Bring me Sunshine in a cup…
…and I’ll give you my love upon a plate.
‘What did you say?’
‘Just something I learnt at school.’
‘Pass me the sauce then.’
‘I’ve cooked you a perfect medium rare steak and you’re going smother it in tomato sauce?’
‘Yeah,’ he said, as the sauce squelched out of the squeezy bottle.
‘I’ve made a ricotta cheesecake for dessert. Are you going to pour chocolate sauce over that too?’
He looked across at me, surprised by the edge in my voice. The irritated flick of pepper across lightly buttered asparagus.
‘What’s up with you then?’
Everything. The three bedroom brick veneer, the people mover in the garage. The four matching cushions lined up neatly along the brown leather couch. The trampoline in the backyard. The annual holiday to Bali. The 42 inch plasma screen glowing and bellowing in the corner. All day. Every day.
‘Nothing.’
I wrote this in my kitchen whilst the little one was watching Charlie Bear, hence the very domestic scene. Not my domestic scene, but it is always fascinating where these five minute prompts take you.
Thanks to Gill at inkpaperpen.blogspot.com for this week’s prompt.
I visited Creative Writing Prompts to find this week’s exercise, the site that gave us our Winking Clock exercise. I picked exercise number 103 this time and that brings us…..sunshine in a cup.
The Write On Wednesday Rules: Get creative with the writing exercises – there isn’t a right or wrong. Please do try to visit the other members of Write On Wednesdays and leave a comment of support and constructive criticism.
Write On Wednesdays Exercise 19 – Sunshine in a cup. Write the words of Emily Dickinson: “Bring me sunshine in a cup” at the top of your page. Set a timer for 5 minutes. Write the first words that come into your head after the prompt. Don’t take you pen off the page (or fingers off the keyboard). Stop only when the buzzer rings! Do this exercise over and over if you wish. Write beyond 5 minutes if you like, you can link it up as an extra post.
A Sampler 
I like the tension and I like the frustrations at the repetitive nature of her family life. Maybe she once dreamed of this life but now the reality is eating her up slowly yet she feels guilty about that. Good take on the prompt!!
I loved this. Looks to me like a story that should keep going. Beautiful beginning and details.
Michelle
Lovely.
–Feisty Cat
Way to use Emily Dickinson! 🙂
I fell in love with the paragraph where you describe what’s wrong — and the following line, so false and full of meaning that it’s scary: “Nothing.”. I’ve always hated it when people I care about tell me that nothing is wrong when I can clearly see that something is. Perhaps this is why that part of your piece got to me. That, and it’s excellently written.
I’m glad it’s not your domestic scene.
/ Rain
I greatly enjoyed reading this. Great job!
Well put together – you communicate the boredom and irritability of the character. Interesting that for you, the prompt took you away from the sunshine and to somewhere else – I like that you used it as a springboard to “I’ll give you love upon a plate”
Oh, reading this was like opening a bar of chocolate; the anticipation followed by delighted confirmation of expectation!
As soon as you juxtaposed Emily Dickinson’s words with squelching tomato sauce the scene was set and you didn’t disappoint! Does she run away? I want to know! Delightful!
Ah yes, the domestic scene – somedays lots of sunshine – some days just vitriol!
Loved your take on the prompt. Well done!!!
Great piece, I was sorry when it ended & wanted to read more.
“The irritated flick of pepper across lightly buttered asparagus.” What a delicious line! An interesting way to describe what is wrong. I can see this as a scene in a story. Perhaps in Carol’s story? Your piece was dripping with irritation, you have a fabulous knack for the whole “showing not telling”. I’ve read your piece over and over and I can’t fault it! REally liked it.
Really nice job on this. I’m with the others that wanted more. 😀 My brother used to put ketchup on all of his meat, and it would drive my grandmother crazy when she cooked a nice dinner and he did that.
Ah, the loaded ‘nothing’.
Your characters always have such great nuances to accompany the sharp dialogue. Loved it, Jennifer.