3f#15 – the letter
R old boy,
I simply cannot convey in words (written or oral) the dyed-in-the-wool beastliness of Firestone in complaining to Pater about last term. He’s the most caddish of Housemasters, and I’ve every intention of making his life hell come Michaelmas. Pater has been to Timbuktu and back over it, declaring me a perverse aberration in the annals of the Howells clan, and plenty more besides. The upshot is he’s gone and engaged my old tutor (you may remember me telling you about Singer-the-stinger?) for the whole of the beastly hols. It’s enough to make one contemplate suicide, if there wasn’t yachting with you and your uncle to look forward to at month’s end.
Singer’s been riding hard as ever, only worse. There’s more than one splinter in the affected area and no-one to lend a palliative hand, with Clara in France and you nowhere near. Days invariably begin over the birching block, as Singer’s a great believer in clearing accounts before work begins. Gives rise to rather a Sisyphus effect, I can tell you, which leaves one mystified re. why to try at all, as the following day will only begin in tears (metaphorically speaking, of course!). I confess to having lost heart once, sitting one day with my proverbial boulder at the foot of the hill and refusing to push, but Singer lived up to his sobriquet and, drawing blood before tea, reinstated my zeal.
Speak of the devil, must dash. Vile Virgil, then birch.
Yours, F
What is Flash Fiction Friday?
Read other folks writing this week:
August 8th, 2009 at 10:44 pm
Casey, I never asked – are you a Brit, or have you created this from whole cloth ( I think your late husband was). I love the way you create an atmosphere . Now I think back I remember the Pater thing (and several others) from someone I knew in high schoool. There’s was a very British household, relocated to Chicago. You recreate that somehow. I hadn’t thought of that until just now.
Poor bugger had a rough summer, didn’t he…
August 9th, 2009 at 1:36 pm
I love reading letters. Especially ones written like this one.
August 10th, 2009 at 8:05 am
Great piece! Loved the tone.
So, is there a theme today for “Microfantasy Monday”?
August 10th, 2009 at 10:54 am
Nice story/letter. Are you British? I ask because while I’m not, I read and collect a lot of vintage erotica from the Victorian Era, and the tone of the piece screams that to me. If not you’re damn good! Great piece!