By Susan F. Reid
Eddie was an aging home remodeler who did small jobs in my house. He was skilled, but unreliable. He drank on the job.
The windows in his remodeled Victorian home, his advertisement for his talents, were often dark after sundown. He couldn’t pay the bill.
The last time I went to his house to ask why he failed to show, I glanced through the sliding glass doors. He was asleep with his teenage daughter (they were wrapped only in a patchwork quilt), his arm around her waist.
I never called again.
Last month, Eddie jumped from a bridge to his death.
Eddie had problems, alright. Disturbing and tragic.
Great story, Susan.
Thanks, Brian.
Presenting these two tragic facts about this person didn’t work for me in a story of this length. There needed to be more than shock to make a successful story.
Shoshauna,
Thanks for the critique. I may rewrite it and include more details.
I need more details or I can only assume that Eddie was suffering from depression. Sad yes, however, hard for me to understand his situation. Of course it is only 101 words ?
Eddie had a lot of problems very surprising turns. Good Story but tragic .