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101 Word Short Stories

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A Sofa Decision

January 31, 2024 5 Comments

By Huina Zheng

I looked at the hole in the grey sofa’s armrest, revealing a yellow sponge inside.

“Should I throw it away?” I muttered to myself.

It was a gift from my mother. Here, my family and I snuggled to watch TV.

I heard a voice, “It’ll only remind you of how bad things are.” I hesitated.

My mother, with Parkinson’s, didn’t recognize me. I divorced ten years ago, lost my job last year, had a hysterectomy this month, and my daughter had stopped speaking to me.

I sewed lace over the hole; it looked beautiful. Finally, I could cover what was broken.

.

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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Hamza says

    January 31, 2024 at 7:29 am

    Thanks for offering such a sensitive and uplifting resolution to the dilemma.

    Reply
  2. Geneviève Goggin says

    January 31, 2024 at 8:09 am

    I love the double meaning of the last sentence. Nice!

    Reply
  3. David says

    January 31, 2024 at 8:15 am

    I enjoyed the analogy. And felt the narrator’s pain.

    Reply
  4. Babbs says

    January 31, 2024 at 11:21 am

    Hello Huina,
    So lyrical. Like poetry written in free verse. Wonderful.

    Reply
  5. Valli says

    February 1, 2024 at 5:52 am

    Beautiful read… chapeau…

    Reply

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