Walton's Mountain
“It’s been fifty years. Why did we wait so long?,” says John Boy to himself.
To his right, Mary Ellen is softly snoring in the passenger seat.
His responsibilities as English Professor at Princeton, his commitment to caring for Mary Ellen after the accident; marrying his one true love, raising their children, and losing her to cancer has kept him far away.
He understands at a rational, logistical level, but his soul is starving for home.
The highway curves and he sees her, his family’s mountain: strip-mined, denuded of life. He punches it to 100 and makes a sharp turn.
[100 words]
Rochelle Wisoff-Fields is the host of Friday Fictioneers.
Tao-Talk 
Sad but realistic story ❤️💔💜
LikeLiked by 1 person
Maggie, yes it was. Thank you.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Seems you can never go back
LikeLiked by 1 person
Maybe he’ll be back there again but in heaven?
LikeLike
That definitely took a unexpected turn.
LikeLiked by 1 person
I’m sure it was for John Boy.
LikeLike
he’d know that nothing stays the same. he had moved on, and so had the place he called home. only memories remained, lingering for as long as they were remembered.
LikeLiked by 1 person
I’m sure he expected some changes, but not that extreme. Maybe he can get back to it in heaven…
LikeLiked by 1 person
Hi Lisa,
Did you take a break? I read your story after a while.
I liked this piece, there’s no feeling like HOME. :)
LikeLike
Surabhi I took the month of May off. Thanks for reading and your comment.
LikeLiked by 1 person
That’s great. I am taking a break too this summer. I will resume in September when kids go back to school and my favorite season fall arrives to inspire me. :)
LikeLiked by 1 person
Happy you are taking some time for yourself.
LikeLiked by 1 person
A lovely story Li. How are you doing my friend?
LikeLike
Oh dear. Your story ended more tragically than mine.
LikeLike
The irony is that the politicians who used “The Waltons” as their ideal of the American family are the same ones who allowed some corporate monolith to strip the mountain.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Irony of the worst kind :(
LikeLike
A sad tale Lisa – going back – you can’t recapture what was sometimes its best just to remember how things used to be ❤️
LikeLiked by 1 person
Ange, I think that was his best choice. Not sure what was going through his mind when he veered off of the highway :(
LikeLiked by 1 person
I love this little bit of fan fiction!
LikeLiked by 1 person
V, thank you. I was/am a huge fan of the show.
LikeLiked by 1 person
A touching tale indeed, Lisa, I could see their faces as I read it.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Keith, thank you very much <3
LikeLike
You know, I’ve never watched a single episode of the Waltons. Great writing, Lisa.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thanks, Nancy. I think of my grandparents when I think of that show. They lived in very different ways and times.
LikeLiked by 1 person
I hate when people make molehills out of mountains. Life scarcely turns out how we hope. Sometimes, it just takes that one thing to push us over the edge. In this case, literally. You captured that well in only 100 words.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Well said, Nobbin, thanks much. I hope they both survived and the MC got the help they needed.
LikeLike