Friday Flash Fiction - Week 13!

Secrets and Truths

I never told anyone about him and now he’s gone. My days, filled with memories, pass by in a blur. At night, I lie awake for hours next to my husband wondering who I am. And whether the secret I’ve kept for all these years was just. 

We met four years into my marriage, when I already had Matilda and Bobby was on the way. Matilda was at nursery and on Wednesdays my mother-in-law picked her up, so the day was my own until 6 o’clock. The first few weeks I didn’t know what to do with myself and spent the days defrosting the freezer and alphabetising the numerous tins in the larder. But I started to go on little trips; to a castle, to a nearby city, to the cinema to see something Keith wouldn’t have been interested in. 

It was the first Wednesday in December, there was a chill in the air and the azure blue sky stretched as far as the eye could see. I had been shopping in Norwich, a cathedral city about 30 miles from where I lived. Remembering I needed to buy stamps for the Christmas cards, I popped into the post office. I reached down to pick up my shopping bags and managed to drop the entire contents of my purse over the floor. 
“Let me help you,” a baritone voice said from behind me. 
“Oh, thank you. I…I don’t know what happened.” I looked at the lone man scrambling around on the floor, picking up my coins, cards and photos which had rolled in every direction.  
“It’s ok. Here you are.” 
I recognised him instantly. Everybody in the village knew him; that’s why he’d moved away. “Thank you so much,” I said. “There’s a café next door. Let me buy you a coffee to say thanks.” The words escaped my lips before I’d had time to think of the consequences. 
“That’s absolutely unnecessary, but seeing as I haven’t had lunch yet, I’ll take you up on your offer of some company.” He smiled and I realised that he was an exceptionally beautiful man.   

When I didn’t tell my husband about him that same day, I knew I never would. He was mine. He always said he’s loved many men in his time, but I was the only constant love in his life, and that’s always been enough for me. 

L. Besley

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Flash Fiction diary

This piece was inspired by a minute element in the book Please Look After Mother by Shin Kyung-Sook, which I recently read and reviewed. I won't reveal any more because if you haven't read the book, you should read it for yourself. It just goes to show that there are things everywhere that spark the imagination!

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Flash Fiction is short enough to read whilst you're waiting for the kettle to boil. It's fairly quick to write too, but with it being so short, every word has to count. 

On 4th May 2012 I decided to embark on a project: to write a piece of Flash Fiction every day. I'm hoping this will keep the creative juices flowing and ultimately help me hone my craft. Every Friday I'll be posting 'the best of the week' onto my blog for you to read. If you have anything to say (good or 'constructive'!), I'm open to comments.  

Thanks, as always, for reading.