Jolly Mrs. Benbow, arms a-jiggle as she lifts the cup to her lips, tilting the saucer to show the maker’s mark SPODE on its bottom. Her great-grandmother’s cup, she will invariably remind anyone in earshot.
To her left is Mrs. Wright, the eldest and most severe. Her only vice is the single slice of lemon she allows to profane her tea, perhaps the only nourishment of her day. I believe she dines mostly on spite.
Mrs. Teal and Mrs. Dogwood round out the party, born minutes apart, alike as two peas. Their late husbands could not have been more different.
Delicious character portraits
Dear Josh,
In a hundred words, you brought these women to life. I loved the ‘dined on spite’ line. Brilliant.
Shalom,
Rochelle
Thanks, Rochelle. I remember sitting and watching my grandmother’s friends. Her friend Virginia was a southern belle, a woman with a deeply creased tea-colored face and vividly dyed crimson hair who referred to the “nigra problem” and kept a black housekeeper who spoke to her like Hattie McDaniel in Gone with the Wind (but spoke differently to me, saying that “Miss Virginia won’t understand if I talk to her regular.”) I was reading a local article where students interviewed “our seniors” and was appalled that learn that these “elderly” were born in 1940. My grandmother’s friends were born in the years hugging the turn of the century.
Quite the gathering. I too thought the line ‘dining on spite alone’ particularly delicious.
You set the scene perfectly! Nice one
Click to read my 99 words!
“arms a-jiggle” and “she dines mostly on spite.” Love it.
You drew the characters to perfection, and in so few words. Well done.
Thanks! There’s not really a story here, but hopefully the readers can make up their own :-)
Didn’t need a story. We could picture these Catty old coots perfectly!
I think I’ve met these people though I can’t disclose where!! Love the lemon permitted to profane the tea. So witty – and suitably acidic :))
Great characters. Great take on the prompt.
Love those characters and defined in so few words – I love Mrs Wright with her lemon slice for nutrition and her name fits her too, I’m sure she always believes she’s right! Wonderfully concise and clear – I just want to know what they’ll talk about!
Awesome character study! I especially liked, “I believe she dines mostly on spite.” So good!
Great descriptions, I can see in my mind this bunch of formidable ladies as they luncheon.
Oh dear. NOT the kind of old lady I want to be. Arm’s a-jiggle, severe, spiteful–ugh. The arms I already have, but at least I can cover them with my sleeves :)
Dining on spite… great description, just as showing of the mark… Personally I never look… it just has to be Sevre
“Dining on spite”, I’ve met this woman. I like it, I was sipping tea with the old gals.
Tracey
I visualize all kinds of extra things with just these few words.
I can’t wait to listen in to their conversations :-)
Great descriptions of the ladies.
Perfect language in this! I could see each and every woman, perhaps with their noses in the air.
These characters would make for the most interesting story. “dined on spite” together with the lemon in her tea, made Mrs Wright a standout character. One can picture her, all sour-faced and poking her nose in other people’s affairs.