Sunday Photo Fiction
“I won’t, Mummy.”
“Darling, please. We can’t. Not today. Mummy doesn’t get paid til Friday.”
“If I can’t have it I’ll scream. I’ll know you don’t love me.”
“Oh, precious. Mummy loves you very much. Look, we’re getting the bear.” She flipped the tag to check the price and handed it to the boy. He hugged it close and pressed his face into the fluffy white fur.
It would be fine, she supposed, smiling. There was a bone of beef in the freezer to make a broth. She could stop at the market for carrots and peas and perhaps some barley. And flour for bread. Her stomach lapped at the thought. Belly-filling meals for the pair of them for the next five days, if not hearty ones.
The boy looked up. “White bear says she wants the tan one,” he said. “She told me.”
She eyed the price tag. “Very well then.” There would be soup, but no bread, she decided.
He wrapped his arms around both bears and squeezed. She turned to go.
“But Mummy! I want the brown one too.”
She let out an exasperated sigh and tightened her stomach. “Very well then.”
There would be broth.
—
199 words
To read more flash fiction inspired by the prompt or to submit your own, click the blue froggy button:
This has been an edition of Sunday Photo Fiction, hosted by the gracious Al Forbes. Al has been generous enough to host this weekly 200 word fiction challenge in spite of ongoing health issues. He’s now asking for participants to submit pictures of their own in order to continue the challenge.
Al, Thanks for your generosity. I love the luxury of 200 words and the chance to share stories with this lovely group. Look for photos coming your way!
k. Rawson 
Every child’s dream come true- An armful of bears! Lovely! 😀
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Thanks for reading!
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I love this. “What if Veruca Salt had been poor?” The voice is spot on.
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No soup for Veruca Salt!
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Eating disorder in the future, no doubt.
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Ha!
I want to be a size 2, Mummy.
Very well then, dear.
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We are weak in the search for our children’s happiness 🙂 Been there and done that.
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Me too. Thanks for reading Graham!
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Talk about child abuse! There are way too many kids (now adults) who were raised like that.
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I’m glad I wasn’t raised that way. Thanks for reading, Mom. 😉
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Who needs food when you’ve got a surfeit of fluffy toys?
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Lol, indeed. They may need to eat the stuffing. Thanks for reading!
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Why do we give into them? I’m sure we’ve all been there.
Click here to read my tale
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Hi Keith! I read and enjoyed your sweet story very much. For some reason I can’t post my reply. It keeps thinking I have a typepad blog instead of WordPress. Grr! Anyway, enjoyed your toy makers tribute. Thanks for reading and commenting.
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I’ve given in to my kids more than once. However, I did finally learn and they learned the value of not getting something was sometimes the best course. They have grown up to know that money doesn’t grow on trees and that they sometimes have to wait for something.
This reminded me of Violet from Just William. “I’ll thcweam and thcweam and thcweam until I’m thick”
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I give in more than I should but you’re right about the value of not getting one’s way. Thanks for reading!
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You’re welcome 🙂
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Great take, it’s unfortunate a lot of struggling families are forced to make these sort of choices everyday.
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Poor mother — I felt her tummy grumble as each bear got his/her tummy rubbed.
I would have heard NO and had to live by that, rather than have bears and live by broth.
The voice of the mother is well-crafted — great story of the sacrifices made.
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Thank so much!
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:]
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I hear bear fluff makes for a wonderful stew. She can use the pelts for mittens.
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Now you’re talking!
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Loved how honest the story read. It has a note of relatability that really comes through to the reader. Well-done!
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Thanks so much!
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Something tells me Mom should have stood up and said no. You let them wrap you around their finger when they’re little, they’ll do it to others when they’re adults. And I think food and eating trumps wants such as Teddy Bears. A wonderful sacrificing Mom but not the right time to sacrifice. Interesting write 🙂
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I’m with you on that. Thanks for reading!
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Stuffed bear lovers of the world unite: you have nothing to lose but an empty stomach. Great voice in this story.
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LOL! Thanks for reading 🙂
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Yikes, what a little brat! He’s lucky to have such a loving mother. Thanks for the fun read!
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I’m not sure if she’s a loving mother or just a weak one. This child needs a reality check before he gets set straight painfully by the real world.
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