Thank you, Alicia, for the picture which was a reminder of the western films I watched as a boy. I spent hours researching the emigration of the Scottish Highlanders to America. Mostly, they were driven out of their crofts or else were disillusioned with their miserable lives. In Georgia they secured a new future.
Thank you Rochelle for posting the prompt. Many other story contributions can be read by clicking HERE.
If you are interested my flash fiction collection. The Listener is available free on Amazon Kindle this weekend.
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On The Wagon
Mary promised she would never touch another drop. Although Jim muttered obscenities.
He found brandy in a Lucozade bottle, and vodka in the vinegar bottles behind the gravy powder.
‘Look!’ said Mary. ‘They are full. I haven’t touched them.’
He poured them down the sink. ‘Are there anymore?’
‘More!’
‘The promise, no more alcohol. Ever.’
Mary held John’s hand. ‘I am fine, very sober and cheerful.’
‘I am worried.’
‘It’s okay, I’m going for a walk and some fresh air.’
Checking, John was not watching.
She drank some harsh Scots hooch from the old wagon barrel.
’I love you, Grandpa.’
A lovable miscreant
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…and she is the one who doesn’t see the harm. Thanks Neil.
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Oh dear – not really a laughing matter but this was funny.
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Yes. there is something humours about a dedicated alcoholic.
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They’ll always find a way.
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I bet that old hooch tasted awful.
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Dear James,
Your story gives new meaning to “on the wagon.” Addicts are great sneaks. Good one.
Shalom,
Rochelle
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Thank you Rochelle. It takes some people a lot of effort and help to quit their addiction.
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Oh! O love this take on the prompt. I have a friend who found vodka hidden all over the house once his wife stopped drinking. And she truly did stop. Kudos for her. (P.S. I needed to look up Lucozade. 🙂 You learn something new every day.
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Once an addict, always an addict. They’ll always find new ways to feed the beast.
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Hic,
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I’m smiling at her tactics, because you’ve built her as a clever, likeable, if misguided character. But I recognise the darker truth in this story. Well told. I’m also interested in your comment that you researched the Scottish migration to Georgia. I didn’t know about that. I also have Scottish ancestry, and have done some research, probably more narrow than yours – just to build my family tree, using online sources.
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Thank you Margaret. I was planning a story about the Georgia frontier days, but became sidetracked with the history.
IN THE MONTH OF JANUARY 1736, the first group of Scottish Highlanders arrived in the fledgling British colony of Georgia. They settled on the banks of the Altamaha River along the southernmost border of the province in a town they first called New Inverness, later to become Darien.
I have not gone into a great depth, but it seems Scottish groups started as far back as the 16c moving to the new Americas. Enjoy your research. How far have you got?
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Fascinating. I’ve mainly followed my own ancestral lines back as far as I could, staying within the UK – Scotland and Wales mainly. I’ve noted where there’s been migration to Canada and the US but haven’t pursued many of those branches of the family. I’ve also had the DNA test with Ancestry.com and that’s produced lots of ‘cousins’ in North America, but how most of them are connected, I have no idea. I’ve still got a lot of work to do, but it’s SO interesting. I had a trip to Scotland a few years ago, and learned a little about the highland clearances you mention.
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The ingenuity of a hardened imbiber knows no bounds.
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So true, thank you Sandra.
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When you’re hooked on something, no matter what, you’ll always find a way to get some.
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Unless she wants to stop drinking and get help, no matter how many times she promises him that she won’t take another drop, she will continue to drink and there’s nothing he can really do about it.
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Oh dear. She’s not trying too hard. I bet there are more hiding spots, there always are.
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The draw to drink is very strong for her. Thank you.
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One of my favorite terms of affection for the devil’s brew: hooch.
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Just one little glass at a time. Thank you.
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You’re welcome.
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Sad, really.
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