ONE HUNDRED WORDS It was a quiet morning and I decided on a quick swim. I eased myself off the pontoon, slipped underwater, then began making my way towards a group of yachts nearby. All I could see ahead was mud with a few starfish. I came up at the stern of a yacht and face-to-face with an old man who had been watching my bubbles. G'day mate. Having a look around? I nodded. While you’re down there, have a look for my false teef. I quickly went down, but nothing. When did you drop them? Oh, about two years ago. Grahame Wilson, Riverview
COMPETITION
I was in a new unit. I met an elegant lady entering her unit. Later on, I asked her out for a drink. She happily agreed, adding she had just ended a relationship in our unit block. Dinner over, we returned in her car. Approaching the last bend she said “I think my ex is around the corner!” I exited. Next morning – no mobile! I had left it on the front seat! I called to retrieve it, she cried “Goodness! My ex-boyfriend must have sat on it, whilst I was telling him, what date? I’ve just been to mum’s place!” Bruce Bradshaw, Lane Cove
I was settling down with a cup of some invigorating tea to do my day's 'Kenken'. Put the tea on the dining table. I was trying to seat myself on the chair. To my utter dismay, I missed the chair, and went down 45 centimetres to the ground – constrained by the sliding chair on my back, a wall on the right, the dining table on the left and the kitchen cupboard in the front. Felt like a long journey – down a mining shaft. Resulted in both buttocks getting badly bruised, a trip to the emergency and six X-rays. Muthukrishnan Srinivasan, Riverview
My mouth is dry and palms sweaty. What if she’s judged I’m not worthy and took off? Did I push too hard for a meeting? I close my eyes, see and speak to her. “Perihan, it’s so cool that you’re Turkish and you write too. Maybe we can collaborate?” Maybe she didn’t like what she saw on WritePublishGrow. com. Please give me a chance. Let’s combine our one hundred words for a unique collaborative piece? Can we? Already a quarter past? I get up slowly, not ready to leave my seat. And that’s when I feel a tap on my shoulder. Eda Utku, Lane Cove
The transistor radio on the kitchen countertop was the morbid messenger of bad news that morning, just as I was heading outside, rugged up in my parka and mittens...John Lennon was shot dead. Hours later, my friend Valerie and I, stood shivering outside the Dakota building, under the falling snow, with the glowing flames from our vigil candles warming our hands. A news reporter asked us our thoughts but too ashamed to admit we were native New Yorkers, we posed as San Franciscan tourists. Winter and John were gone, but the Strawberry Fields were blooming on Central Park West. Perihan Bozkurt, Lane Cove
What’s new, pussycat? Still eating that tinned food, I see. Are you still into mice? Okay, great. That doesn’t really help me much, though. You see, I’m trying to write a song. So, what’s new, pussycat? I notice you’ve been playing with yarn a lot. Honestly, that seems like it’s been going on ever since cats or yarn were invented. My point is, I can’t really write a song about what’s always been happening, pussycat. It doesn’t fit the rhythm. If nothing new has occurred lately I’m going… Say what? Oh that is interesting… so, who let the dogs out? Troy Graham, Lane Cove
Dad and I assembled the tree tonight. We played Christmas music. I could feel his angst doing something so cheery when reality was not. I looked at mum, lying peacefully, watching us. She declined to hang a bauble. Reality of our last Christmas made tears roll; not sure if anyone saw, but we didn't speak of them. Afterwards, I lay beside her. She gently played with my hair. Eventually she insisted we go to bed. I didn’t want to let go. I see her slipping away from us, and to be honest, the sadness is more than I can bear. Jess Baker, Lane Cove
TO ENTER Email your story with your name, address and phone number to editor@thevillageobserver.com.au CONDITIONS Stories must be exactly 100 words about any subject and in any writing style. They must be original and unpublished. There is no limit to the number of stories that you contribute during the year. Each month, selected entries will be published in TVO. At the end of the year, all entries will be judged based on their originality and creativity.
THREE WINNERS WILL RECEIVE A $50 BURNS BAY BOOKERY VOUCHER.
LANE COVE LITERARY AWARDS 2019 The Lane Cove Literary Awards 2019 are open, with entries accepted until Monday 26 August 2019. Prizes will be awarded for:
● Short Story Prize - $2,000 ● Travel Story Prize - $1,500 ● Poetry Prize - $1,500 The following additional prizes may be awarded:
●T he Burns Bay Bookery Resident Prize - $500 ●L en Wallis Audio Youth Prize (16 - 24 years) - $500 ● T he Baytree by Ardency Senior Prize (65+ years) - $500 To enter the awards read the Terms and Conditions which includes the Entry Form.
TVO AUGUST 2019 27
