What follows are two fairy tale endings to stories I wrote last month.
Here are two fairy tale endings to stories I wrote last month.
Favorite Teacher
As you know, I wrote a letter to my first grade teacher when I got her street address from the funeral home that had handled her husband’s funeral four years ago. She wrote back to me, and also sent me a picture from her wedding. I wrote to her again to ask if I could publish those portions of her letter that are about me, but I haven’t heard back from her. I will paraphrase and say that she did remember me, she was pretty sure that I was the child in the wedding picture wearing the coat with white buttons [I am], and that she was proud of my becoming a lawyer, although she had thought I might become a doctor like my father. She also said that I was such a smart child that she took me to an eighth grade classroom to read to them, showing off that I could read eighth grade books as a first grader. I don’t remember that, but I thought it was pretty cool that, at 89 years old, she still did!
Priciest Purchase
As you also know, last year my husband and I attempted to buy a painting from his cousin’s wife, an established professional artist, but the painting was crunched when their car was hit by a truck on Interstate 80 on their way to our house for Thanksgiving dinner. Almost a full year later, she has painted another picture, not the same but similar, and we have just bought it and hung it in our living room. This one is called Trade Secrets. Is that a less risky name than High Jinx? I’m not sure, but it did arrive here safely. Here it is hanging on our wall.
Two “happily ever after” stories, don’t you think?
Suzy
Awesome, Suzy, you have closed the loop on two open-ended stories. Wonderful that you reconnected with your teacher, who remembered taking you to an eighth-grade class, and hooray, you got a painting after all.
Indeed, wonderful fairy tale endings to both stories. That wedding picture is so joyous, and the painting gorgeous. Thanks for the happily ever after.
Brava Suzy for giving us happy endings to your real life stories , and enjoy your new painting!
A brilliant take on this week’s prompt, Suzy: real life “happy endings.” And these are particularly enjoyable endings for us Retro-istas, since, even with our diminishing memories, we can recall these recent stories of yours.
This is, of course, the perfect title as well. However, even with my advanced degree in Googling (PhG?), I have failed to come up with an identical song title. Did I miss something or was this story exempted from the song title rule purusant to the Administrator’s Privilege or some such exception?
Love your happily ever after updates, Suzy. The wedding picture of your teacher is a classic. You must have been thrilled to attend. And I’m glad you were able to replace the painting, which looks great in your home.
Yes, “happily ever after” endings, Suzy. Thanks so much for closing the loops on both those stories. Amazing that you are the child in that fairy-tale wedding picture from your favorite teacher. As I opened the story, I had to look closely because I thought it must be a Hollywood wedding or maybe some royalty; it is truly spectacular! And to think that she remembers having little you read to the 8th graders! WOW!
And you got (some version of) the painting! Way cool. Yes, beautiful. Another happy ending. You are making my day and I needed a lift today. Thanks so much.
I thought the artist would make it right, Suzy. And there it is, now on your wall. I bet you stop and admire it every time you enter your living room.
As others have said, the picture of your teacher’s wedding is amazing. She reminds me of Deborah Kerr.