Wednesday, March 26, 2008

Sarah's prompt: The wall went up much too quickly


They had been friends forever, longer than that even. Hopscotch and jump rope had given way to boys and nail polish, then of course, dorm rooms and dream dates, and homes and husbands. They had been so close until the day. It was the day of the last unkind word. Looking back now she couldn’t remember exactly what the conversation had been about only that in the end they were both a little miffed.
The next day, neither one of them called the other, and it continued in that same fashion day after day. Unforgiveness and buried, but still remembered, old hurts began to make their way to the surface. The littlest slights, the greater jealousies all began to destroy the relationship. Perceptions of course were skewed and when one or the other did not receive a phone call they imagined that their friend did not wish their friendship any longer. Though their husbands tried to reason with them and encourage each of them to call the other, neither would. It was shortly after that, certainly not more than two months when Barry got his promotion and he and Sylvia moved away.
It was 12 years now and she missed her friend. Stacy sighed. The wall had gone up much too quickly. She found herself on the other side of it wishing she given in and called first. It was too late now, the fear of rejection was the great monster behind the wall and so day after day after day after day, when she sat down to drink her morning coffee she would reach for the phone and not call.

2 comments:

Edie P said...

Hi Gina

I found this very effective. You can feel the presence of the wall throughout the piece x

trying to write ... said...

Thanks Sarah,

I really needed the encouragement this morning.

xoxo
g