Mini Short Stories: 2020 Volume 1

Swing

I watched the girls sway back and forth on the swings and I was instantly transported back to my childhood. Veronica and I were little girls ourselves when we made a promise to always stay in touch. Friendship should last forever, yet our promise didn’t even last childhood.

I shook my head and looked around again as I had done every few steps. I hadn’t been in this area in seven years, but the village was so different and much more developed. Even the park where we made that promise was in much better condition. This did not look like the poor village that my parents moved away from to access better business opportunities and education for all six children including me. I was fortunate that I had been able to help out in the last three years. My basketball skills and viral YouTube videos made some lucrative endorsement deals a reality. I had already walked quickly past a billboard with my face plastered all over it. Things were definitely better if they could sell those luxury sneakers here.

It seems things were better for everyone. I hoped they were for Veronica too. I hadn’t written to her in years. It was easy to blame it on being busy with school, YouTube and the businesses, but it was because I could never forget how angrily we had parted. Veronica was the princess and I was the pauper. She threw a tantrum when I told her the news and I was angry at her spoilt nature. We never spoke after that despite our promise to always remain friends.

I never forgot the promise and I hadn’t forgotten her address either. I stood nervously in front of her front door. I didn’t notice how weathered it looked. It opened abruptly and I saw my best friend. I had a speech already prepared in my head, but Veronica exclaimed, “Marie!’ loudly before we instinctively hugged each other. We spent the next two hours in her dining room devouring delivery while alternating between laughter and tears. My best friend was no longer a princess. She knew loss and responsibility now as an orphan. While the village had grown in fortune hers had diminished and that was why I was there. 

When I explained the plan that my parents had already agreed to she moved between shock, disbelief and awe. My parents were big-hearted so adopting Veronica not a hardship for our family. It would take some time for Veronica to recover from her losses, but she would fit right in with us and once more I'd had time to spend swinging with my only best friend.

•▪︎•▪︎•▪︎•▪︎•▪︎•▪︎•▪︎•▪︎•▪︎•¤•▪︎•▪︎•▪︎•▪︎•¤•▪︎•▪︎•▪︎•▪︎•▪︎•▪︎•▪︎•▪︎•▪︎•▪︎•
Welcome back!

Okay so I must confess that isn't one of my favourites 😶.

I wanted to write much more and the word limit was challenging to maintain.

However, it does hit CXC'S basic requirements:
1. It's within the word limits.
2. It has a beginning, middle and end.
3. There is character development.
4. There is a conflict or a problem.

What did you enjoy in this story?

I used the memory of the swing to tie in with the title.

Was this a good link to the title and the story?

I also intentionally made the main character a YouTube sports star. In the Caribbean we have more and more people getting on to YouTube and producing quality education and entertainment

Who are your favourite Caribbean You Tube channels?

Comment💬. Share🤝. Follow.👀
▪︎•▪︎•▪︎•▪︎•▪︎•▪︎•▪︎•▪︎•▪︎•▪︎•¤•▪︎•▪︎•▪︎•▪︎•¤•▪︎•▪︎•▪︎•▪︎•▪︎•▪︎•▪︎•▪︎•▪︎•▪︎•