Thinking back Bill wished he did things differently years ago. Not that he would have had any basis to change given what he knew then, but he wished he knew then what he knew now.
His son Clifford was screaming obscenities at him. He saw himself through his father’s eyes and cringed. He realized he deserved the scorn, but for reasons Clifford wouldn’t acknowledge.
Bill regretted all this lost time. How could he make things right now? He considered praying and cringed again. Was it a miracle, he wondered, when embarrassed he bent his knees, cringed and finally understood?
Linked to Carrot Ranch November 5 Flash Fiction Challenge where Charli Mills offers the theme of “lost time” for these stories of 99 words.
Poetry, Short Prose and Walking 
Oh, don’t we all wish for do-overs sometimes. You have expressed the pain and pointed the way to peace and acceptance. Thus, perhaps to Clifford’s benefit.
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Hopefully Clifford benefits as well. Thank you, Oneta!
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This beautifully woven fiction is laced with painstaking truth. So glad you ended it on his knees.
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On one’s knees is a good place to be. Thank you, Mary!
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Such poignancy in this flash, Frank. Time renews when we go to our knees,
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Thank you, Charli!
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The wisdom time brings us. This is just so true to life. How many people live to regret things they did or didn’t do? Said or didn’t say? Loved or didn’t love? Some regret more than others.
Nice one!
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Thank you, Gloria! We all have such regrets. May we handle them well.
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I think what makes this a powerful story is how difficult it was for him to bend, but he did. And understood at last. (Just noticed the compound word- under/stood) Hmm.
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He didn’t want to bend, but he suddenly felt the need to. When he did he experienced a rush of understanding probably regretting he hadn’t done this long ago. Thank you!
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It’s a good thing he was willing and able to be humbled
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We all should be. As I imagined it, it wasn’t what Clifford said to him so much as his memory of what he said long ago to his own father. Thank you, Larry!
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