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Ethel climbs the stairs

I don’t know how she did it for all those years; there are a lot of stairs, even for me. Still, she loved that house and always said that she’d never move. When Bert passed, we thought she’d change her mind, but she was a stubborn wotsit.

She didn’t get many visitors over the last few years. Nobody could stomach the climb. Half her friends had plastic hips. The other half were using frames.

It was a ridiculous house, really. Who builds a bloody bungalow atop five flights of stairs?

Poor Ethel. May she finally rest her legs in peace.

Hey, listen

Take a look at the rest of the stories based on this week’s photo prompt. All written to the 100 word limit! Thanks to Jennifer Pendergast for this week’s picture prompt.

Responses to “Ethel climbs the stairs”

  1. Dale

    Sad way to spend the last years of one’s life. Stubborn woman!

  2. elmowrites

    The love for a place versus its practicality can be a hard balance to strike. Maybe those stairs kept her fit though.

  3. Neil MacDonald

    Ethel sounds like a good ‘un

  4. poetisatinta

    I like the sound of Ethel – my type of woman 🙌

  5. justjoyfulness

    The older you get, the more stubborn you get. You captured her journey (pun intended) well. The narration takes it up a notch.

  6. Prior…

    enjoyed the reading and Ethel was right at home all those years – and truly a gift to be able to remain in your “nest” – even in older age. And glad you finall could rest her legs eventually (and maybe dance in heaven now..)

  7. gc1963

    Old age rest on memories. Ethel must have had so many memories attached to her best that she did not wish to leave. She could stay with those memories rather than making new acquaintances.

  8. James McEwan

    Some people become entrenched in their own stubborn ways.

  9. rochellewisoff

    Dear Mr. B,

    I love to listen to you read.

    We have a five level house called a California split which we bought after becoming empty nesters. Alas, some of our friends do have trouble with all of our stairs. I don’t, so like Ethel, I love my house.

    The last line is very clever. Well done.

    Shalom,

    Rochelle

  10. granonine

    Stubborn? Perhaps, but I suspect I wouldn’t be too friendly to everyone who tried to tell me how to live my life 🙂

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