The front row of Three: the Empty chair #21 of the 24-storytrail. (Prompt: Special occasion)

A special occasion

It was a special occasion, every graduation always is. So we sat in the auditorium awaiting to be conferred our degrees.

The chitchats were all about the same things: the future, careers, husbands, and children. How fast we had all grown!

You’d expect some fears, some apprehensions, of course, but if they existed, no body showed. Nothing would grim our special occasion.

Not long, and conferment was done.

Then came the final act: the class photo. Everyone filed in, taking their place in order of degree precedence, and from back to front row.

The two overall best graduants, Claire, and Jack, had their chairs reserved either side of the Principal, and would take them last

Finally, the whole lot of us bank row-ers took our place.

Jack took his place to the Left of the Principal in the honored front three row.

Next, Claire came matching forward. The ecstatic audience of students and teachers and parents applauded and lauded the overall best of our lot, until the unexpected happened:

Claire stopped on her tracks, leaving everyone in confusion, as she stood staring, then walked around and away from her reserved chair to join the back row.

She had declined the honor of taking a seat, she explained, belonged to Christopher, the deceased Engineering major who had until he lost his fight to cancer, in our third year of study, led the class. He and Claire had been intellectual sparring partners.

And how that photo of the empty Chair gaping in the front row of three, still haunts the class of 2009!

The latest Weekend Freewrite 02/17/2018 - Single Prompt Option

If you missed my last freewrites, here are the links from latest to last:-

1. The Empty Chair #20 - [Prompt - vitamins]
2. The Empty Chair #19 - [Prompt - fried chicken]
3. The Empty Chair #18 - (Valentine Special)[Prompt - lace]
4. The Empty Chair #17 - Two Most inspiring Christian Stories about prayer
5. The Empty Chair #16 - (5 minute freewrite challenge)[Prompt - canal]
6. The Empty Chair #15 - (5 minute freewrite challenge)[Prompt - mason jar]
7. The Empty Chair #14 -Weekend Freewrite 02/10/2018 - [Single Prompt Option: It was Saturday morning]
8. The Empty Chair #13 - (5 minute freewrite challenge)[Prompt - Ski]
9. The Empty Chair #12 - (5 minute freewrite challenge)[Picture prompt]
10. The Empty Chair #11 - (5 minute freewrite challenge)[prompt: Dream]
11. The Empty Chair #10 - (5 minute freewrite challenge)[prompt: California]
12. The Empty Chair #9 - (5 minute freewrite challenge)[prompt: yard sale]
13. The Empty Chair #8 - (5 minute freewrite challenge) [prompt: Palimpsest]
14. The Empty Chair #7 -Weekend Freewrite 2/3/2018 - Single Prompt Option: Airplane
15. The Empty Chair #6 - (5 minute freewrite challenge) [prompt: The smell from within]
16. The Empty Chair #5 - (5 minute freewrite challenge) [prompt: Elephant]
17. The Empty Chair #4 - (5 minute freewrite challenge) [prompt: Cigarettes ]
18. The Empty Chair #3 - (5 minute freewrite challenge) [prompt: Cracker]
19. The Empty Chair #2 - (5 minute freewrite challenge) [prompt: Paint]
20. The Empty Chair #1- (5 minute freewrite challenge) [Prompt: hardboiled minds]

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Three (3) more to go, for me to close the 24 EMPTY CHAIR Trail.