Flash Fiction / Random Tales

Flash Fiction: The Queen

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PHOTO PROMPT © Linda Kreger for Rochelle’s Friday Fictioneers. Other stories featuring the prompt can be found here.

 

The queen sat on her throne, taking in the park’s fresh smells and scenery. A perfect day for a stroll. She ignored the puffing and panting behind her. The sods implying she was heavy.

On her shoulder she tapped her walking stick, ready to use if need be – the perfect punisher. The insulters remained behind, away from stick’s reach. Kangaroos jumped along the path, some reclined on the grass twitching their noses amused. Round pellets littered the path.

Reaching the top of the incline, the motion stopped. More heavy breathing.

“Who’s going to clean up the kangaroo shit from my wheels?”

48 comments

  14. Loved your take on the prompt again, Tannille. Not sure I’ve twigged before that you’re also Australian. There aren’t many of us on WordPress. Few and far between. I’m from Sydney by the way.
    Your Queen reminds me of my late grandmother in all the nicest possible ways, of course. She wasn’t in a wheelchair but she’s jab you with her walking stick if you were in her way. By that stage, she had dementia but I’m not sure that let’s her off the hook.
    BTW also enjoyed the comments on this. Great read for a very wet and blerky night.
    Best wishes,
    Rowena

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    1. Perth here. And you’re right we are a niche breed on WordPress. Guess the kangaroos gave it away 😀.

      I have vague memories of my great grandmother using her walking stick on people. Must be frustrating getting that old and cranky. I guess when you’re the matriarch you can do whatever the hell you want lol.

      Thanks R!

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      1. I lived in Western Australia for a couple of years in the mid 90s. I lived in Geraldton for about 6 months and worked for the Chamber of Commerce there and also lived in Freo. My aunt still lives in Freo. Her name is Dr Anna Haebich. She’s a professor at Curtin Uni and wrote Broken Circles, the national history of the stolen generation. I’m hoping to get back over there in the next year or so. Have you been a cross the Nullarbor by car or train? I’ve done both and want to drive across again as a family. It would be an epic trip. I’m hoping to get my photos scanned in and do some posts.

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      2. Wow that’s quite a connection to WA!
        Oh my, the Nullarbor – are we there yet, are we there yet. 😀 Still there is nothing like the open road. Make sure the kids are entertained…

        I’ve traveled along the coast as south as Adelaide and as north as Broome. The days when flying was for the filthy rich. The drive between Perth & Karratha a twice a year trip as a kid. Couldn’t imagine driving for 18 hrs straight again – or the dying batteries in my Walkman lol

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      3. Tannille, sounds like you were well and truly initiated into the road trip as a kid and I can just imagine being stuck in the car with you when the batteries to your walkman went flat.
        My Mum has this story of driving out from Sydney to Burke on a family holiday as a uni student. She had tickets to go and see Peter, Paul and Mary but even though she was living out of home, she had to do as she was told. Her Great Uncle was head of the Bourke Music & Dramatic Society and they desperately needed a pianist out there and my mother was studying the piano at the Conservatorium in Sydney. She only went for the brief visit but she ended up playing out there as a fundraiser for the Miss Australia Quest. Wish I could’ve been a fly on the wall although being stuck in the back of the FJ HoLden with her would’ve been hell. She doesn’t suffer in silence.
        Best wishes,
        Rowena

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      4. The old road trip is a journey. Especially along country roads, bugger all for hours. I look back and it’s kind of meditative.

        Your poor mum, cars were uncomfortable back in the day. I bet the ride was rather frosty… 😀

        Thanks R, loved your tale.

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      6. Oh wow! A bit tired, but the charm! The space. Beautiful building. What a buy.

        I saw an old hospital being dirt cheap in country Victoria years ago online and fantasised about buying it and running retreats. Not practical. But for a while I saw a dream.

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  16. Some are born privileged to be pushed around a park by a retinue of men and women. Now she wants them to clean Kangaroo shit from her wheels also!

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  20. The queen is both practical and outspoken. Who is going to do the dirty job I wonder? People don’t think about those problems when they go to the park. It’s going to be on the soles of their shoes also. Here, its the bird droppings. I was walking under the trees when a bird dropped a poop bomb right on my head. It felt like it had a seed in it. Someone said it was good luck. That didn’t occur to me at the time. A funny and good story, Tannille. 😀 — Suzanne

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    1. Oh my that happened to me once. I was at a meet up in a park. I bird flew around and I joked, “if that bird shits on me.” Seconds later I felt the splat on my head. What were the chances? lol
      Didn’t feel like good luck… But it had everyone in stitches.

      Thanks S!

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