Photo Story: A Lonely Washing
“It’s a lonely washing that has no man’s shirt in it, Eileen, don’t you forget it.” That’s what my mother, quoting her mother, told me, and told me, and told me, as we moved from Tenafly to Teaneck to Trenton, and continued after I turned twelve and we went west, landing in four towns in eastern Pennsylvania, before finding a real home in Harrisburg. Harrisburg: high school, hickeys, and handsome Henry.
But now I am thirty and settled, loving and loved, in Brooklyn, across the bridge from Jersey. We do our laundry, Lorena and I, and laugh about that line.
Omg, what a fantastic ending to this tightly packed laundry load of a story. LOVED it, Tony!!!! Dripping with your wily humor.
I love this. I laugh about the last line, as well.
Love it .I’m Irish and thought you were too as that comment sounds like what an Irish woman might say.
My, I’ve just peeked (see what I did there, Paul Beckman?) at all of these kind comments. Thank you, all.
Love it.
A hundred-word beauty of a story. I just now phoned my Indie bookstore and ordered Crossing the Lines.
Thank you!!!!!!
Tony, Congrats, this gem flowed beautifully and believably.
Very nice.
Alas, there is no “bridge” that spans between Brooklyn, where I grew up, and New Jersey. The stately Verrazano spans The Narrows and empties into Staten Island, while 3 others go over the East River to Manhattan, the Gil Hodges (aka: Marine Parkway) spans Jamaica Bay to Rockaway (Queens), or the Koscuiszko over Newtown Creek (Queens).
But very nice piece, nonetheless. Just don’t ask Tony for driving directions around NYC. 🙂
As Chief Broom once said: “But it’s the truth even if it didn’t happen.” And agreed, do NOT ask me for NYC area assistance!
A wonderful little story. One of your best 100 words ones. I found myself reading it over and over and imagining the life of the character. Amazing snapshot.
Love this little gem! Special to me, too, because of towns I know in NJ and PA. Love the image, as well. Very nice.
Love the movement of this and the T words that thrum through it! Beauteous! Congratulations, Tony!
This is absolute perfection! I couldn’t love it more. Congratulations,Tony