Slipper - PART 1

UNFINISHED!! Most organisations, operations and locations exist but the story is purely the author's. Operation Slipper. Where my father was last deployed...where he lost his very life...

Sachiko Mochiko

SLIPPER

September 10, 2018

 

My father died on the day I was born. Ma would always tattle me about him. There was not one single day that she would not talk about him. She would describe how she met him whilst dying the white sections of her hair, how he loved busking and how sweet he was since he sent instant pictures every second month through the mail. She would also tell me about the terrorist attacks in New York and Washington on September 2001 and the operation that my father was last deployed by the name of Operation Slipper.

 

“On the airport, I was nauseous about the deployment,” Ma nods her head from left-to-right and fiddles with her watch that loosely clutches her left wrist, glittering its rose-gold twinkle, “It was not until we kissed goodbye that I held back the words, that I knew, will not sway his determination to go.” Listening to her pack bags for tomorrow, I lay my most formal suit on the bed "pending for ironing. Suddenly, my mother chuckled, “Well, what could have friggin’ happened anyway?”

 

September 11, 2018

 

The subtle, fresh sweetness of the early air respire through my body. Morning. I head towards the kitchen, ignoring the painfully numbing tiles, I pick up the freshly ironed suit to visit the Springvale War Cemetery "where the remains of my father’s remains lay. Usually, at the death anniversary of my father, Ma would overload me with blather about my father. Sometimes to the point way beyond my comprehension. But today is utterly different. Ma’s head hung low, at heart, avoiding eye contact with me.

 

“Is this my lunch?”

 

“Hm…” Ma ploddingly nods, clutching her watch.

 

That’s it. Conversation over.

 

The journey "of an hour- was no different. The jazz music’s soft bass resonates throughout the blue hooptie, words are unspoken between us. It was not until Ma drove to Princes Highway my tongue reached its breaking point, “Stop giving me that damn silent treaty! What’s wrong?” “Watch. Your. Mouth.” Ma’s voice is monotone. Her stern pitch-black eyes ignore my choice to turmoil like a deep, dark, cold abyss. Her white roots blend into her newly dyed sections of hair. I notice her hair is down "another unusual figure. I start to feel uneasy. Swirls of thick anxiety wavered in my chest. We are…here.

Author's Note

Another quick story that I wrote...left you on a cliffhanger again. HAHAHHAHAHAHAHHA

Check mah punctuation and tenses...

Reviews

[Peter Rogerson]

Thanks for the FR. I detect a burgeoning talent here and will happily offer what advice an old timer like me can offer. But well written anyway. One teensy little critique. I mentioned my extreme old age. My eyes are as old as the rest of me and a larger font would help...

[Sachi Ruaya]

Thank you sir. (PS I edited the font size to be circa pt 18. Hope it helps. I will put that for future references and consider putting my other stories in a larger font so it is easier to read). Since you have been in this world much longer than I have, I would like to know if you have any experience in the topic of war. I am of very young age and do not know much ahah...for future ongoing parts, I would like you to share some of your knowledge as this series will be highly based on war. For instance, descriptive words in relation to dead bodies and the sound of gunfire. Obviously, it doesn't have to be long :) Just a small overview is fine!

[Sachi Ruaya]

hehe...please ignore the horrible grammar of that previous comment!

[Peter Rogerson]

I use 14 pt I write my material using the freely downloadable Libre Office and copy and paste it to writerscafe. Even though I have my laptop set at 14 I still have to select all and change to 14 on Writerscafe or opening speechmarks turn out too small. I can't work out why.

[Sachi Ruaya]

hmm..I'm not quite sure how to fix that since I do not use Libre Office. May I also know what type of laptop you are using? But I think, if you are using the latest version of Libre Office, it may be a bug from the latest upgrade. Try clearing out the Clipboard then try to copy and paste it.

It seems that you are not the only one. I searched it up on the internet and it seems there are many who have the same problem. Try going to ask.libreoffice.org or http://www.writerscafe.org/faq/

Or you can contact http://www.writerscafe.org/contact/

I'm sorry that I cannot help.

[Peter Rogerson]

It's easy enough to fix without resorting to wasting time poking through the vaults of the Internet. Just takes a second or two. Open Office is, I think, the same (or very nearly the same) as Libre Office.