This work of fiction was inspired by TRDC prompt “Sloth”.
Carla eased herself into her chair as the phone rang. It would just have to wait. She had been on her feet all afternoon, and she wasn’t getting up again for nobody, no how.
She waited for her laptop to boot, and went to facebook. Great. Another bible verse from her mother.
“Laziness brings on deep sleep, and the shiftless go hungry.” Proverbs 19:15
She clicked “like” even though she knew it was a dig. Just like in the grocery store when she had dropped a box of ice cream sandwiches and the jogging-bra wearing thirty-something had offered to put it back for her. Not to put it in the cart for her, but to put it back. So much for subtly telling a perfect stranger you think they’re fat and shouldn’t be buying ice cream.
Carla had been accused of being lazy all her life. When she quit her job to stay home with their kids. When she just let her kids play in their backyard tree fort all summer instead of signing them up for everything parks and rec had to offer.
When she’d barely shipped off her youngest to college, and lost her husband to a heart attack that same week.
The heart attack had been her fault. Too lazy to plan a decent meal. Too submissive to tell him he should eat better. Too much time at the computer, not enough time exercising.
Her children seemed to have inherited the sloth gene. Too busy to write a letter. Too embarrassed to visit the house. She stalked them on facebook and twitter.
Carla’s medication was in easy reach. The bottle was full. The bottle had not been opened in weeks.
It didn’t matter.
She didn’t matter.
The only one who ever thought she mattered had been gone a year, and he wasn’t coming back.
But she could join him.
Before you ask… yes I’m fine!
I do understand what depression is like, and that’s why I went this way with the prompt.
I think society today does judge some people lazy or slothful unjustly.
Shortlink for this post: http://wp.me/p1rMYd-24
Nice post! I like the sense of hopeless inevitability…you know like it in a literary way, NOT a yeah it sounds like a great attitude to have kind of way. I particularly liked the stalking on facebook…which I totally do to my oldest when he’s away at college!
Funny..I don’t know why I only had your other blog coming. Subscribed to this one now. Good set up and mood for the prompt. I did a different prompt today for a writing contest. Take a look.
I keep forgetting they’re two separate blogs. I tend to think of them as “sides” of the same blog!
i thought the facebook references were funny. they came from both sides of the coin. there’s a lot of sadness and emptiness seeping through the words as well.
Thanks Lori!
I questioned whether I really wanted to go “dark” for this post, but the idea of being unjustly accused of sloth just stuck with me.
Poor, sad Carla. You portrayed her slothfulness (is that a word?) well!
I think Carla was so tired of people calling her lazy, she finally decided to prove them right!
You really made Carla come alive there. I wanted to reach out to her. Tell her how much I understand and befriend her.
Thanks Amanda!