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Before we explore this entry of Fiction Hall, a quick note: this story prompt completely stumped me. So much so that I put the journal down for several years before picking it back up for another attempt. Eventually the idea came together, and this story was born.
Prompt: An Unexpected Union
Words to Include: brothers, potato, common, hands, boyfriend, alphabet, scribble, hydrangea, sandwich, tug-of-war
Jackson looked down at his hands. They were still dirty from tending the hydrangea bushes. Those bushes had gotten so unruly this year, and Jackson was thankful it was finally time for the fall trimming. He and Marvin had planted them years ago at their mother’s house.
Even though they were brothers, they didn’t have much in common beyond gardening. Marvin liked careful plans and predictability, even with his food. Jackson preferred experimenting: sometimes successfully, sometimes not.
Jackson washed up and called for Marvin to come downstairs. They had been working all day to prepare the house to go on the market since their mother had recently moved away. Their sister Olivia would be arriving soon to introduce them to her new boyfriend, Arnold.
As the three siblings and Arnold talked, they eventually discovered something they all enjoyed: food! They loved trying new dishes and unusual flavor combinations, and of course, eating. They checked out the kitchen to see what was still needing to be used. Jackson saw a note in the back of the pantry and recognized their mother’s familiar scribble. An idea came to him.
Surprisingly, Jackson was able to find all of the ingredients listed in his mom’s note for a wasabi potato sandwich. He also found some cheddar cheese and a can of alphabet soup, one of Marvin’s favorites.
When the food was ready, they all dug in. The flavor combination was like a culinary game of tug-of-war, but somehow the unexpected union of tastes turned out to be surprisingly delicious.
Maybe, Jackson thought, families were a lot like strange recipes or hydrangeas: full of unlikely combinations.
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