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101 Word Short Stories

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Saying Goodbye to Barry

May 26, 2026 6 Comments

By Ralph Goldswain

The music from the apartment above is distracting, and in fact, something of a blight on our lives. There are occasional raised voices, after which she drops in, looking for a shoulder to cry on. We offer a cup of tea and some standard words of comfort. Her visits end with: “He’s a bully, but I do love him.”

One day she burst in, sobbing. “He’s left me!” Out came the teacups, and now we felt genuinely sorry, upset on her behalf. “Oh,” she said, “he’s taken all the CDs. And my whole Barry Manilow collection.”

Suddenly, we had mixed feelings.

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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Jacqueline says

    May 27, 2026 at 12:36 pm

    So very clever!! Her loss is their gain! I love it.

    Reply
    • Ralph Goldswain says

      May 30, 2026 at 5:22 am

      Thank you

      Reply
  2. JRRoth says

    May 27, 2026 at 1:10 pm

    Nicely done!

    Reply
    • Ralph Goldswain says

      May 30, 2026 at 5:23 am

      Thank you

      Reply
  3. Ramona Taylor says

    May 27, 2026 at 2:14 pm

    Relatable and amusing

    Reply
    • Ralph Goldswain says

      May 30, 2026 at 5:23 am

      Thank you

      Reply

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