{This is a response to Friday Fictioneers. Thanks for the prompt and thanks for reading!}
Riding shotgun with Mom, five-year-old Lila approached the venue. V-E-N-U-E. A fancy way to say “place.”
She snuck a sidelong glance. Mom seemed nervous.
“Ask me another.”
“OK. You sure?” Mom looked around. Smiled. “You’ll never get this one: bougainvillea.”
Lila squinted. She saw letters dancing on the magenta bracts.
The minivan nosed the flowering wall, halted. “Contestant Parking Only.”
“B-O-U-…”
Sounds left impressions on Lila’s lips. Unforgettable as any rhyme.
“Perfect! Think you’re ready?”
Lila looked up. Above the bougainvillea: a brazen scrawl of graffiti.
N-O T-R-E-S-S-R-A-S-S-I-N-G.
“I’m ready,” she huffed. “But I don’t think they know I’m coming!”
I hope the competition wasn’t called off and Mom wasn’t told. It sounds fishy to me. A good story and dialogue, Andrea. 🙂 — Suzanne
I think the girl was just being snarky and criticizing the spelling bee for allowing such a glaring spelling error to be displayed so prominently, in the parking lot of the event. Clearly they don’t care about spelling as much as she does!?
Great humour.
Thanks Lisa!
Terrific use of the misspelled graffiti. Great story 🙂
Thanks granonine!
Dear Andrea,
It sounds like at the tender age of 5, Lila is a force with which to reckon. Look out world, here she comes! Sweet story.
Shalom,
Rochelle
Thanks Rochelle. It takes one, to know one. ?
Smart cookie ?.
Whip-smart creamy filling between two layers of crispy sass!
That’s it girlfriend!
That was a sweet one. Is Mom nervous for any other reason than for her daughter’s competition?
Not as far as I know but I can’t be held responsible for future plot developments!?
LOL!
I think the idea is that though the daughter is competing, it’s the mom who’s nervous.
That’s what I figured… bus you know us FF… there is often something hidden 😉
I love that story. Humour with the lightest of touches!
Thanks Penny!
Delightfully different from anything else I’ve come across this week! Nice one.
My tale – ‘No pain no gain!
Thank you Keith!
That made me smile.
Went for a lighter touch this week. ?Thanks Sandra!
It sounds like Lila will be able to sort their spelling out for them!
For sure , Iain!
I mean draliman. ?
Nice use of the sign
Thanks Neil.