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Previous Challenge Entry (Level 1 – Beginner)
Topic: Write CONTEMPORARY FICTION (10/30/14)
Birth Pangs

They stood at the entrance, wondering whether to take the plunge and enter. With a nervous glance inside, he whispered: ‘What if they say there are no tables available?’

‘Then we’ll go somewhere else: but I can see that there are empty tables.’ She looked resolute.

‘But they could say they are reserved for other people.’

‘Look, we’ve come this far,’ she said taking his hand, ‘let’s do it.’

‘Okay, you go first.’

With his hand firmly on her shoulder, partly to guide her and partly to give him courage to follow, they entered the restaurant.

A waiter approached with menus in his hand. ‘Table for two?’

‘Yes, it’s …… it’s just the two of us,’ he managed to get out.

‘Follow me, please.’

They made their way between the tables, painfully aware that every eye was following them. Some seated patrons nudged their table companions, and nodded in their direction. They were seated at a corner table.

‘My name is Rodney, I’ll be your waiter for the evening. Can I get you anything to drink?’

‘Would you like some wine?’ he asked her. ‘Perhaps something stronger.’

‘No, not stronger; not tonight. Can we study the menu first?’

‘Sure Ma’am, I’ll give you a few minutes.’ Rodney turned on his heel and headed towards another table.

‘We shouldn’t have come to such a smart place,’ she whispered, ‘not for our first time.’

‘But why not?’ He felt braver now that they were seated and the patrons at nearby tables seemed to have lost interest in them.

‘Because I’m not used to this, it’s not even a week now.’

‘Time doesn’t matter, let’s just relax and act normally. There’s got to be a first time for everything. What would you like to eat?’

‘I think I’ll have vegetarian, got to watch my figure.’

‘Your figure’s perfect, why do you think everyone was staring at us?’

‘Don’t be stupid, you know why.’

‘You mean it’s not because you’re so beautiful?’

‘Stop it now.’

Rodney returned and they placed their order.

‘I think I need to visit the ladies’ room.’

‘Do you want me to walk with you?’

‘Don’t be crazy, you can’t come with me.’

‘Will you be okay by yourself, what if somebody says something to you?’

‘Then I will say something back. They are not better than us anymore.’

She returned carrying a copy of the Johannesburg Sunday Times, just as Rodney was placing the meals on the table. ‘We must stop feeling inferior to other people. It doesn’t matter anymore that we are people of color. Black, white, yellow, green; its all the same now.’

‘Amen to that, Ma’am,’ said Rodney smiling, his teeth white against his brown countenance.

She unfolded the newspaper and began reading aloud from the front page:

‘As world leaders began arriving yesterday to celebrate the birth of democracy in South Africa, President-elect Nelson Mandela moved swiftly to show that South Africa’s new government will be both pragmatic and reconciliatory.
Speaking outside a Cape Town synagogue, Mandela said: "I stand firm in the belief that we are one country, one nation, whether we are coloreds, Indians, white or Africans – that is what we must promote in this country from now on.’
(Sunday Times, Sunday 8 May 1994)
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This article has been read 610 times
Member Comments
Member
Date
Larry Whittington
11/07/14
I couldn't tell until the end what the difficulty was as they were going into the building. Even the fact of talking about "tables" didn't help me. Also the title of the article was not help but a hindrance but it all cleared up at the end with the reading of the newspaper.

Well written conversation.
C D Swanson 
11/07/14
Great job with this. Well written.

God bless~
Toni Babcock 
11/08/14
This article started out with more questions than answers - but that is what I believe you intended, to keep the reader guessing! It worked as a great hook - kudos for a job well done!
Noel Mitaxa 
11/11/14
I also felt that we were faced with a heavy dose of indulgent paranoia, because you concealed what was prompting their concern until the every end.
Excellent writing.
Catrina Bradley
11/12/14
You really captured my attention, and I couldn't quit reading until I found out why this couple stood out from the crowd. My imagination was running wild, but it never brought me here. Great job drawing me into the scene, hooking me, then when I realized where I was you delivered the final punch. Excellent work!
C D Swanson 
11/13/14
Congrats!
God bless~
Shann Hall-LochmannVanBennekom 
11/14/14
Oh this is outstanding! You had me hanging on to every word. This story is relevant the world over, but I appreciate the setting too because I'll admit I can be naive about things outside of my own little world. It's important to remember lest we ever forget. Stories like this will educate and remind us. My only tiny bit of red ink is an ellipsis should only ever have just three dots (though the experts don't always agree about spacing, the most common would be this...and if it were at the end of the sentence and not a trail off, you'd add a period too making it look like four dots....) Your ending was brilliant. I kept expecting her to go into labor or something because of the title, yet when I finished I thought the title was brilliant as well. Congratulations on your beautiful ribbon and for placing 15th overall! Happy Dance!!