my grandfather a bit. He had alzheimer’s disease, but he remembered certain connections and those things would draw him. In the summer we would get him comfortable in a chair on the deck at the cottage with a bunch of peanuts and he would sit there happily feeding the chipmunks. Great post Trent.

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    1. trentpmcd Post author

      Maybe. When I saw the photo, my first thought was “Pa’s favorite chair finally thawed out of the snow bank. Hey, and Pa is still in it!” It wasn’t until I finished writing that I realized that the story could be taken as abusive instead of just silly…

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