Rhonda's Weariness: A Narrative Fiction

“I’ll never hit you in the face where it will leave a mark...” The words rushed in, taunting. The cold emptiness in the tone, like he was there in the room, whispering in her ear. And all at once, the fear was back. The raw fear that gripped her body like a vice and left her gulping in air. In a panic, she whirled her head around the room. She was alone. Relief flooded her, but the sickening butterflies remained. She gripped the counter until her knuckles turned white; outlining the jagged scar more prominently, and she fought to steady her breathing, blink back the tears, focus on something else.

“I spotted her heading for the shortcut path through the site area to check out the beach after she tossed the breakfast trash in the can across the street. That’s why I thought it would be a good chance for us to talk. I don’t want her to get upset again, either. I feel pretty crappy about what I did. I didn’t really think it out too well, did I? I’ve been wanting to get things off my chest for so long, I guess I turned into a pressure cooker and took the lid off too fast. Look, don’t misunderstand me. I could never do what you do. You know it, and I know it. You’re the reason I can work, and I’m grateful to you for that, and for standing by me when I went to nursing school. I need you, and I need your help. I could never finish raising Arlene

In Eudora Welty’s “A Worn Path.” the main character Phoenix Jackson faces many different obstacles on her journey, but does she give up, let them get the best of her? No, she continues on, and makes sure to finish what she started. Phoenix is a devoted grandmother who would do anything for her beloved grandson, even if that means she has to face; humiliation, racism, ageism and her own physical “flaws”. She faces these problems, and even though they may be hard to face, but she handles the situations with ease, because she knows that getting the medicine for her sick grandson is the most important.

In the stories “A Worn Path” by Eudora Welty and “The First Seven Years” by Bernard Malamud characters persevere for love. In “A Worn Path” Phoenix Jackson, an old grandmother, goes through a long journey and overcomes multiple obstacles to get medicine for her sick grandson. Phoenix perseveres through emotional and physical trials because of her love for her grandson. Likewise in the story “The First Seven Years” Sobel perseveres for seven years of unfair pay to try and marry his love, while Feld perseveres to make his daughter's life better than his own. Both of these stories exemplify that humans will go to great lengths for the ones that they love.

Mom slipped the plate that she was washing into the dishwater and hugged me with her sudsy hands.

“Fine,” she looked up as a man with a scar running down his cheek smiled sinisterly. She didn’t trust him, she moved to try to get out of his reach but he pulled his arm out. Her eyes widened in horror as his fist came forward, she had stopped crying, watching the fist as if it was coming at her slowly. When it hit her face she barely registered it, it didn’t hurt, only stung and sent a shock through her body. Another fist came, then another. Her vision was going blurry, she heard them say something but she couldn’t make out what it was as her body fell limp against the seat and her eyes shut, unable to handle the pain in her

“ No probs man. I will do anything for you and I also wanted to see this trainwreck,” Aaron said, laughing. “ And trust me this will be a trainwreck. Nate, can you come here for a second,” Wade said, gesturing Nate to come over. “ Yes Mr.Jones,” Nate said,shivering. “ Nate, for the last time you can call me Wade. You earned enough respect to call me Wade,” Wade said. Mr. Jones reminded him of his good for nothing, always drunk father. Wade still remembers his dad and how he treated others . “ Trudy, get your ass up and make me a sandwich,” Arthur said, drinking his beer. Arthur was sitting down in his favorite recliner,drinking his beer. Trudy walked out of the kitchen with a plate in her hand. “ Arthur,please don’t curse in front of your son,” Trudy said. Little five year old, Wade was on a beat up rug,playing with a torn up teddy bear. “ I don’t give a shit about that mistake. I always tell you to leave him somewhere. Where is my sandwhich,bitch?” Arthur said. Trudy gave him his sandwich and Arthur bit into it. Suddenly, Arthur spit the sandwich on Wade and threw his plate at him. “ What wrong, Arthur,” Trudy said, waiting for an answer. Arthur inhaled and exhaled and got up from his chair. He walked to the small table and kneel down. He grab a kilo divider and sniffed white stuff. He got back up and moved towards Trudy . Arthur exhaled and quickly slapped trudy in the face. Trudy went down and Wade started to cry. “ I told you I hate lettuce,” Arthur said,hitting her in the face. “ Mistake,stop crying or I will whip you so hard that you wouldn’t be able to breath,” Arthur said. Suddenly Wade stopped crying. “ You two come up stairs,” Arthur said, urging them to come over. Trudy picked up Wade and walked up stairs. They walked all the way into the master bedroom. Arthur opened the door and urged them to walk in front of him and hde suddenly locked the door. “ Wade, sit down in that chair and

The surgery recovery would not be instant after the extensive repair to Jarrod’s damaged knee. He’d planned to meet Alana that night and recite the poem he was writing for her, but while recovering, his language changed. His sentiments detoured to self-pity and his heart bled in his journal.

she had almost made it to the flower shop unscathed when a car turned onto the street she was about to skate across, causing her to jolt back and fall off her board, to the concrete. She yelled after the driver but stopped when she tasted blood. she reached up and touched her lip where it was now split, groaning at the twinge of pain that shot through her jaw.

Saturday afternoon , Sam and Colleen arrive at the hospital to visit Erika. Henry leaves to run some errands and give them alone time together . Erika's skin looks pale from her accident , her eyes and mouth wide open , she takes a deep breath every two minutes. Her mom Mrs. White sits in the chair next to her holding on to her hand as she cries. “ Is she gonna be OK?” “ I don't know , the doctors say she's in a state of shock , something scared her to where she is like this .” Sam goes up to Erika holding her hand . “ Erika its me Sam , we miss you , I miss you.” He gives her a kiss on the cheek and whispers in her ear. “ I'll get Scratch for this , even if it takes my last breath.”

He reached into his breast pocket again, this time retrieving a knife, which he then handed to me. I sliced a diagonal cut across the palm of my hand. Blood began to seep out, like sap from a tree. I smeared it on the bottom of the paper. Then, nothing. I felt nothing. Wendell tossed a box of band aids onto the desk. He noticed me blankly staring at my hand. He walked around the table and put his arm around me. Pulling me in nice and close, he began.

Bob shook his head, smiling slowly. “You could use a bath, greaser. And a good working over. And we’ve got all night to do it. Give the kid a bath, David.”

I have been counting the days ever since I heard the lousy news. I am ecstatic for her because it was her day to shine! (if she was dreading it then why is she happy) DING!! Blasted the bell above the door of the salon. The noise rang in me as we walked towards the woman behind the desk in the salon. “ Welcome!!” she exclaimed. “ Savannah will help you!” Hannah (and I) turned to see a tall, young, copper-haired women. The woman took said hi and took Hannah’s hand and lead her and her mom to the last chair on the left side of the small tattered house. Hannah sat in the chair and pulled me up and into a black, marble bowl behind the chair. She turned the tap on the bowl and the water blasted out of the nozzle I was soaked in the water- it was starting to burn. I could barely make out the woman pouring a sappy, white liquid into her hand. She rubbed the liquid on me. It cleaned me rubbing the oils and dirt off me while the water washed it in the sink and down the drain. Finally, it was all gone but she was pouring some more liquid into her hand. Here we go again. I thought. But it wasn't the first white, sappy liquid it was actually thriving and making me feel like I could do anything!!! It felt soo good and it was refreshing. I’ve never felt so good in my life! Finally, the woman pulled me out of the hot burning water and put a black towel over me blinding me from my

At least she’d drawn blood. It was Quade that she’d stuck, and she was glad for it, even if the damage was minimal. It hadn’t been Quade’s first time on the wrong end of a blade, either. The man was built like a lugnut, and he had a thin, shiny canyon of pink scar tissue snaking down across his face, from above his right eye to the edge of his left jaw. It must have been a real feat just to keep that pug nose intact. “You won’t be so feisty once you meet Mr. Talmidge, miss,” he drawled. He’d torn a section from his t-shirt and tied it tight over the gash she’d made in his forearm with the little pocket knife Brian had given her for her birthday so many years before. She’d finally had a chance to use it for something other than picking splinters.

We broke apart, foreheads touching. Being just as breathless as me, Nolan murmured, "It was all my fault. I can't believe Chase was the . . . And, I dragged you down with me." His eyes scanned my face which I knew still had cuts from the shattered glass. His hand cupping my face, traced a cut on my left cheek. He leaned forward and gently pressed his lips against the spot. My eyes fluttered shut. "I'm so sorry, Helen," he whispered, his eyes sorrowful as he retreated. His own pale face revealed a dark blue spot under his right eye. There was a long gash under his ear