About Me

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Worcester, Worcestershire, United Kingdom
Born in the year of the Coronation, I'm a Baby Boomer. In April of this year I decided I too would have a Diamond Jubilee celebration and completely change my life and that of my Husband's in the process

Monday 27 November 2006

The Weighing Machine

Raven has started a new Blog where she hopes people will leave a link to short stories they have written and posted in their Blogs.

http://journals.aol.com/mastersofthepen/ShortStories/

I'm not in the habit of writing fiction but about a year ago this story popped into my head, I think it was while I was falling asleep one night. I felt that one day I would write it down.

I rather like the idea of inanimate things around us, silently, observing our lives.

 

Kate has also written a story,

http://journals.aol.co.uk/bobandkate/AnAnalysisofLife/  

which is excellent and I know I don't come anywhere near her standard but for my own satisfaction I felt I would submit my little bit of nonsense, as it keeps nagging me to write it down.

If there are any budding writers out there, why not have a go.

 

 

This story is the property of Linda George and must not be copied or used elsewhere without my permission.

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I’m an electronic weighing machine, standing in the quiet corner of an old Chemist shop. The shop is in a small country town on the Staffordshire Moorlands.

I live my life just a short distance away from the bustle of the prescription counter. I’m getting old now, I think I’m soon to be replaced by a newer model. Not that there’s very much new in this shop, so I might be alright for a while.

Over the years I’ve seen people come and go. Some are happy when I print out their weight, others get quite upset. I even received the odd kick and a cussing. But I know my regulars and look forward to their weekly visits.

There’s one girl I find very interesting, I think she would be considered pretty, with long, straight, shiny hair and dancing blue eyes. Her weight was in the average range but she would come in each week, sometimes with a friend and once I heard her say she needed to lose another 5 pounds before her wedding.

Compared with some of the women that stand on me, I don’t think she needed to lose any weight.

                             **********

I didn’t see her for a few weeks, maybe it was months. Then one day she came into the shop and bought a small package but she didn’t come over to see me.

A few weeks later she came back to be weighed and then she started coming again, every week.

After a while her weight was increasing but she didn’t seem unhappy, in fact she seemed quite pleased. Occasionally a young man would come with her and they would be holding hands and smiling, sometimes he would kiss her, ever so gently and look at her in such a special way, as if there was no one else in the shop, just him and her. The world could have carried on without them, they only had eyes for each other.

Well, I have to tell you that after a while she was starting to look excessively fat and then the strangest thing happened. She didn’t come in for a few weeks but the next time I saw her, she must have been on the most amazing diet because she had lost all that weight! She now had someone else with her and she pushed it around in a small chair on wheels. It was like a tiny version of her, with thick dark hair and bright blue eyes.

                             **********

She didn’t come to see me for quite a time but sometimes she would come in to the shop with the tiny person and recently the tiny person has been walking. They would go to the prescription counter.

I think she’s getting too thin but she won’t come to see me now and I need to tell her she’s getting too thin. She doesn’t look well at all and I don’t know why she’s done it but she’s had all her shiny straight hair cut off and wears a knitted hat. Her eyes look hollow and haunted, I don’t see her very often at all now.

                              ************

The tiny person has been in the shop a few times, she’s getting bigger, she comes in with that young man and he holds her hand and he looks very sad.

The tiny person calls him Daddy.

                              **********

Life isn’t the same without my young lady coming into the shop. I’m bored, no one seems to want a shop weighing machine any more, what’s the point in me being here if I’m not used.

The door’s opening again, I don’t suppose it’s anyone that wants weighing.

…….It’s her! She’s back again and she looks so much better and she’s stopped wearing that hat. Who would have thought it, her hair’s all curly now. Daddy and the tiny person are following her and the old Mr Hadley behind the counter is saying how pleased he is to see her back and how is she feeling?

I wonder where she’s been?

                              **********

10 comments:

Anonymous said...

have a good week

Deb

Anonymous said...

Nice story Linda, and a happy ending.   Dawn

Anonymous said...

A great story Linda! I really enjoyed it. Well done! And thank you for complimenting my efforts.
Kate.
http://journals.aol.co.uk/bobandkate/AnAnalysisofLife/

Anonymous said...

A story behind,a story ,very good ..love Jan xx

Anonymous said...

Lovely story I enjoued reading it and loved the ending ~ Ally

Anonymous said...

Hi Linda, I have just finished reading your story and I have tears in my eyes. Maybe because I know a very thin lady who always wears a hat or a scarf on her head. Hope she will have a happy end like in your story. Well done!
Ciao
Antonella

Anonymous said...

I enjoyed that Linda, keep on writing.  Hugs.  Terry xx

Anonymous said...

That was lovely and thanks for the Birthday wishes
Andy
http://journals.aol.co.uk/andrewfrnd/life

Anonymous said...

Lovely story, i started to get quite sad around the middle as i know a lot of people in that situation but it had a happy ending.
Jenny <><
http://journals.aol.co.uk/jennyp51/stop-the-clock-times-moving-too-/

Anonymous said...

What a lovely story!

be well,
Dawn