A Wait May Be Too Late

[Trab]

A Wait May Be Too Late

By Trab

The bubbles of the swirl pool stroked Ken?s skin like faint remembrances of Todd?s fingers, so many years ago. He could remember the love in each trace, and once again feel the passion for his love; a passion that would never be fulfilled. He held on for another moment of bliss, till his father pulled him out of his reverie and back to the stark reality of his endless barren existence. If only he had said something to his parents before it was too late. If only he hadn?t decided to wait.

Carefully Steven pulled his son into the lift sling, to get him back into the wheelchair to take him home. He missed his son?s zest for life, and even though he loved his son with all his heart, he sometimes wondered if saving his life to a lifetime of being paralyzed and mute had really been the right thing to have done. However, he knew his love for Ken would endure forever, and was sure Ken basked in every minute of it.

? Copyright, Trab, 2010.

[Bruin Fisher]

Oh Trab, what a wonderful flash.

This is a piece that achieves what flash fiction is almost uniquely capable of - it makes you think, raises a host of questions, forces you to reason, to consider possibilities, to decide on moral imperatives.

Where is Todd now? If Ken had come out to his parents before the accident, perhaps Steven's boundless love for his son would have prompted him to consider his needs and to find Todd and bring the two of them together again if possible. Or did Todd die in the accident?

[Cole Parker]

What I love is the disconnect between two people, the father and son, who both misinterpret the other. Stark reality, played out on a small screen.

Wonderfully done.

C

[Merkin]

I agree completely, and would just add that achieving the disconnect and making it plain to the reader within the brief window of flash fiction is genius indeed.

Great job, Trab.

James

[TracyMN]

Truly amazing impact in such a small space, Trab.

Thanks for reminding me of everything I love about words.

Tracy