First African in Space (#freewrite day 140)
I am continuing my "serial freewrite" with today's contribution to #freewrite hosted by @mariannewest. As always huge thanks to her and to this great community!
If you've missed the first parts:
Part 1 - Part 2
Here's part 3:
Tara peaked into the living room. She listened closely. It was silent in there. Almost. She heard the familiar breath of her mother, heavy, steady. Almost calming. She had fallen asleep again. Tara would have wanted to know how late it was now, for sure it wasn't bed time, since the sun hadn't set yet. Her mother slept a lot. Much more than other mums, Tara thought.
When she had been at Ben's house a while ago, Ben's mum had sat down with him and her and played Candyland with them forever. Tara had laughed a lot, chuckled, squeaked. Tara didn't know this from her home. Her mother had never played a game with her.
And after Tara had come home from Ben's and had asked her mother if she could play Candyland with her tomorrow, her mum became furious. "What more do you want, Tara? Don't I give you enough, my time, hell, literally my life?" And she had stomped so hard on the floor, the glasses in the cupboard had been tinkling.
The telly was on, but on mute. Tara hesitated, didn't know if she could leave without making a noise, risking that her mum would wake up. She looked briefly at the telly and her face lit up. She knew that thing on the screen, it was a rocket. She had learnt that at Ben's when Ben's mum had sat down with the two and opened Ben's favorite book. The pictures on the telly were black and white, though, and Tara didn't like that. Her mum had once said that everything used to be black and white, but Tara didn't really believe that. She wanted to see the rocket again but now there was a man in a dark blue uniform on the screen. He didn't look like the men in Ben's book, but he looked nice, Tara thought. Maybe he would play Candyland with her.
I just want to scoop Tara up and take her off to build a fort and play with Princess Frostine!
Today's prompt comes to you as an advertisement in the Freewrite Gazette. It's right above the Lost & Found on page 2. (Side note, if anyone has found a left prosthetic leg - last seen Tuesday night at Mugsy's Pub - please return it to Eugene at the Rec Center.)
Building a fort is such a great idea! I'll hopefully be able to continue her story soon!
I so want to set Tara's mom straight and protect sweet little Tara....
Thank you so much - me too! :) I had to skip a few days due to spring depression, not unknown but this time completely unexpected, especially regarding the intensity. But I'm starting to get back on track and hopefully will continue her story soon!
Thank you for pulling me into Tara's world for a few short moments this morning. I really loved how you pulled it all together with the last line of the story :)
Thank you so much! And sorry for the late response, I'm just getting back to Steemit after a few days off.
No worries! Hope you enjoyed your time away from the platform :)
Thanks a lot! Actually I was stuck in spring depression, I'm just not very open about this, or haven't been open, cos I've just posted something on this topic for the first time. Hopefully I can get on with storytelling now or at least soon :)
We all swing in and out of these feelings and a community like the one that exists here is a perfect way to get out some of those emotions we usually bottle up. At least that is what I have found thus far in my journey :) I hope you are healing well and I encourage you to keep on writing. It's a beautiful therapy. Cheers!
Ha ha, I would play Candyland with her, I haven't seen or played that game in years and years. The best I can remember it was a lot like shuts and ladders but I may be totally wrong about that. 🙂
LOL! To be honest, I had to look up a board game that is at least kind of common in the US - my first idea was a game that's very common in Germany (where I grew up and live), but then I found out that it is really only common in Germany (at least according to Wikipedia ...).
Oh, that must be hard having to try and cater to a target audience like that. I guess I tend to take everything for granted and just write it mostly as it comes to me unless I'm setting the story in some foreign Country. You could have just taken the opportunity to teach us about a game that we might have never played, of course, that would probably take more than five minutes. But then, I never get my blogs done in five minutes lol, it takes me that long just to sit down in front of the computer and take a deep breath lol.