This photo hangs in the town museum as a reminder of past enterprise in our town.
What it doesn’t show is the hellhole the place was.
We worked as slaves, heads down; no toilet breaks save for lunch and set tea breaks.
Our bosses were tyrants; they exacted their pound of flesh with no compunction. We had unreasonable quotas to meet, which often left us working late for no extra pay. Fall behind and it was often public humiliation in front of the workforce.
Step closer and you’ll see the smears from every past workers spit, so happily deposited.
Written for: http://rochellewisofffields.wordpress.com/2014/01/29/31-january-2014/
Dear Michael,
You’ve told an impacting story in few words. Vivid and full of emotion.
Shalom,
Rochelle
Thank you so much Rochelle.
You were quick with your story! Very clever tale. I like that the photo hangs in a museum and the story behind the shiny shot.
I think it’s that I live in the future Gabriella and the FF prompt gets to me quick. Thanks so much for your comment.
I agree with Rochelle. Your voice in this story is strong and the venom is felt. I’ve been staring at this picture and nothing. Maybe some sleep might help.
We have been having an inquiry into sexual abuse by the clergy in this country and I was feeling a little angry about today’s revelations though I was careful not to go down that particular path. Thanks so much for your comment and you are up late Kim. Go get some sleep.
You have written with venom I so loved the last line. Lots of emotion.
Thanks Jenny, yes I had some venom to deposit, you might say.
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Thank you for the ping back, very flattering.
Enjoyed this; the attitude comes through very strongly. Funny we both mentioned ‘spitting’ in some way. 🙂
Thanks Sandra, maybe it’s that sort of prompt.
It’s an interesting picture. The workhouse is open to the fresh air (and the heat) but it also leaves no place to hide; no place of refuge. Good story, Michael, the venom is warranted.
Thank you Lyn I had some venom to get out tonight.
Glad you could get your venom out in this well-written story rather than elsewhere. 🙂 The catharsis of writing. I had a similar thought about what the picture brought to mind but came at it in a very different way.
janet
Thanks so much Janet, I shall read yours shortly.
I like the way you used the prompt. Clever.
Thanks so much, please call by again.
Love your vitriol being poured out like the Michael. This was one of my thoughts as well to the photo.
Thanks Bjorn, I had a lot of vitriol to express last night.
Bleak but all too familiar, great job 🙂
Thanks Helen, appreciate you reading my work.
I can feel your anger in your words.
Thank you Dawn, happy you could sense that.
Great stuff. You awoke my inner Trotskyist for a minute there, but I’ve put him to sleep with a glass of warm milk.
Well I am glad you have. Thanks for the comment and a Good one it was.
Michael, this is a truly complete story! So much emotion and history, added to the image of a museum with this photo. Wonderful job!
Thanks so much Dawn, lovely comment.
You are very welcome, sir. 😉
Michael,
I guess time doesn’t always leave behind a veneer of nostalgia over events. I like how you used the spots on the picture. I could see that as a ritual, spitting on the picture as you pass. This is the first story I’ve read this week and it’s a great start.
-David
Thanks so much David, glad my story was able to connect with you, thanks so much.
Great story. There’s often a darker side to many stories of achievement. It sounds like the former workers have neither forgiven nor forgotten, though!
Thank you for your comment some things are never forgotten nor forgiven.
Congratulations on painting such a bleak picture of the workplace, Michael. The last line comes as a welcome contrast and made me feel like cheering.
Thanks Karen, had me cheering as well.
Oh my – quite an eerie & sad feel to it.
It is true though – when you see some place that has had people who were mistreated, suffered, or killed – you do feel it. And – you did give me that feel with this write up for the prompt.
Thanks RoSy some of those places we’re hell to so many
Excellent story – especially the spit.
Thanks Liz happy you liked my spit, I’m sure those bosses hated it.
Your strong voice painted a very graphic picture for us all.
Thank you so much happy you enjoyed my piece please call again.
The bosses celebrate the fruits of “their” labour, won on the backs of the oppressed. Excellent commentary on a far-too-common situation.
I’m not writing this week, but I’d love it if you’d drop by my blog for a second anyway, I posted a big announcement today.
Thanks Helena I shall check out your blog.
Oh I just love it. What a unique way to look at the picture. That’s exactly what all those blotches look like!
Thanks Linda and good afternoon to you from dawning Australia.
You’re up early!!
Best time of day, to read, writes little go for a walk.
Oh definitely. Especially in the hot weather!
Yes very much so it’s going to be about 35c today which is hot. Right now at 6am it’s very pleasant.
Oh I bet. We’ve been having summer here in Norhtern California. Almost everyday for the past two weeks it’s been around 70. We are officially in a drought, but thankfully it did rain last night and cleaned out the air a little.
That is good when it rains like that, I know what you mean about cleaning the air, we have periods like that.
I’m glad I don’t read these stories before I post mine. Your strong, full of emotion story this week Michael, might have influenced my story. Really good one this week for you.
Thanks Jackie, glad you thought it was a good one foe me…lol…..must go read yours now.
Hmm I’m thinking saying ‘a good one for you’ did not come out as I wanted it to! LOL. I hope you know what I meant Michael, as I always enjoy what you write. I really must re-read what I say before I hit that comment button. I will go sit in the corner of shame now.
Hahah…you made me laugh……..thanks I know what you meant, couldn’t resist making that comment, I would never say anything untoward, you know that…..but I Do like to smile and laugh….
Whew! Had me going for just a minute. Naughty. I know you would not say anything untoward, but I might! haha! Glad you got a laugh out of it though.
That was beautiful…the tone very endearing. Glad I stopped by 🙂
Thanks for stopping by lovely of you to drop by again. Glad you enjoyed my tale.
I like your word picture…and I love museums. My favorite exhibits are black and white photos of people and landscapes like Ansel Adams and Dorothea Lange I can stare at them for hours. It’s the same for me when walking through a cemetery. I wonder about the people….. 🙂
Thanks Courtney, great comment I shall look up those artists. Old cemeteries are fascinating places. There is an old disused one just near me and someone I their wisdom not long ago recorded the names of the people in there as a lot of the headstones are made of sandstone and are very weathered now.
Wow Michael,this one is really powerful!It also brings home the fact that what we “see” is not necessarily the truth always-sigh!Excellent writing and that too the first entry-kudos my friend:-)
Thanks Atreyee that’s a lovely comment thank you so much.
A pleasure buddy! 🙂
Now that is a piece that can rile…and it should..there are STILL places like you’ve described and so many men, women and children still be humliated, if not worse, for the power, wealth and enterprise of someone else, who will barely have enough to get by on and darn will feel almost lucky because at least they have that! Good write.
Thanks so much Georgia I do like to read your comments. Thank you again.
The bitterness is expressed well in your vocabulary, Michael. I love your punchy ‘compunction’ which reads as ‘compunchton’! Great stuff. I worked in a couple of places you describe. One was a clothing factory. I used to call it the ‘dark, satanic mill with striplights!’ There are terrible things going on in the UK regarding child abuse at present. TV celebrities are on trial. I’ve been upset at what seems an increase on horrific crimes on children by their mothers too. Is it getting worse, or is it that it’s less easy to hide such behaviour these days? I hope it’s the latter. Have a joyous weekend.
Hello Ann, thanks for that comment and sorry if it raised some memories you’d rather forget.
Child abuse is all over the world we are currently having an inquiry into child sex abuse with religious institutions, the findings are horrific.
After all that you have a good weekend too.
🙂
Well done! Very vivid, very emotional in so few words. Good stuff!
Thank you so much for reading and your generous comment. Please call again.
I like the way you interpreted the prompt with such a sad story. Nice rebellion at the end.
Thank you and I’m glad my story was good news for you. Thank you for reading, please call again..
Revenge, even so mild, is always sweet. Too much whit-washing of history in this world!
Thank you Patrick, you are so right. Thanks again.
Wow this is so full of strong emotion. I could practically feel the resentment and the hatred that must have welled up for all those years in all those poor workers… good job!
Thank you so much I am pleased you could see the resentment in the workers.
Hard to believe those conditions actually existed, and in some areas, still do exist, and are/were accepted. Strong story.
Thanks vb that they still exist is a sad thing in modern society.
this was a great short story, Michael. i love the spitting part but really, seriously, i love the subject you chose. it really fits the photograph.
Thanks so much, seemed a way to make a point about exploitation. Have a good day/night.
Love the last line – it just goes to show that oppression is never without consequence.
Thanks Freya, yes you are right, oppression has consequences.
Nice story Michael! Glad to see the underdogs get their own back, even if it is just a daily spitting ritual. You and Karen Whitelaw have inspired me to give this a go on Friday… looking forward to seeing what the photograph is!
Great Jessie I’ll look out for your effort. The interesting thing is FF comes out on Wednesday.
Well that is interesting! Thanks for the heads up.
Weird I know but that’s what happens.