A crazy weekend and two fractured fairy tales

This past weekend definitely tops the list as one of my most OCD workaholic ones ever.

On a personal front, Michael wrote his entrance examination for high school today. It required some preparation by me as I had to write a CV for him and prepare copies of his reports and therapy outcomes because he is currently in a remedial school. The exam was three hours and he is now exhausted but he seems confident that it went okay and he finished both the maths and the English parts.

My aunt who had a hip replacement recently is doing much better but she is still with us for another week. It was lovely to be able to pop down to my parent’s cottage and have a chat to her on Saturday and Sunday.

Michael had a friend over on Saturday and I spent some time chatting to the friend’s mother. It is always lovely to make a new friend and if your children are also friends, it is an added bonus.

I baked an apple cake for tea this coming Sunday and put it in the freezer with the red velvet cake I baked last weekend. I am making a special cake for the family tea this coming Sunday, 10 February.

My Dad took both boys out for a boys morning doing boys things like shooting airguns. That left me and my mom to do our thing and that is how I ended up editing and re-writing my new story on the Anglo Boer War for six hours. My mother is a slave driver and gave me all her edits and suggestions and then waited patiently while I did additional research and re-writes so that she could give me more edits and suggestions. I am really lucky to have her to help me.

Greg had to write a modern fractured fairy tale. I am sharing it as I thought his idea was rather inspirational. It is based on Goldilocks and the three bears:

“Goldilocks was born in Syria. She was forced to leave Syria because of a civil war. She and her family left Syria on foot and walked for kilometres across Egypt and the desert to reach Libya.

In Libya, Goldilocks was in a refugee camp in Tripoli. Eventually her family found a ship captain willing to take them to Europe. Her family and two hundred other refugees were piled onto a small boat and they set of. The trip was difficult and the sea was rough which made Goldilocks seasick. She was glad that she was only seasick as many other passengers fell off the boat and drowned. After countless hours on the sea, land was finally in sight. She didn’t know what country she had landed in at first until the captain told her. It was Italy

In Italy, Goldilocks and her family had to sleep on the street. There was no money for the citizens let alone refugees who were seeking asylum. Italy was a beautiful place but for Goldilocks it was confusing and difficult to cope. She had no money and could barely feed herself by going through the dustbins and stealing a loaf of bread every few days. Her family were stuck at the border between France and Italy for many long, difficult weeks, until they were finally allowed into France.

In France, they were placed in yet another refugee camp. They were given a blanket, a pillow and some food each day. Each day went by fairly happily until one day everything changed. Goldilocks didn’t know what happened but suddenly everybody was hostile towards her. The police were suspicious of her and life became unbearable. Her family feared for themselves and quickly fled to the German border.

They were allowed into Germany quite easily and were placed in another refugee camp. They were given food, water and a blanket and pillow. Germany was beautiful and the people were kind and accepting. Her life was quite peaceful and quiet. She was finally happy and everything was just right.”

Did you get that the three bears where the three countries – pretty clever I thought.

In order to inspire him, I re-wrote the 99-word fractured fairy tale I wrote and then last last year for Charli Mills’ Carrot Ranch Flash Fiction Rodeo. It is based on The Little Match Girl but has a happier ending:

The last minute shoppers hurried past the girl. The biting wind and thick snow inspired speed. Their minds were filled with thoughts of warming soups and crusty bread lathered with butter making her invisible to them.

Her thin hands shock as she tried to coax a flame from her old lighter. The fluid was nearly finished. Hunger gnawed at her belly as she tried to hold her body up straight.

“Hello,” said the boy.

He held a parcel out towards her.

“I saw you sitting here and I asked my mom to buy me a blanket and some food.”

What did you do this weekend? Was it as crazy as mine?

Robbie

PS, I had a few requests for the chocolate fudge chocolate ball recipe. You can find it here: https://bakeandwrite.co.za/chocolate-fudge-balls/