Friday Fictioneers – Blinded

~ neilmacdon
PHOTO PROMPT © Brenda Cox

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

60 thoughts on “Friday Fictioneers – Blinded”

      1. 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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  15. 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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  17. 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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  21. 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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