The Pap Chairs by Julie McLin

The following is written for Fiction Writers' Group on Facebook. Each week, we are challenged to write a piece of fiction with 300 words or less based on the photo provided for Flash Fiction Saturday. Be forewarned that this piece is written in a type of Southern dialect using only dialogue. If you squint hard enough, you won't see the intentional grammar mistakes.

Image Source: https://pixabay.com/.../general-store-old-fashioned-219655/

“Julie Dean, you see them two chairs over there? The ones lookin’ like they about to fall apart.”

“Yeah, ma.”

“Yeah, ma?”

“Yes, ma’am. I see ‘em.”

“Good, now remember them two chairs.”

“Why?”

“Because that's where your pap and uncle always used to sit when Mammy and Aunt Sue would kick 'em out.”

“Why'd they go and do a thing like that?”

“Because they’re stupid. Pap would make your Mammy madder than a wet hen, and she’d chase him off with a switch every time.”

“Is that how Pap got that scar on his leg? From Mammy’s switch?”

“Nah. He got that fallin' out that there tree in front of the old General Store. Dummy did it right in front of your grandpappy and messed up his checker game that day. Your pap couldn't sit right for a week after that, and it ain't because of that tree.”

“Those chairs sure do go back a long ways.”

“They do, darlin'. And many a man's butt sat in 'em when the wives would be hemmin' and hawin'.”

“Ma, I think I got a theory.”

“And what’s that?”

“I don’t think Pap was stupid for making Mammy mad.”

“Why do you say that?”

“He’d do it so he had an excuse to leave and play checkers with Unc. Just like Grandpap did with Grandmammy.”

I hope you enjoyed. Leave a comment.

© 2023 Julie McLin