Photo: Copyright Al Forbes
Visiting time again. Standby for the Grandkids! They’ll probably want to know about more stories about my bridge. I tell them that I built it with my bare hands, back in the day.
The bridge has been a focal point to me over the years. Many’s the time I’ve leaned over the edge and told my troubles to the flowing water underneath. And they’ve all been carried off to who-knows-where. Maybe there’s a part of the sea that holds all my sadness and worries. And a better part where the good things I’ve lost are all there waiting for me. My lovely Alice, for a start.
I don’t go there anymore, at least not physically. I ask the staff, but they say there’s never enough of them on-shift to drive me over there. I’d wheel myself if I could. but my weak arms couldn’t get me further than the TV room.
The staff think I have an afternoon nap everyday. But I’ve got them all fooled. Since I read that “Creative Visualisation” book off the Volunteer’s trolley, I’ve learnt to take myself to the bridge in my mind. In fact, if my daughter and the kids don’t show up in a couple of minutes, that’s where I’ll be heading.
This is my contribution to Sunday Photo Fiction, January 26th 2014, hosted by Al Forbes. For more details, please click the link.
To read the other stories, click on the logo.
Walk the Self-Talk 
Creative visualisation. Fantastic 🙂
Thanks, Al. I like the idea of the staff thinking he’s just taking a nap.
I think this is a very touching piece with an unusually uplifting tone for such subject matter.
Thanks. I’d imagine he’d be quite a character!
What a great character. It’s sad to think no one is willing to take him to the bridge. I hope he makes it back there at least one more time before his time is up.
Thanks, Adam. Maybe his daughter could take him, if the staff won’t.
I hope she does. It seems to be his favorite place in the world.
There was a magical edge to this, as if he was physically transported to the bridge. Great job 🙂
Thanks. I pictured him using the bridge as a way of escaping his humdrum, day-to-day life.
Incredibly sweet and sad, and I loved the imagery of all troubles flowing away with the water. I found that especially beautiful.
Thanks for the comment. I imagine that he could use the river to take him wherever he wanted to go.
This is a lovely, touching story though I can’t decide if it’s sad or uplifting.
Thank you. I was aiming for a little of both!
This is a nice tale. Your writing is very poetic.
Thank you. That’s a great compliment.
A sweet story…
A great read! A nap that transports you to wherever you want to be, imagination is a wonderful thing 🙂
Thanks. That’s a real power-nap!
I like this a lot. I can see it playing out in a movie where they can’t find him in his room, and he’s mysteriously at the bridge. Thanks for a sweet if somewhat sad story, Steve.
Thanks, Lyn. I liked the idea of him being able to travel in his imagination, and he felt he was actually there.
That was a little sad but also nice that he can still visit the bridge in his mind. I like the idea of him telling his troubles to the river and having them all wash away.
Thanks. I think we all need that feeling of freedom, at some time or other.