Jenny sat beside her blind grandmother and typed ‘Golden Valley, Wales’ into Google Earth.
Planet Earth spun round. Jenny always liked this bit. Like flying–swooping down from outer space.
Aerial photographs filled the screen.
Her grandmother asked, “Can you really see it? White cottage, clipped hedges, flowerbeds and beehives. Pretty as a picture. Grandfather’s grave down in the churchyard beside the brook…”
Jenny found only hilltops around a flooded valley. Acres of water reflecting sky. The label said, Golden Valley Reservoir.
She glanced at her grandmother; her hands clasped together, her smile eager. Jenny blinked away a tear. A lump swelled in her throat.
“I can see it,” she said.
Bill West writes out of Shrewsbury, UK.
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37 Comments »
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Wonderful, Bill. Such economy of style, every word resonating with the emotions at the heart of the piece. Moving, evocative, never sentimental. A truly great flash. 5/5 stars!
Sarah
Thank you Sarah for your very kind words.
Glad You liked it.
This really touched me - the grandmother’s vivid description followed by Jenny’s simple one.
Thank you.
Hi Rosie
Thanks for reading and giving such nice feedback.
Regards
Bill
This is really beautiful.
Thank you Sylvia.
What a haunting story. Congratulations, Bill!
Thanks Sarah.
Glad you liked it.
Hi Bill,
Great story, powerfully told.
We have whole towns submerged when the Saint Lawrence seaway was built.
Brian.
Hi Brian
Thanks for reading. It must be hard for people to accept that somewhere they call home can be swept away forever.
Hi Bill,
a sensitive look at time and the changing world.
Cheers
Mark
Thanks Mark
I fear that with global warming there may be more than just a few villages under water.
Artful use of flash medium, perfect.
Thanks Patricia
Bill
Great writing from the master
Cheers
John
Hi John
Thank you very much.
Glad you liked it.
Bill
Brought a lump to my throat too, Bill. An excellent story told with both feeling and economy. Beautiful.
Oonah
Hi Oonah
Thanks. You are very kind.
Bill
A beautiful story that says it all.
Thanks Jennifer
Bill, This is great. Prefect read for a Saturday morning. :j
Hi Judy
Glad you liked it. Thanks for reading.
Nice one, Bill. I hate it when my town gets flooded by the damn dams.
Thanks Kevin
I know. Its the pits isn’t it? :¬)
Loevelt tale, well told, with a sensitive hand.
…er I mean of course lovely tale. I’ll jusy go write that out a few times - to fix the phrase!!
Thanks Avis
Bill
Thanks Avis
Bill
Outstanding, Bill. I’m impressed. Beautifully crafted relationship between Jenny and Grandma. So many layers to Grandma’s loss. Spectacular job.
Thank you Greta for your very kind words.
Simply fantastic
Thank you Michael.
That is very kind of you.
Thanks for reading.
Very moving. Thank you for this!
Thank you Vijayendra for your kind comment.
I like your blog! Good luck with that novel.
Bill
Great story, Bill. Keep up the good work and keep writing.
Hi Pat
Thanks for reading and commenting.
Bill
Quite predictable, but sweet. Nice.
Thank you Hasmita