One Hundred Years, Today

This story was written for the January 21-22, 2008 Writer's Cramp Prompt below.  The letter I chose not to use in my story is the letter I.

One Hundred Years, Today

Bess took Gwen's revolt toward customary annual observances as a personal challenge to be met head on, overcome, and quashed.

"Hey, hey, another year has gone by, lady.  Where's the cake?"  Bess poked her head through the open door and looked around. 

Gwen, seated on the edge of the bed, glared at the nurse and shook her head.  "No cake!" she protested loudly.  "NO CAKE!"

"You don't want a party?"  Bess pretended to be shocked at Gwen's stubborn reply.

"No, and that's my last word on the matter."  Gwen huffed, folded her arms, turned her head and pouted as would be expected from an angry youngster, not a woman who, later that day would be able to say she'd seen a century's worth of days come and go.

"Whatever you say," Bess answered.  She rolled her eyes and walked to her desk, pressed a button on the panel and tapped her foot at the cook's delay. 

"Today's the day," she sang out when the phone was answered.

"Yes, yes.  Yellow cake would be wonderful," she paused and thought.  "Uh, how ‘bout chocolate?  That sounds good...now, what should we say?"

Bess held the phone close to her ear to catch every word.

"No, no ,no!  Not that!" she responded.  "Let's try ‘We love you, Gwen.'  That'll be plenty.  Don't say a word about the day or the years.  Trust me here, okay?"

"What was that?  Colors?" Bess asked.  "Let's do blue and...yellow, yes.  Blue and yellow.  Gwen once told me those were her school team's colors from way back when.  Perhaps they'll help her to recall fonder days.  She should really open up and share these tales of her past.  She'd feel less lonesome to let herself remember younger days and people she knew then, don't you agree?"

Bess replaced the phone and went about her work, though her thoughts were on Gwen and the yarns she held secret.  One hundred years worth of love and people and places...Bess wondered whether she would reach that age.

As the lunch hour rolled around, Bess returned to Gwen's room to help her dress.  She adjusted the walker and made sure the legs were secure.  "We're ready to go to lunch," she encouraged.

Gwen looked at Bess expectantly, but she made no comment about the day.  Secretly, Gwen was ashamed of herself for the scene she'd made before.  She really would have enjoyed a party...a small party.  Too late now she scolded herself.  Perhaps they'll try next year.

As the nurse and her elderly ward rounded the corner a hush fell over the lunch crowd.  "Hooray!" her peers cheered as she entered.  "Today's the day!"

Tears of joy sprang to Gwen's eyes as she looked around the crowded room.  As she looked at the faces she saw her son and daughter, her grandsons and granddaughters, even great-grandsons and a great, great-granddaughter!  Cameras flashed as the local news team took photos for the paper and reporters approached for a comment to show on the four o'clock news program. 

Gwen felt the corners of her mouth slowly turn upwards and joy pushed the darkness from her heart.  Never had she felt so much love.  A century...not many people get to see that anymore.  Today, Gwen was glad to be one of them.


546 words

Did you know that 6 of the letters in "celebration" -- E, A, T, I, O, N -- are the most used letters in the English Language? (I didn't, until recently; thank you, Snapple.)

Writer's Cramp Prompt:  Write a story or poem about a birthday celebration without one of the letters in the word "celebration"-- A, B, C, E, I, L, N, O, R or T. You can choose which letter of the ten not to use (and please post that letter at the top of your item), but the letter cannot appear anywhere in the actual poem or story. (I'm really interested to see how some of you will spell the word "birthday," LOL.)