This post is submitted to Friday Fictioneers. The challenge is to write a story with a beginning, middle and end in 100 words or less using the picture prompt below.
My grandmother kept a meticulous record of every family member in her large white bible. Each child’s birthday was recorded in her beautiful handwriting. She lived long enough to record some of their deaths.
Near her death I was sitting beside her as she remembered each one with a special story.
I noticed one entry labeled James that had the same birth and death date. I asked my grandmother about it.
“That was your uncle Jim,” she said crying.
I never knew I had an uncle. “What happened to him,” I asked.
“Your father buried him in the backyard.”
Oh Danny Boy! 
Intriguing tale! Children don’t understand life & death and what the consequences of their actions may be. I picture a little boy, jealous of the attention the new baby’s getting, thinking, “It’s gotta go!”
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So many family stories remain hidden. Sad, really.
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Sad and poignant story. Seems there is more to it than what grandma is revealing.
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Indeed. But the my family did not want to talk about that.
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I want to know more! Great story!
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So did I. “we don’t talk about that” was the response I received as an 11 year old. Today I would be more forceful.
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Indeed a family story of interest. Reminds me of one my father told about a half brother none of us knew about. Well done.
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Sounds familiar.
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I’m glad events unfolded where he was led to ask the question and she was ready to give the answer. Are you named after that uncle, Danny?
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Good catch. 🙂
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🙂
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It’s sad that sometimes you don’t learn the sorrows of people close to you until much later in life.
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Well done. Sad, but back when this house would have been new, there were things like that happening more often than a lot of people want to remember.
By the way, I love your header photo.
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Thanks for commenting. I agree it happened more than most people realize.
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Dear Danny,
Oooh, there’s a more story behind little Uncle Jim. Subtle and intriguing. It feels like the intro to a larger story.
Shalom,
Rochelle
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Absolutely fantastic. The poor woman has kept this secret to her last breath.
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I wonder what happened to poor old Jim in the first place – did his brother have something to do with it? Good story.
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The things we don’t find out until it’s too late. Nicely done.
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And with her passing the final memory of James will die too. Sad story, but true to life. Nice one Danny.
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Thanks Iain. Pretty well a true story.
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A diary and a house full of memories, good and bad.
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