Hey Rose, great picture... There is so much history in the guy's face. I will think about it and start writing soon.

Thanks for the challenge   

What the hell are you looking at?

I jumped when I clicked on this. This is an awesome picture Rose.

I will tackle it but it takes me awhile. I am still finishing one of the others.

What the hell are you looking at?

Mason, perfect... I saw him exactly the same way - a cranky old bastard

“You can hardly blame ‘em. I mean, hell, would you be out driving a frickin’ bus in this sorta weather. I don’t think so… But they’re paid to do the job and they’ve got frickin’ heaters blowin’ on their feet. Meanwhile, a man could freeze ta death waitin’ for ‘em. I mean, jeezus frickin’ capital ‘C’ Christ…” He let the last word drift away as something behind me captured his interest. I jumped at the break in his monologue.

“Would you mind if I took your photo?”

His eyes snapped back to mine. “What in hell for?”

“Well, I think this would make a good photo. Don’t worry, I’ll give you a copy, if you like it. And it is not going to be published. Not without your permission, anyway.”

“Damn right it won’t be published. I don’t want every bastard looking at me. There are frickin’ weirdos everywhere, ya know. They see a photo of me and you never know what they might do with it. Frickin’ weirdos…” He looked away over my shoulder again.

“I don’t think you’ve got anything to worry about…” I started to reply but he looked at me like I’d slapped him.

“What the hell do you mean by that? You don’t think I’m good enough for weirdos to look at, huh? Well, you know what you can do with your frickin’ camera, don’t you.” He slapped his hands together and glared at me, daring me to challenge him.

I shook my head and said “I didn’t mean it at all like that. I just don’t think anyone much will be looking at the photo, except whoever you choose to show it to…” I smiled a small apologetic smile at him. The glare diminished a little.

“Well, alright then, but you better take it quick. I can see the bus coming.”

I unsnapped the lens cap from my camera. I looked through it and focussed. “Are you ready? Okay, three, two, one…” The camera clicked. “Aw, come on Dad, could you at least give me a smile.”

“What the hell do I gotta smile for, huh? I don’t have anything to frickin’ smile about, so why frickin’ should I?”

I shook my head at his typical negativity. The bus pulled up next to us. “Okay, Dad, well give my love to Mum and I’ll see you next week for Christmas, okay?” I gave him a quick hug and squeezed a little. He didn’t say a word back. He just got on the bus and shuffled down the aisle to a free seat. I stood and watched as the bus pulled away. I waved goodbye but he wasn’t even looking. I smiled a little to myself and thanked who or whatever that I had my mother’s temperament.

He reminded me of my Grandpa so I wrote about him. I guess it's not really fiction but here it is anyway. I didn't know if I was supposed to post separate and link back but it's not too too long.

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Let me tell you about Kenny. He may look grumpy but that’s just because you don’t know him like I do. Kenny was my grandpa. Of course, I never called him Kenny, just Grandpa.

He would take me for a ride in his green Chevelle. Whenever he stopped at Lawson’s, he would always buy me a pack of M&M’s. I still think of him whenever I see M&M’s. We had a whole ritual of separating the colors. He would eat the brown ones. I liked the pretty ones. Blue M&M’s still just don’t seem right to me.

He didn’t smile often but when he did there was a warmth that radiated from deep inside him. He never had a smile that didn’t reach his eyes. He would tell me nursery rhymes. “…with rings on her fingers and bells on her toes, she will have music wherever she goes”

He had a hard life. He worked at the GE factory for years and years. He loved his family. He watched National Geographic specials on TV and Benny Hill. I remember how much my grandma hated Benny Hill but he didn’t care, he watched anyway.

I loved looking at the pictures of him when he was a young man. He was so handsome and full of life. He always had that sparkle in his eyes then. He would tell me that when he was young he was so skinny he could walk between the raindrops. This always made me laugh. Life wore him down.

He served in World War II and burned his uniform when he came home. He didn’t want to be reminded of those years spent in a fox hole. I remember seeing the photos he had of the victims of the concentration camps. It horrified me to see people – yes, they were people - stacked up like logs. I guess they were just bodies by the time the photos were taken. How could something that horrible have really happened?

My grandma had polio while he was gone fighting in the war. She was never been able to walk well after that so he had to do the things she couldn’t. He always went to the grocery store. This may seem like no big deal today but at that time, men didn’t do the shopping. He just did what he had to do. There would be no more walks with his wife, just pushing her in her wheelchair.

I always thought I was his favorite but now I know that all of the grandkids felt the same way. I miss him.

~~What the hell are you looking at? ~~
Love the line, mason.

I will tackle it but it takes me awhile. I am still finishing one of the others. [/unquote]

I am really looking forward to it, Kelly.

Mark
~~ "I mean, jeezus frickin’ capital ‘C’ Christ…”
“What the hell do I gotta smile for, huh? I don’t have anything to frickin’ smile about, so why frickin’ should I?”~~


These lines to me totally bring out his personality...I really liked them.

I really enjoyed reading about your grandfather, LM. You have such vivid memories of his life and I think that's awesome.

These were my favorite lines:
~~I loved looking at the pictures of him when he was a young man. He was so handsome and full of life. He always had that sparkle in his eyes then. ~

~He would tell me that when he was young he was so skinny he could walk between the raindrops. This always made me laugh. Life wore him down.~~

He sounds like quite a man. You know what's funny...this pic reminded you of your grandma...and reading about your grandpa has reminded of me of mine.

My contribution:

I don't need this. I don't need some young punk from the uppity Times sneaking up on me taking my photo. Why can't they just leave me alone? What I done is in the past. No need to rehash old memories.

As if I don't know what today is...course I know. You think I'm stupid? I don't let myself forget it. It's something I will regret for eternity.
I'm exhausted...been on my feet all day at my good for nothin job. I just want to get home and heat up leftovers in the oven, plop myself down on the rickety sofa and watch some re-run on the telly....I don't care what it is. I just want to get lost in a world far from my own.

Just let me be...let me be. I don't need to be reminded of what I once was...I know who I was...let God be the judge of it...not you.

I really liked them.

Thanks, Rose. It was off the cuff, I know, but good exercise.

I know who I was...let God be the judge of it...not you.

This is really good. It is a pity more people don't remember this. Well done.

Crap, and I forgot my depends!

Dr.G
~~Crap, and I forgot my depends! ~~

Hey, this makes sense, too!

This is good you guys! I love the picture Rose, a lot. It's speaking to me, but I haven't sat to write it yet.