Hey Everyone! Welcome to another Wednesday and another Silver Flash short story!
I have to admit that I was very close to not participating in this week's Flash. I hadn't written my prompt before and I started University again on Monday. It was a tiring day and I didn't find the time to write that afternoon.
I thought I would write something up on Tuesday but I had such an awful morning that I was not in the mood for writing. However, I forced myself to get something written and this is what I came up with.
I'm kind of surprised at the message of never giving up because I'm usually a negative person by nature and after yesterday's day I was more than ready to give up on several things (the more important being a course and a man that shouldn't be teaching- he's gotten several admonishments but due to the Spanish University system he can't be fired).
Anyways, I'm starting to babble. Please enjoy the story and don't forget to check out the other great Flasher's of this week!
This week's prompt:
Our prompt diva this week, Brenna, gave us: “There are some lessons in life you just never seem to learn.”
Ryssa, gave this alternative: Use this line in your story, He/she/they wouldn't stop until the whole world heard.
Never Give Up
“There are some lessons in life you just never seem to learn.” His father’s words echoed in his mind as he watched Georgia across the classroom. Falling in love was one of those things. No matter how many times you swear that you will never love again, that love is not meant for you, that there is no such thing as the one, you always, always, end up tripping with the same stone.
Eric had sworn to himself that after his divorce from his ex, he would never trust a woman again. However, nine months ago he had started a University course and that’s where he had met Georgia. She was perfect in a non-perfect way. Georgia was not tall, she was not thin, nor did she have dashing eyes or a perfect smile. Georgia was just, Georgia. She had a curvy body, with love handles and a round tummy. She had large brown eyes which crinkled when she smiled and teeth that were not one hundred percent straight.
But he didn’t care. Georgia had the sort of laughter that spread to anyone nearby. She had a quick wit and a down to earth attitude. He wasn’t really sure how he had fallen for her and he was quite certain that a lot of people would be surprised at his change in taste; after all, his ex had been a beauty. Claudia had been his college girlfriend. When they were in college she had been the sort of girl that made people turn their heads. The type of girl that people couldn’t help wondering why she was going out with him. He often thought the same, but he kept quiet about it. At first their marriage had been good. Claudia had dropped out of college and had started working as a secretary while he finished his degree and worked part time at several law businesses. With time, things started to go awry. He saw less and less of his picture perfect wife and when he did see her he discovered that she had turned into a spoiled woman that cared nothing for others, not even for him. He tried saving his marriage. He did. He had loved Claudia and he tried with all his heart to retain that feeling but when he found her in the office with her boss…well…that was it. She didn’t ask for forgiveness nor did he require it. They divorced in more or less amicable terms and they both went their own ways. He discovered that with this newfound freedom he could do other things, and after a few months he decided to take the History course he always wanted but never dared because according to them “history has no future”.
Georgia was there from day one. Her voice was soft, reassuring, but loud enough to be heard all over the classroom. Her manner of speaking was so full of enthusiasm that her eyes sparkled when she spoke. Her hands would usually wave in the air and everyone would watch her with rapt attention.
He tried asking her for coffee once, but she had waved him off with a smile and a polite no, thank you. A little afraid of a second rejection he had settled to simply watching her from the back of the class as she lectured. However, during Christmas break he had accidently run across her at a bookshop. They spoke briefly and just when she had been about to leave, he had taken the plunge and asked her out again. Once more, she refused him, although this time she explained. She couldn’t date him because he was her student and it was forbidden by University rules. He had been about to protest but she smiled and left before he could open his mouth.
In January they had returned to the small crowded classroom and things continued as always. Except for one class. It was a lecture on Winston Churchill. Georgia had gone on to explain how the old British Colonel had failed being elected for public office until he was 62 years old. At that time he had said, "Never give in, never give in, never, never, never, never - in nothing, great or small, large or petty - never give in except to convictions of honor and good sense. Never, Never, Never, Never give up."
The funny thing about that class had been that while Georgia repeated Churchill’s words her eyes bore into his. Eric couldn’t help feeling that she was trying to tell him not to give up on her. So as winter turned to spring he continued bringing her a warm mug of coffee and speaking to her before class begun. They were his favorite moments of the day; barely a few minutes in which he had the privilege to peak a little into her life.
Now, it would all be over. It was the last lecture and he would never see Georgia again. She had handed back the tests a few minutes ago, her hand lingering a bit as it brushed against his fingers. Her eyes had crinkled in a smile and he felt the back of his neck burn. Then she had moved on.
Everyone clapped and chairs scrapped against the floor as students rose to say their goodbyes. Eric packed his things and observed the room around him one more time, trying to memorize it so that someday he could recall the happy hours he had spent surrounded by those four walls and watching the women he loved. Students crowded around Georgia and it broke his heart to think of even saying goodbye, so with a sigh he walked out of History class.
“Eric! Eric!”
The patter of soft slippers hitting the linoleum floor reached him just as he turned around.
“Georgia!”
“Aren’t you going to invite me for a coffee?”
“I thought—“
“You’ve given up?” She demanded with a knowing smile.
Eric smiled back. “As Churchill would say, never.”
The End.
Check out this week's flashers!
