Hello Dear Readers! It’s time for the wonderful weekly Trifecta Writing Challenge. The response to the prompt must be between 33 and 333 words. This week’s word prompt is:
BITCH (noun)
1: the female of the dog or some other carnivorous mammals
2 a : a lewd or immoral woman
b : a malicious, spiteful, or overbearing woman —sometimes used as a generalized term of abuse
3: something that is extremely difficult, objectionable, or unpleasant
The Waiting of Wesley Nonglinger
Wesley Nonglinger liked his life as a Cypress tree even if people felt sorry for him stuck as he was in the same spot all his life.
But trees know things. You can’t live 600 years in the same spot without knowing things. Take birds. Wesley knew birds, especially woodpeckers. Woodpeckers ate the ticklers. If there’s one thing stationary beings hate it’s being tickled.
The only trouble with being a tree was you had to wait for a nice wind to stretch out your branches or drop an unwanted limb. But Wesley Nonglinger knew how to work with wind, and he was especially good at waiting.
Maybe you didn’t know, but when you live 600 years in the same spot you get pretty good at waiting.
One day, while Wesley soaked up some warm summer rays, a couple of men came busting through the brush.
“Look’s like we’ll have to remove this one, Charley,” the fat one said to the skinny one and made an orange X on Wesley Nonglinger’s bark with spray paint. It tickled, which, as you know, Wesley didn’t like.
That night, Wesley thought about his Cypress buddy, Benson, who had been “removed” by a chain saw. Now Benson was nothing more than sprouts where his mighty trunk had stood. Benson had quickly reverted to Cypress baby-dom. And take it from Wesley, it’s a real bitch having to spend all day conversing with a 600-year-old baby.
But Wesley and wind worked well together; all Wesley had to do was wait.
Sure enough, the next day when Charley arrived and fired up his chain saw at the base of Wesley Nonglinger, a mighty wind arrived and blew that old limb off Wesley’s upper branches — killing Charley instantly.
Yes indeed. When you live 600 years in the same spot you get pretty good at waiting.
Uh oh . . . you’re gonna be sorry Charley!
* * *
Until next time . . . I love you
“And take it from Wesley, it’s a real bitch having to spend all day conversing with a 600-year-old baby.”Ha!ha!Indeed!loved the last line too & was tempted to add ,”..& killing people too.”;-)What a great idea for this prompt that reached out & tickled my funny bone .:-)
Thank you so much Atreyee! I’m so glad you liked our Cypress friend, Wesley. I may have to develop him a little more. I got up really early in the morning and wrote it so I think I might have dreamed most of it LOL! Thanks for always coming by and giving your time to read. Your comments are always a ray of sunshine!
You know I love your sense of humour-not everyone can make others laugh-you are gifted Linda:-)What fun dreams you have then I must say;-)I thought I will be missing this week’s challenge-just got it in-not very thrilled with it but then,am just a novice,so will get there by & by:-)
Thank you for your very kind words Atreyee! I think you are doing really really great when it comes to your writing! WOW! I think you’re an amazing writer.
I know what you mean about not feeling good about a particular entry or post. But I’ve noticed that a lot of times things I’m not crazy about everyone seems to like and vice versa! LOL!! So I guess the best way to look at it is to “just keep going forward” keep entering and keep writing. It’s really all just about the love of writing! And I know you have that as I can tell from what you write.
Your heart warming comment has put me on cloud 9,Linda!I you being an accomplished writer ,feel that I can write,then maybe I am doing something right?Thank you so much for the pat on the back & constant support.
Yes,I agree with you for that’s what I tell my daughter(who I think is an awesome writer & I believe will grow up to fulfill her dream of being a well known author)that writing doesn’t mean it has to be to appease others.Just like,when we read someone’s writings regularly it’s because we like a particular style-not that he/she is the best or is going to be liked by all-its so subjective:-)
Off to post my submission now-can’t wait to read r=the 17 odd posts submitted already-I see you have already posted-wow,fast work:-)
Thank you Atreyee for those kind words about my writing. Sometimes I tell myself, I’m spending too much time at my keyboard and I need to do something else (like clean my house for instance ha!) but then I think . . . if not now? When?
I love that you are encouraging your daughter to fulfill her dream of being a well known author. Everything starts with a dream. The happiest people I know are the people who are working towards a dream.
Oh my gosh! Seventeen entries already! And that was yesterday! I guess I better get to reading!
Ah,ah-are we related?lol! I spend all my waking hours -almost-at the laptop-am on FB,playing word games & then a designing game & then I have yahoo with my school grp averaging some 100 mails per week(from me that is,lol!) & ofc there is Trifecta!At least you are doing some excellent creative writing-me,am just killing time-argh!So true -if not now then when-no point in postponing doing things u love to do:-)
Yes,you are right again,a dream is the seed that we sow & if nurtured with care ,it is bound to give the expected fruits:-)
I finished reading & commenting on all the 37-weekend is easier cos its only 33 words:-)So happy to be talking to a warm & fun person like you Linda,tc
Wow! You commented on all 37! I’m totally impressed!
I did that last week, and it felt like a real accomplishment I must say!
I was just reading an article about how writers need to have a platform wherein they utilize all the social media. How could anybody have time to utilize all the social media and still have time to write? Gads! I only remember to tweet something about every two weeks. LOL! And then when you include blogging it could theoretically take up a persons every waking hour!
My New Years resolution was to write first, then comment, and read blogs until noon then I turn everything off and go outside! So far, I’m sticking to it –especially now that the weather is so beautiful. It is tempting to go back on throughout the day, but so far I’ve been able to stay off. I wonder how long that will last? LOL!!
I’m happy to be talking to you too Atreyee! We warm and fun people always manage to find each other! YAY!!
lol!I usually do read & try to comment on all the posts-that’s all the reading I get time to do & yes reading the 333 word posts are much tougher;-)I agree,no idea how people mange to read & comment-some ofc take the easy way & just “like” the post ,others leave a generic comment but some genuinely do read all the blogs they follow-I keep telling myself I will but just don’t have the energy-for I get distracted easily & start reading & commenting on other posts submitted earlier,lol!
Great to know that you are able to keep your resolution-good girl:-)Where do u stay?
I just finished writing my piece-seems very childish to me,ha!ha!Now to fine tune a bit & post it.Have you posted yours?Had busy last two days-so just rushing-tomorrow is going to be great-going to the annual book fair in my city-its a grand event -also meeting an out of town old friend there-so will come home dog tired but happy:-)
Yes,you are right warm hearts always find like minded people -so till next time,have fun & keep smiling,lovexx
Oh you sound just like me when it comes to reading stories. I always somehow get completely sidetracked and the next thing I know literally hours have gone by!!
I’m going over to check out your childish piece right now Atreyee! From your description of childish, I know already I’m going to like it! HA!
Oh your annual book fair sounds like great fun. I hope you have a ball with your old friend!
Well I guess I’d better get back to reading . . . I’m diving into the Trifecta site now . . . wish me luck!! HA!
Don’t you remind me of that one!As I am also playing that designing game,I spend hours on google-searching for one item & going everywhere else in that quest-downloading a zillion other things-which I never even remember after a few days-make that hours,lol!
You really are such a fun person Linda-0I find myself smiling just seeing your name:-)Thank you once more for the vote of confidence.
Yes,I had great fun-catching yup with my friend & her family:-)Bought some books for my daughter-she is an avid reader-only just now has her school leaving exams looming ahead-so no time to read-will read in April:-)
How many did you manage to read finally?
Ah! Thank you Atreyee! We fun people have to stick together. I gotta say I hardly read any this time. I am actually writing this comment while my out of town guests are taking their showers, before I show them around the area! HA!! I doubt very seriously that I’ll be able to read very many this weekend. But I actually made my dialogue before they came and had it all ready to post (You can’t believe how proud I’m am of my time management skills for doing that! LOL!!) It’s hard to carry on a conversation and read at the same time, but where there’s a will there’s a way! HA!
That is so great that your daughter is an avid reader. I bad for people who don’t love books, because they are missing soooo much. But I guess they don’t see it that way. Well, I guess I better keep moving as I’ve got a lot to do while the shower is still running! LOL!!
Oh,having out of town guests is so much fun-HA!;-)With guests around,one cannot get much done-what with cooking,taking them out,entertaining-the list goes on-well enjoy -I know with your fun spirit,you will:-)
Yes,great time management there-am cooking & responding to all my comments-finished writing my piece a lil while before-will post it after i finish lunch:-)
I agree with you-reading is a blessing & a book is a friend at all times-I was a voracious reader once upon a time but once net invaded my life it lessened & since I got reading glasses abt two years back,I have almost stopped-the last book I half-read was “The Alchemist” pushed on me b y my daughter,lol!
See you later-am off to finish commenting & then finish cooking-argh..(running now)
I’ve never read the Alchemist. It must not be too good if you didn’t finish it. LOL! But I find most every book gets bogged down about 2/3 of the way through. Not all books, but enough so that I have a very long list of books I’ve never finished! LOL!
Yes weekend guests are a lot of work! But we had a lot of fun and the weather was totally cooperative so I guess I can’t complain!
No,it’s a good read but am too impatient-i like the net more i think(looking shame faced).
Good to read that you had a great time-i did too for they were my school chums:-)
Oh I know what you mean about reading. I have been very lax about reading anything except WordPress! Ha! I don’t even take the time to look at the news. Oh well, I figure I’ll find out about current events eventually or if I don’t it probably wasn’t important anyway! HA! And I haven’t read an actual paperback book since last summer! Sad but true!
News -yuck!In India its all about dirty politics,murders,rapes,scams & corruption-as if nothing good is happening in the world-I have given up reading or watching news long bk:-(
Ah,another similarity then-the last book i read (last year)& enjoyed is the one I am using a quote from-so chk it out on Trifecta;-)
This is obviously a very nuanced piece espousing the dichotomy of mans twin relationships with nature – both needing it to survive, yet striving against it to better himself and his universe.
Truly, it is only by nurturing our own inner Wesley that we may learn the patience, nay fortitude necessary to bring about tHE REVOLUTION THAT WILL SAVEUSALL!!!!!!!!!!!!
(Fun piece too!)
Thank you so much for that fine and noble response Professor El Guapo. Your comment has been duly noted in my heart and soul and highlighted with an internal organ yellow highlighter.
(Oh, btw, I found a monocle on the floor of the comments after you left. Could it by any chance possibly be . . . oops . . . sorry just accidentally stepped on it . . . )
Oh my God! Was that just waiting, or was there some agreement with the wind? You never can tell what tricks had been gathered in 600 years!
Oh I like that angle Teecee. Oh yes! That adds a whole new dimension to the story! Intriguing!
This is great, Linda. You are such a wonderful story-teller!
Thank you so much Dianne — that you think so is such a boost of confidence!
I so appreciate all your wonderful comments and support.
Wesley “Nonlingerer” ahaha!
I had no idea he was going to be a tree until I got five words into the story — hence the first and and last name! HA!
it made it even funnier!
Ah Thanks Bucky!
xo
I love it when the underdog…I mean ‘undertree’ wins…Diane
Haha!! Me too Diane!!
Excellent story, Linda! And if EG is right… DEEEEEP!!!!
janet
Hahaha! Thank you so much Janet!
Ah thanks Barbara!
Sooo cute!
Thanks Undercover!!
So glad you enjoyed it.
The older you get the sneakier you are!
Haha! I can vouch for that JoeTwo!!
wicked laughter erupts! The TREE WINS! Yipee!!!
YAY! Trees 1 Man 0
I guess when you live 600 years you learn how to speak, too.
Nice one!
Thank you Sandra!
Love it; love Wesley. Like how the story is told from a tree’s point of view.
Thank you Rashmenon. Glad you enjoyed the little twist.
How can you not love a snarky cypress tree? Wicked fun.
I am an admitted tree hugger. I live among the redwoods. So giving voice to a tree is my kind of story! I love it. Chainsaw Charley got his just reward.
I love trees too Steph. How lucky you are to live among the redwoods!!
Once again! I look forward to your posts!
Thank you so much Deanabo. I always enjoy yours too!
This is lovely. And hilarious. Baby-dom. I was visualizing, like, trees in diapers or something. Thank you for linking up.
So glad you liked it Trifecta! (Oh I went to vote for the Trifecta Blog but it looks like I need to nominate two other blogs as well — or can I just write you in three times? )
Ha! Such a unique entry (:
Thank you Draug.
I loved this…also enjoy non-humans as protagonists. Pushes the boundaries of one’s imagination. Very nice!
Oh thank you so much. I know what you mean about non-humans being protagonists — oh the possibilities!
!)
(And I am so honored to be on your favorite blogger’s list btw!
Great humor. I really loved the personification of the trees, and Charley’s ‘unfortunate’ end.
Thank you Roxanne! That Charley never knew what hit him. Bwahaha!
Love the description of the ticklers and the 600 year old baby. This was a great read.
Thank you so much Kelly. I’m so glad you enjoyed reading it.
Whoa! You really went out on a limb with this one! What a great Twilight Zone episode it would have made! Charley lies on the ground with the branch sticking out of his chest. The wind blows leaves over him. Time-lapse: a mound forms over him. The branch sprouts and begins to grow. Rod Serling’s voice: “And so young Wesley, Jr. was born… here in the Pottery Barn Sustainable Forest… a very twisted part of… The Twilight Zone… (fade to Funyuns commercial) : P
haha!, Charlie will be played by Al Gore in the movie version! The little sapling will grow at record speed as a direct result of his Funyunized body. Pottery Barn is cloning Al Gore’s in deep in the Pottery Barn Forest and feeding them Funyuns all day long just for that purpose. it will be a horror movie. I’m hoping you’ll agree to direct it, Mark!