Monday, January 15, 2007

The Soup Kitchen

These were cold damp winter days - not cold enough to snow, but cold enough to chill you right through to the bone, with a damp mist in the air. She gathered her children up closely and braved the weather for she knew if she did not, they would not eat that day. They trudged down Greenpoint Avenue in hopes of soup that actually had a taste of stock to it, but if not at the very least let it be warm. Yes, let it be warm.

She didn't recall exactly when life had become a search for warmth, she did remember when the cold had settled in permanently though. It was the end of August, when the bottle had taken the last of life that Arles had to give. From that point, the struggle became part of their daily routine. A routine whose only comfort was held in its predictability.

Life had once been kind to them. They had been young and in love. They had traveled the country and played music together. They had thought that to invest in a future was to not live in the present. So live they did. When this country seemed to confine them, they headed to Amsterdam and fanned out across Europe from there. They ended up their romp in Paris. And that's when she found out that she was pregnant - with Lola their sweet girl.

She knew that people would not believe the songs they once sung, but she also knew if they didn't get to the soup kitchen by noon, there'd be slim pickins.

She folded her head down resolutely against the cold and pulled her children in each close by her side and pressed forward.



NOTE: In case you hadn't noticed, the above little blurb was a fiction piece. The only truth to it was the bitter damp cold day that greeeted us in our various dances in and out of the mist today. The background on the picture above can be found HERE.

28 comments:

Kyahgirl said...

FIRST!! :-)

Lovely fiction G. Keep it coming.

Miz BoheMia said...

AAAAAAAAHHHHHH! I have missed waaaaaay too much so off to catching up I go! FO SHO!

Oooh! A design loving sistah! I used to subscribe to quite a few of those mags back home... modern design being my cup of tea and try explaining to Loverboy my squeals and orgasmic appreciation of designs as, embarassed when in stores with me, he walks away as I drool away and do everything in my power to not embrace the lovely and beautiful works of art that furniture and knick knacks and the like can be and oh hold me back as the urge to kiss away overpowers me! Can you tell I LOVE such things! Something tells me we should DEFINITELY hit a few stores together although our husbands would be well advised to take our credit cards away from us!

DIOS MIO! Quite raucous? YOU mentioned a party with Mr. Banana and I, for once, am silent... I would say that is beyond raucous! OMIGOD! ;-P

Glad to see Daisy is openminded when it comes to the idea of public transportation... she is definitely in good hands, literally! Ha, ha, haaaa!

Oooh! I did love me your fiction piece FO SHO! You are gifted my dear friend! Keep 'em coming! Funny thing... the other day I bought a t-shirt that says LOLA... very immature thing to say but that came to mind I am afraid... forgive me... it is 5:30 am after all!

I missed you my friend! May all be well with you! Muchos HUGE neshikots!

G said...

Ayyy MizB! I was just over at your place! I've missed you much and was long overdue for a visit! But I will be back to check out the other videos, for now, I must get off to bed.

Oh yes, I have a feeling we would be oohing and ahing over plenty. I would love to hit the stores with you. In fact, I saw the end result of your day of shopping therapy. As long as it's on sale, it doesn't count right?

So glad to touch base and really the fiction thing was a test. I thought of writing about the cold damp day today and instead just went all fiction on my ass. This is what came of it.

Missed you too my friend, missed you too! Neshikot to you. XOX ~ G

G said...

Kyah! I published by mistake! It was a trial thing Kyah, but you know I had to have the courage to throw something out there not terribly good, but just a stream of consciousness. Thank you for your sweet words.

Doug The Una said...

Very, very good piece of fiction. I had a feeling we were waiting for this. Great picture to go with it.

Hobbes said...

It's sort of eerie that I am deep in THE GRAPES OF WRATH, which I am assigning Mall Diva (a corrective influence? Anyway, one branch of our family were Okies who stayed). Your piece has a very similar theme and tone. The print is beautiful, too.

Anonymous said...

Now that your experiment has been such a huge success (great prose romp, G, thanks!), we'll all be looking forward to seeing how you apply this new technology.

Anonymous said...

brilliant, and beautiful. color me impressed -- and more than a little charmed. but not surprised. no, never. i knew you had this sort of thing in you, and i'm delighted to see you finally expose this side of your incredible creativity and talent. (that print is remarkable, too)

Damn girl, is there nothing my NBFF can't do? apparently not. xox

G said...

Doug: Thanks Doug. I felt a little embarrased sharing it at first but very gratified by the comments.

Weirsdo: Can never have too many corrective influences - that's my problem, I had none. You know I had that sort of dustbowl depression feel as I typed this.
For you to feel that in any way is beyond my wildest dream. It is a lovely print, isn't it?

Al: Don't you know better than to toss that Technology word at me? I automatically retreat when I hear it.

Neva: Thanks for your too kind words, but I've probably been showcasing here a lot of what I can't do. Come to think of it - it's a long list. I can't do a cartwheel, can't knit, can't speak any other lanuages beyond the basics...Okay, I'd better quit while I'm ahead. XOX

Anonymous said...

I have to say GQ, that this is a stunning piece of writing, as good as anything I have read recently anywhere in blogworld.

Please tell me you are going to keep writing fiction, you have a real talent my friend.

G said...

Brian, that's a mighty nice compliment particularly as I have a hard time acknowledging it beyond, "that's not terrible". Thanks for the encouraging words.

Doug The Una said...

G, I remember taking the same plunge and feeling the same way. You did good.

Claire said...

I like it. Very moody. Well done.

G said...

Doug, thanks. Please tell me it wasn't when you were in 4th grade :)

Claire, thanks very much and for stopping by as well.

ann said...

hi g... sorry been awol and just catching up... I loved the Daisy posts. As for this, it's wonderful... you have a great gift for story telling.

have a great week... although it's already hump day isn't it. xxx

Tom & Icy said...

It was really cold here last night. And it was really misty from all the steam billowing from my poop.

Sweet and Salty said...

Wonderful story so far, G! Please keep it coming because I want to know what happens. Did she get the warm soup, or no soup at all?

More!

robkroese said...

Excellent, G. The pic is wonderful as well.

G said...

Ann: That's quite alright, it's been a difficult week for you I bet.

Thanks, I'm really glad that you enjoyed. XOX

Icy: Now that's a sure fire barometer of the weather! Thanks for weighing in.

Pavel: Thanks. I wrote it as a quick mood piece. Where it goes from here is anybody's guess (but thanks).

Diesel, Thanks pal - I like that print as well.

Doug The Una said...

G, it was, like 6 hours ago.

Honestly, the first story on Waking Ambrose almost never happened for just that reason.

Fourth grade, too, probably.

G said...

Doug, Well that's encouraging. And look at that, your stories are now an international phenomenon, with people scrambling to read them. You did help Tali nicely with her homework that time, now I know who to go to...

Actonbell, I feel encouraged to try. Thanks.

Dan said...

G, beautiful, beautiful piece.

G said...

Dan,deep bow - thank you.

Nessa said...

Excellent writing.

G said...

Thanks Goldennib. Good to see you out and about., Thanks

Joe Jubinville said...

So evocative, so tender...

"She didn't recall exactly when life had become a search for warmth"

If that doesn't sum it all up, nothing does.

G said...

Thanks Somewhere Joe. I happened to like that little line so I'm glad that it reached you. Thanks for dropping by.

Unknown said...

Hello. Thank you for your interest in my work, but I would appreciate if you would remove my image from your blog. It is marked ALL RIGHTS RESERVED and not available for public use. From one creative person to another- No harm, no foul.