Thursday 23 September 2010

My Blogfeast Blogfest Entry!


This is my entry for the blogfeast blogfest hosted by Angela - to see the full list of entries go here and look for the list at bottom of Angela's post.

Crossroads!


This snippet has been snatched from one of my novels.

Sue couldn’t believe she’d just done that; driven up to the crossroads and instead of driving straight over she’d turned right. Now, here she was at Home Farm, the place of her happy childhood.


She dashed inside the old farmhouse, called out a hello and received a reply from her mother, as always in the kitchen. Sweet essence of apple drifted on the ether, and before she entered that oh so familiar room she more or less expected to see flour dusted hands, her mother in the process of rolling pastry.

Her mother glanced up, smiled, and with back of wrist brushed a wayward strand of hair from her brow, indeed exactly as visualised beforehand.

‘You’re looking pleased with yourself,’ her comment.

Sue sensed inner scrutiny, her mother’s expression implying she might know more than she was letting on. She was right, for her mother averted her gaze and flipped the edge of the pastry over the rolling pin and began lifting it from the table.

‘Is there something you’re wanting to tell me?’ she said, quiet matter of fact yet hint of secondary smile, ‘only you look as though bursting with good news, and itching to tell someone. Is it your dad, you want?’

‘What makes you think I came here to reveal something?’ quizzed Sue, as diced apple covered with brown sugar disappeared beneath a cloak of pastry.

‘Mother’s intuition.’

Sue was stunned, thinking she’d kept her secret so well. ‘How long have you known?

‘Ooooh, at least five months.’

‘Actually it’s six.’

Her mother suddenly stopped finger pressing the pastry edge, her imprints already halfway around the pie dish. ‘So you were . . . Oh my goodness . . .’

‘Yes, shockingly pregnant at the altar.’

‘Not the first time that’s happened in the family, and I doubt it’ll be the last,’ proclaimed her mother.

Her mother’s attention suddenly re-directed to the pastry and flush to her cheeks, Sue sensed this a confessional. ‘You mean, I . . .?’

‘Yes, and your grandmother before that.’

‘Well, and I thought I might be letting the side down, hence my keeping it a secret.’

Her mother picked up a knife and began trimming excess edging from the pastry case. ‘And Andy, did he know? Is he pleased?’

‘He’s ecstatic,’ she replied, as her mother hefted the pie dish to the AGA.
Then, with floured hands and all, her mother came round the table. ‘I’ve been knitting baby clothes, and your dad said I might be jumping the gun,’ confessed her mother, a tear tracking down her cheek. ‘But I knew, just knew.’’

‘What will dad say, do you think?’

‘I can’t begin to tell you how pleased he’ll be. He’s already got a little pair of Wellington boots tucked away. Teeny-weeny ones. So cute.’

Sue burst into tears, and her mother as always hugged her close.



20 comments:

Theresa Milstein said...

Sweet scene - and not just from the pie.

I loved this part:

"Sweet essence of apple drifted on the ether..."

Elena Solodow said...

So, so sweet. I think the juxtaposition between the baking of the pie and the conversation is really well done.

j.leigh.bailey said...

I like it! Especially the teeny weeny little Wellington boots. :D

Anonymous said...

Mmmm, I could taste that pie!

Ellie Garratt said...

Happy Birthday!

What a lovely scene; one that I'm sure is shared by many mothers and daughters. Beautiful.

Even Zombies Have Taste

Unknown said...

That's so funny. Pregnant at the alter has been through three generations. Great looking pie too, btw.

CD

Summer Ross said...

great aromas coming through this scene. I very much enjoyed the read

Denise Covey said...

Gimme som' o' dat pie! Great job Francine. Like Theresa, I like weet essence of apple drifted on the ether. Love the imagery.

Interesting how it's mothers in the kitchen talking to daughters and the father is a mystery figure - second one I've read in a row. Deliciously different, but I'm wondering if next time I do this type of scene I put dad in the kitchen and have mum away doing something mysterious...ha ha..:)

Jade McKenna said...

now my mouth is watering. great job. and i'm glad she found out she wasn't letting down that side of the family.

bryan sabol said...

oh, man... homemade apple pie with cinnamon? Fantastic. Such good imagery, in fact, I'm definitely drawn to Mom... she got enough for an extra pie?

Angela McCallister said...

Didya haveta post the pic??? It's so beautiful and I really am hungry! I should have eaten before sitting down to read these posts. What was I thinking?

I love that the pregnant-at-altar was practically hereditary, lol, and that they both know each other so well. Sounds like a close, loving mother-daughter relationship.

Great post (that I can practically sniff longingly)! I'm happy you joined in.

dolorah said...

Aww, how sweet. But I'm distracted by the sight of the pie. I'm hungry now.

........dhole

Francine Howarth said...

Hi ladies & gents,

Thanks so much for dropping by to comment. This was an amusing feast, and great fun as usual!

best
F

Wendy Tyler Ryan said...

Loved the imagery with the mom in the kitchen with the floured hands etc. Really nice. I am a day late and a bad bad girl. I forgot I entered this one - I'm and idiot, but I posted anyway, if you are so inclined.

Julie Musil said...

Oh, what a lovely snippet. You did a great job. And I love the pie in the photo.

J.C. Martin said...

Very sweet--very understanding mother. Lovely scene over making apple pie...*mmm* I need to bake some apple crumble now!

Erin Kane Spock said...

This was such a cozy scene. Heartwarming. Her mother looked exactly like she'd imagined she would, good imagery. My Mom bakes pies, but I don't have knack for crust (or the patience).

Talei said...

Oh my, well there are family traditions and there are family traditions. :D Now I want some pie too!

I have an award for you on my blog, please come by to pickup when you have a few minutes. ;)

Terry Stonecrop said...

Haha, Love the like mother, like daughter, like grandmother thing!

Well done, lots of nice imagery. All this and pie, too. Yum:)

Lovy Boheme said...

Such a warm, homey feel to this. :)