Estate Sale.

The drawer was pulled open. The utensils slammed against the back from force. The plastic tray holding them scraped the bottom, the same rattle-scrape for twenty-five years.

These knives were once weapons used against us both.
I’ll be glad when they’re gone.

 

To find out what the gargleblaster is, click the badge above. You can read the other entries into the challenge and vote for your favorites on Tuesday.

Edited to add: Hey look! I came in 7th and earned myself a top row seven badge. Yay me!

40 thoughts on “Estate Sale.

  1. Sam Merel

    I remember the post you wrote about those knives last year; it stuck with me for a long, long time. Here’s hoping they’re gone soon.

  2. Kir Piccini

    I liked the visual of the utensils sliding back by force, I could hear that sound in my head.

    We will all be better when the knives are put away. Nice write.

    1. michellelongo Post author

      Thanks, Kir! I can still hear the sound of that drawer in my head, even though I haven’t actually heard it in over a decade.

  3. Jennifer G. Knoblock

    The “slam” and “rattle-scrape,” wonderful sounds. I love how the title is so integral to the meaning of the piece.

    1. michellelongo Post author

      I could really use a lot more than 42 words to tell the whole story, but I thought this was a nice chunk of it.

  4. C.C.

    “The same rattle-scrape for twenty-five years” is the part that really gets me…not only can I hear that sound, but can hear that rattle-scrape endlessly scraping over and over again throughout the years. Vividly.

    1. michellelongo Post author

      I think sounds from our childhoods are like that – such a huge part of our lives.

  5. KymmInBarcelona

    Great use of the ‘homey’ kitcheny sound of cutlery drawers in contrast to the threat of violence. *shivers*

  6. Meg

    Your talent for scene setting is so evident here. I could picture/hear this vividly, and the emotion behind it all.

  7. searchingforsubstance

    i really like how you described the sounds vividly hear. the rattle-scrape. the slam. it answers the prompt so well.

    additionally, i especially like how you linked it to your old post. even though it was a tough, sad read, so it must have been even harder to write and share about. thanks for sharing about your experience, despite how painful it must have been.

    it will be good to let those knives go.

    1. michellelongo Post author

      Thanks for such a thoughtful comment and for taking the time to go back to the old post. I was working on a longer essay about the estate sale at my childhood home and during a break from writing it I read the prompt for this week. It was just one of those crazy coincidences.

  8. Pingback: yeah write #166 weekly writing challenge: gargleblaster winners | yeah writeyeah write

  9. Pingback: yeah write #167 weekly writing challenge kickoff: summer series registration details, challenge winners round-up, gargleblaster prompt, badges | yeah writeyeah write

Comments are closed.