(100-word flash fiction)
Grandma turned blind the day Grandpa died. It was a big mystery considering her vision used to be quite good.
She had been alone with him that day.
When we got there, Grandpa was gone and she was sitting beside him, her face bathed in beatific light, her vision completely gone. As though she had been given sight just to watch him live.
On her death-bed, she told us the secret.
“As Grandpa lay dying, he began to burst with the light of a thousand suns. He turned into an angel. From then on, that’s all I needed to see.”
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Had a shot at magic realism. Marquez happens to be one of my favourite authors. Thanks Rochelle for your wonderful captaincy of the Friday Fictioneers ship ♥
***
Photo prompt –
PHOTO PROMPT © J Hardy Carroll
Just Joyfulness 
Grandpa went thermonuclear.
Or turned into pure spirit 🙂 Depends on your perspective 😀
Dear Joy,
This story exuded light…of the right kind. Well done.
Shalom,
Rochelle
Thanks Rochelle 🙂
Sweet story, JJ.
Reminds me of the old song ‘I would rather go blind’
Thanks CE. That’s an interesting song. Not self-prophesying, I hope.
Wow, quite a deathbed revelation. I love what you saw in the image.
Thanks Iain. I guess love has such power.
Jolly, your story reminds me of something Olivia Harrison said about when her husband, George, died. Your story is mystical and beautiful.
Thanks Lisa. What did Olivia say?
She described George’s passing the same way. She talks about it in the Scorcese documentary on George Harrison, “Living in the Material World.”
This was just lovely. Great take on the prompt.
Thanks Sandra.
Grandma sounds happy, that’s all that matters.
True! That’s a great observation, Liz 🙂
You’ve given us a beautiful story, Jolly. Thank you!
Thanks Penny. Glad you liked it 🙂
Simply beautiful Joy and a wonderful take on the picture.
Thanks a lot, Keith.
“The light of a thousand suns” – nice metaphor for profound joy!
Very true that! Reuniting with the maker would, I imagine, a joyous experience.
WOW! I love where you took this. Perhaps my favorite this week.
Thanks heaps for the loveliest compliment Alicia ♥
she was blinded by the light. somehow, she didn’t care anymore.
Yes, you got that right. Coz she was in bliss 🙂
I think this is lovely. Instead of a metaphor, you told it “real.” I believe it and think it is a successful piece after the manner of Garcia Marquez, indeed.
Oh! That means a lot to me Paula. His kind of writing is something I aspire towards.
Love the positive spin with this story! Well done!
Thanks a lot, Sue 🙂
Well done. I enjoyed reading this.
Thanks mucho, Bill.
Well that is a lovely story, her life complete, satisfied he’s gone to another better place maybe, great stuff
Thanks a lot 🙂
I’ve heard of being burned into one’s memory, but Grandpa took that a little too far.
What are your favorite Márquez books? I’ve read “Love In The Time Of Cholera,” and have “One Hundred Years of Solitude” in my queue.
Depends on how you look at it. Grandma seemed quite happy afterwards 🙂
Love in the Time ….. is, for me, the ultimate love story. One Hundred Years is a tour de force. A must-read. Maybe I’ll read it again. I have also read some of his short stories.
Grandma’s not looking at anything anymore. 🤣
You sound like a reviewer. I thought Love In The Time Of Cholera was sad. I guess it was a happy ending, but they lost so much time. You’ve convinced me to bump up One Hundred Hears in my queue.
I am the opposite of a reviewer. I look at art as to how it has transformed me. It’s very subjective. Love that stands the test of time is true love. What has time got to do with love? One Hundred Years was quite transformational for me.
I really like magical realism, so I enjoyed this.
Thank you. It is a fascinating genre, isn’t it?
Magic. Lovely imagining.
Thanks Trish 🙂
So lovely to embrace this story of love and passion.
Thanks a lot 🙂
It’s wonderful that the last thing she saw was so precious 🙂
Yes, isn’t it? Very precious!
Nice story.
Thanks Danny.
Bitter sweet story. Bitter because who wants to be blind, but sweet is the reasoning behind the blindness. No fear of death is a blessing.
Thanks Tannille. Being blind to the world can sometimes be a blessing 🙂
Sweet story 🙂
I adore Marquez too. This was a great story, lovely writing.
Invoking the spirit of one of my favourite writers. Nicely done.
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She was touched by the light of her Angel!
Beautiful story. Thanks for sharing it.
Thanks Geri 🙂