
You’re right, of course. I should have seen the tree. But I didn’t. Not with him here, in our restaurant, and at my table. Imagine. My hands shook as I took his order. He chose chilli. Not pâté de foie gras, not lobster and truffle sauce, not ambrosia and nectar. Chilli, and a small beer. Like a regular person. It was uplifting. Heavenly choirs sang. Gentle waves caressed the shore.
What do you mean, there’s nobody at the table? Fair enough, I missed the tree. But, really, you can’t see him? Seems we all have our areas of blindness.
Friday fictioneers is a weekly challenge set by Rochelle Wisoff Fields to write a 100-word story in response to a photo prompt. You can find other stories here
We can only see what we choose to see I guess.
Honestly I’ve always viewed him as an unregular regular person, if that makes any sense.
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Oh, you can see him? My waiter will be pleased
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“We only see what our eyes want to see”- Madonna’s “Frozen” song.
Chilling story 🙂
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There’s more to seeing than meets the eyeball
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Great take on the prompt. The waiter’s stance says it all really. I missed that. Seems I’m not alone at being unobservant.
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Thanks, Sandra. I was pleased to spot the waiter
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Dear Neil,
It’s all about the eye of the viewer. Well done.
Shalom,
Rochelle
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Thanks so much, Rochelle
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Medication time? Does this happen to him a lot?
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All the time
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Perfect use of the prompt, especially as the waiter appears to be talking to himself!
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Thanks so much. Keith
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A great opening. Infinitely intriguing. Carry on….
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Great to see you, Britt. And thanks so much
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I love this, Neil! So much said in these few words.
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Thanks so much, Dale
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Imaginative and ambitious take on the prompt, Neil.
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Thanks so much, Penny. I hope “ambitious” wasn’t code for “failure”
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Ha! Rumbled! No, not failure exactly, but it required quite a lot from the reader and (to me, at any rate) it felt a little coincidental, and as if it only just held together. I can see how the (imaginary) presence of the waiter’s hero might make him overlook the fallen tree – it makes sense – but it feels like one of those occurrences that could happen in life, but stretch credulity in fiction.
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Does it help if I say it’s allegorical?
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Excellent use of the prompt. I like it.
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Thanks so much, Joshua
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Haha! This is so humorous. Care for a blind spot? 🙂
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Thanks so much, Terveen. We all have blind spots.
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That was one hell of a blind spot. Nice one, Neil!
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Thanks so much, Mason
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I totally missed the waiter because the fallen tree was such a strong trigger for my own story. You put light on a detail that makes all the difference!
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Details have that quality. Thanks, Linda
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Intriguing tale, Neil, open to interesting commenting on.
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Thanks so much, Jade
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You’re very welcome, Neil.
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I get the impression that the invisible patron was important to your protagonist who is thrown and very disappointed by the mundane food and drink order. At first I thought of a holy vision, but then that wouldn’t explain the missing luxury food – or maybe it would! Now I want to write a story called What Jesus Would Order at the Savoy. Friday Fictioneers’ posts always stretch my brain and this week’s fare was no exception.
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Great competition idea, Jilly. But wouldn’t Jesus choose a caff?
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A very imaginative story, Neil, and original take on the photo! I’m not sure I noticed the waiter and I took the picture. =)
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Oh. And I thought the waiter was the whole point of the photograph
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Cue one of my favourite quotes from The Little Prince: ‘It’s only with the heart that we see well.’
What a great take on the prompt. And an intriguing life tale too. Love it.
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Thanks so much, Jenne.
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it’s not surprising that some folks are conditioned to see only what they wanted to see. 🙂
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It’s how our senses work
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Wishful thinking?
I didn’t even see the waiter!
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See? He’s right
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We don’t see the client, we don’t see the waiter, we’re all blind. Intriguing tale.
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The waiter is there. The client depends on your point of view
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Neil,
Sometimes we miss the “forest” (read: a transcendent reality) for the tree. And vice versa. Both perspectives are necessary for well-rounded vision. Enjoyed reading this!
pax,
dora
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Thanks so much, Dora
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Ooooooooo I’m intrigued. Real or only in their head? Ghostly or…
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At the risk of sounding philosophical, everything is in our heads, both the real and the unreal
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Ah, true!
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aaah, living the impossible dream, wishing for a rich customer to sweep her away, instead it is the trees that are blown over.
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I like that interpretation
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Great take, Neil, thoughful and thought provoking.
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Thanks so much, Michael
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Great take on the prompt.
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Thanks so much, Alicia
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Ha! Ha! I had to look again to spot the ‘waiter’. We do have our blind spots 🙂
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We do indeed
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There are some people I wish I couldn’t see.
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It’s all a matter of practice
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A fascinating take on the prompt. I believe we inhabit parallel realities, especially when someone has passed on. Beautifully told Neil.
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Thanks so much
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