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101 Word Short Stories

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His Dream House

January 17, 2026 6 Comments

By Nancy Smith Harris

In 1964, he decided to place the house at lot’s edge, facing a busy dirt road, to reduce excavation costs and guarantee the windows would always need washing. The kitchen floor—pale beige, selected for its affordability—required regular scrubbing, on knees, early in the morning, while her family slept. A dishwasher was omitted; cabinetry, less expensive, was chosen.

One day, stooping to collect a penny trapped in a manhole cover, he was smacked by a cement mixer. The cause of death: a fatal attack of frugality. With the insurance money, she moved her family to The Breakers in Palm Beach.

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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Nan says

    January 18, 2026 at 10:53 am

    Ending made me smile this morning ?

    Reply
    • Nan says

      January 18, 2026 at 10:55 am

      Meant to be “?” not “?”

      Reply
  2. Stella says

    January 18, 2026 at 4:31 pm

    Loved this! Great 101 words

    Reply
  3. Anna says

    January 20, 2026 at 2:30 am

    Excellent comeuppance! Very satisfying.

    Reply
  4. Nina Miller says

    January 21, 2026 at 10:49 am

    The end caught me by surprise as I’m sure the cement mixer did for him. Satisfying end indeed!

    Reply
  5. Patti R. says

    January 21, 2026 at 11:40 am

    Great build up to a ‘just’ ending. I was feeling bad for his servant-wife.

    Reply

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