13 Week Streak Summer Flash Fiction – 4th week -updated

Week four of Thain in Vain and Drafty Devil bringing us the 13-Week Streak Summer Flash Fiction challenge. 500 words, one story using the prompt, enjoy!

This weeks story is also inspired by real life events. My mom is struggling to remember my dad. It’s really more of a struggle for us as she is convinced of her reality, no matter what logic or documentation says.

Sundown

by

Kim Izzy

Amazement flowed through her. Brick, her best friend Meechy’s cousin, stood beside her at her uncle’s garage door. He was six two to her five one, jet black hair to her strawberry blond, and blue eyes to her green.

He looked back at her over his shoulder, whispering, “Are you sure we won’t get in trouble for this?”

“My uncle loves me. I’m his favorite.” Chynna replied whispering.

“Then why are we whispering?”

“You started it.”

He twisted the knob. “It’s locked.”

Chynna reached around him lifting the door while twisting the knob. The door swung open.

“Hey how’d you do that?”

“A trick my uncle taught me.” She grinned strolling into the garage. Heading to the workbench, screwed to the underside of the shelf, there were multiple baby food jars, she just had to remember which one contained the keys to the powder blue ’57 Chevy.

“Wow, what a sweet ride!” Brick exclaimed, “Can I drive?”

She stared at him. Didn’t Meechy tell him anything? Neither of them had their driver’s license. She gave a little cough, “Of course, you can.” She giggled, wishing Meechy could be here.

“Double wow! Your uncle has great taste.”

She smiled. For the first time, she wished she was into cars. His enthusiasm made his blue eyes sparkle.

“Did Meechy know what car she was missing out on?” He held out his hand for the keys after she located them.

The bay water of Lake Huron was like bath water when they arrive in late afternoon after a two hour drive. In ten minutes, she changed into her new emerald green two piece bathing suit. The high-waisted black belt accentuated her tiny waist.

Wading into the shallows, Chynna giggled, “Brick, it’s beautiful. Come join me.”

“I don’t like the water.” Brick stood staring into the clear water at the water’s edge.

She looked at him over her shoulder. Where were his swimming trunks? While you could swim in cutoffs in the great lakes, the denim wasn’t very comfortable when wet. “Why’d you come all this way?”

Brick patted her hand, jolting her back to the present. Thirty years slipped back into her reality.

“Yes, honey, it was your smile to that question that melted my heart. We played and frolicked like two little kids, splashing, making sand castles and collecting shells. It was the perfect day until we had to return Uncle Fritz’s car.” She hugged him and he squirmed.

Brick frowned. Chynna wondered if he really remembered coming to her rescue when Uncle Fritz went to strike her.

Tears threatened, most days Brick didn’t remember her until she recounted this story for him. Honestly, it wasn’t most days. It was every day for the last four years since an on-the-job accident gave him a closed head injury. She didn’t know if he knew her.
Brick patted her hand again.

“Let’s go outside to the garden. Maybe we’ll see a gorgeous sunset like that day so long ago.” Chynna suggested through the tears.

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Personal note: If you pray, please pray for me and my family. If not, please wish us well, as I have scheduled this story to post as we arriving at the hospital to have a brain scan(angiogram) on my mom. We are almost to the first anniversary of the rupture of her first aneurysm. The test is to check out the status of her second aneurysm. We are hoping that the new symptoms that we are seeing are due to the stress of the test and not to more brain injury. Thank you.

UPDATE: My mom came through the procedure beautifully. We didn’t get the greatest news or the worst news. Thank you for your thoughts and prayers.

Kimberhew/Kim Izzy