Charloft 100 drabbles 16-20
50. Treasure
"Now that you're a member of the family, you should have your own chess piece." Harry tipped the box of chess pieces onto the table.
"I'd be honoured," Elaine said, remembering when he'd shown her the initials of himself and his parents carved onto the bottoms of the king, queen and knight. "Which should it be?"
Harry did and he picked up the white rook. She wasn't sure how to take that, until he said, "It's also known as a castle." She smiled as she took it from him, along with a knife to add an 'E' to its base.
Extended version (141 words)
"Now that you're a member of the family, you should have your own chess piece." Harry tipped the box of chess pieces onto the table.
"I'd be honoured," Elaine said, remembering when he'd shown her the initials of himself and his parents carved onto the bottoms of the king, queen and knight. "Which should it be?"
Harry did and he picked up the white rook. She wasn't sure how to take that, until he said, "It's also known as a castle." She smiled as she took it from him, along with a knife to add an 'E' to its base.
64. Iced drink picture
"This is nice and relaxing," Elaine said, as Harry picked their drinks up off the bar and handed her one. "I'd almost forgotten when it was like to do nothing."
"Except drinking in the afternoon." Harry smiled and sipped at his cocktail.
"There's something else we could do in the afternoon," she said, lowering her voice.
Harry raised his eyebrows.
"Isn't that what you're supposed to do on your honeymoon?"
It was an appealing idea. "We should finish our drinks first."
She took his from him. "We'll take them with us." With that she was off. Harry smiled and followed.
29. The kindness (or not) of strangers
Harry was glad to be home, even if it was only temporarily his. It didn't take long to unpack - he was used to travelling light.
After that he looked round the kitchen and found that although the flat came with furniture, the cupboards were bare. He wasn't looking forward to going shopping in Geneva when he didn't speak French.
When he opened the door in response to the knock he found a young woman who asked, "Would you like some tea?"
Harry wasn't sure what he was more relieved by: the offer of tea or that she was English.
70. Sailing boat picture
Harry had to agree that it was a very beautiful boat. It was a good one, too, and he was only sorry that they had to turn back to the shore now that the sun was setting.
"I'm going to have to sell it," Alf said. "Now that Marian has lost her job."
"I'm sorry to hear that."
"You wouldn't like to buy it?"
Harry would. He had enough money to buy it - it was what he'd been saving for. But with Kelly at university, he and Elaine needed his savings. Harry regretfully, had to turn his friend down.
Extended version (150 words)
Harry had to agree that it was a very beautiful boat. It was a good one, too, and he was only sorry that they had to turn back to the shore now that the sun was setting.
"It's a pity I'm going to have to sell it," Alf said.
Harry looked up at his companion - his statement was so unexpected.
Alf answered Harry's looked. "Now that Marian has lost her job I simply can't afford to keep it."
"I'm sorry to hear that." But he could understand it.
"You wouldn't like to buy it, would you?"
Harry would, very much. And he had enough money to buy it too - that was what he had been saving for. But he had to support three people on his pension and Elaine's salary and a boat was a luxury they couldn't afford. So Harry regretfully, had to turn his friend down.
36. Ring
It took Harry a while to find his mother's engagement ring. He'd put it away safe somewhere and hadn't needed it since. Having gone through all his drawers and cupboards he found the box he'd bought to put it in. When he opened it up, there was the ring, just as he remembered it.
That was the easy part. The hard part would be finding time over Christmas to get Elaine's father alone and making sure her father liked him enough that he'd be happy with Harry marrying his daughter. There was a reason he'd put marriage off until now.
"Now that you're a member of the family, you should have your own chess piece." Harry tipped the box of chess pieces onto the table.
"I'd be honoured," Elaine said, remembering when he'd shown her the initials of himself and his parents carved onto the bottoms of the king, queen and knight. "Which should it be?"
Harry did and he picked up the white rook. She wasn't sure how to take that, until he said, "It's also known as a castle." She smiled as she took it from him, along with a knife to add an 'E' to its base.
Extended version (141 words)
"Now that you're a member of the family, you should have your own chess piece." Harry tipped the box of chess pieces onto the table.
"I'd be honoured," Elaine said, remembering when he'd shown her the initials of himself and his parents carved onto the bottoms of the king, queen and knight. "Which should it be?"
Harry did and he picked up the white rook. She wasn't sure how to take that, until he said, "It's also known as a castle." She smiled as she took it from him, along with a knife to add an 'E' to its base.
64. Iced drink picture
"This is nice and relaxing," Elaine said, as Harry picked their drinks up off the bar and handed her one. "I'd almost forgotten when it was like to do nothing."
"Except drinking in the afternoon." Harry smiled and sipped at his cocktail.
"There's something else we could do in the afternoon," she said, lowering her voice.
Harry raised his eyebrows.
"Isn't that what you're supposed to do on your honeymoon?"
It was an appealing idea. "We should finish our drinks first."
She took his from him. "We'll take them with us." With that she was off. Harry smiled and followed.
29. The kindness (or not) of strangers
Harry was glad to be home, even if it was only temporarily his. It didn't take long to unpack - he was used to travelling light.
After that he looked round the kitchen and found that although the flat came with furniture, the cupboards were bare. He wasn't looking forward to going shopping in Geneva when he didn't speak French.
When he opened the door in response to the knock he found a young woman who asked, "Would you like some tea?"
Harry wasn't sure what he was more relieved by: the offer of tea or that she was English.
70. Sailing boat picture
Harry had to agree that it was a very beautiful boat. It was a good one, too, and he was only sorry that they had to turn back to the shore now that the sun was setting.
"I'm going to have to sell it," Alf said. "Now that Marian has lost her job."
"I'm sorry to hear that."
"You wouldn't like to buy it?"
Harry would. He had enough money to buy it - it was what he'd been saving for. But with Kelly at university, he and Elaine needed his savings. Harry regretfully, had to turn his friend down.
Extended version (150 words)
Harry had to agree that it was a very beautiful boat. It was a good one, too, and he was only sorry that they had to turn back to the shore now that the sun was setting.
"It's a pity I'm going to have to sell it," Alf said.
Harry looked up at his companion - his statement was so unexpected.
Alf answered Harry's looked. "Now that Marian has lost her job I simply can't afford to keep it."
"I'm sorry to hear that." But he could understand it.
"You wouldn't like to buy it, would you?"
Harry would, very much. And he had enough money to buy it too - that was what he had been saving for. But he had to support three people on his pension and Elaine's salary and a boat was a luxury they couldn't afford. So Harry regretfully, had to turn his friend down.
36. Ring
It took Harry a while to find his mother's engagement ring. He'd put it away safe somewhere and hadn't needed it since. Having gone through all his drawers and cupboards he found the box he'd bought to put it in. When he opened it up, there was the ring, just as he remembered it.
That was the easy part. The hard part would be finding time over Christmas to get Elaine's father alone and making sure her father liked him enough that he'd be happy with Harry marrying his daughter. There was a reason he'd put marriage off until now.