She was about to make one of her observations. “So cute! They call this the Smoke That Thunders, instead of waterfall. Primitive people are closer to the spirits.”
Nothing cowed her. Not even the river guide who’d asked if we were local. “No, silly,” she’d said, laughing. “We travelled here many hours in the great silver bird. Don’t you know your neighbours? Zimbabwe? Botswana?”
With great dignity, he’d reached down, pulled out a fish, and asked her the name. “No? Tigerfish. And this? Tilapia. Perhaps we all have our areas of ignorance.”
Atop the falls, I contemplated a little shove.
.
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
Neil MacDonald Author 
Great opening sentence. Says it all. They’d probably lock you up for the shove so I’d just dump her pronto so she can meet and bond with another patronising bigot like herself. They’ll get on so well, it would be rude not to give her the chance.
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But so much less gratifying
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Very good. Ignorance is no excuse for bad behaviour 🙂
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Thanks so much, trish
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Dear Neil,
I can see where she might grate on someone’s nerves with her “wealth of knowledge.” Perhaps the shove isn’t the greatest idea. 😉
Shalom,
Rochelle
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But oh, it would be tempting, wouldn’t it?
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Agreed with Rochelle shoving doesn’t sound like a good idea. I enjoyed your story. good one
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Thanks so much, Vartika
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Rather than a shove, perhaps just accidentally leave her ‘lost’ on the way home… There’s always one in every group.
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But a shove would be so satisfying
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Oh, that’s a killer last line. Literally 🙂
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Thank so much, Linda
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Oh, I don’t think a little shove would be wise. She’s the sort of person, who, quite by chance, would step aside at the last minute, leaving you teetering on the brink…
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You may over-estimate her guile. She’s quite sure everyone loves her
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😉
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Nobody likes know-it-alls, especially when they meet up with another know-it-all who knows more 😉 Her disrespect to the tour guide probably does deserve the contemplated shove though…
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Harsh justice but a kind of justice we will mostly sympathise with
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I’ve been on many a group trip and there’s always one!
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Often more than one
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The thought of shoves at the top keep me from the edge.
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Or even from the ascent
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Loved it.
Hehehe at the last line. Some people know how to try one’s patience.
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Thanks so much
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Well, accidents do happen, Neil. A little nudge and the condescending lady is descending. 🙂
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Nice word play
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Sounds like there might be a line for that “shove”… 😉 Really enjoyed this!
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Thanks so much, Patricia. A line, like a firing squad? An interesting idea
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Bye Bye!
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I’m not sure he bothered with farewells. He was a little peeved.
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It’s supposed to be slippery up there. And who’d know? You got her voice down pat.
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Thanks so much
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Haven’t we all similar thoughts a time or two? (haha) Love the last line, Neil.
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Just a wee shove, Hardly anything, really
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Love that last line!
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Thanks so much
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Yes, as you show very well. If you assume the high ground be prepared in case someone trips you off.
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Nice play on words. Thanks, James
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Oooo this tour guide seems a bit hopeless! How rude to attack her travellers, who knows what their experiences might be? A nicely thoughtful tale.
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Thanks so much, Laurie
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He doesn’t seem disturbed enough to follow through with the shove. Not worth the guilt even if not caught. A bit of ignorance is not that bad; at least, if we all admit we are ignorant in many areas of knowledge. Being “learned” is not a sign of non-bigotry.
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You may be right. He’s lived with this for some time
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I love the voices in this. I can imagine the guide listening to her ‘observations’ throughout, and his comeback is just perfect. He probably felt like giving her a shove too, but he’s got a much better strategy to put her in her place.Wonderful characters.
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Thanks so much, Margaret.
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Oh, good one! I really loved the ending, lol.
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Thanks so much
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As put-downs go, that has to be up there amongst the best of them. And deservedly so.
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It’s actually based closely on something I saw an artesanal fisherman say to a journalist
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