Iain Kelly

GRANDPA’S LUCKY SHOES

The black leather gleamed.

It had taken a lot of scrubbing and polishing to restore them to this state. The nest of spiders in the toe of the right shoe was a nasty surprise.

They slipped onto the withered feet with ease.

‘Why the old shoes?’ the undertaker’s assistant asked.

‘Family request. Apparently they were his lucky shoes.’

‘Wonder what made them lucky?’

The undertaker shrugged. ‘British Army issue, First World War.’

‘Could’ve taken better care of them.’

‘Perhaps he couldn’t face what he managed to survive.’

Task completed the coffin was closed over ready for the funeral tomorrow.

old-shoes-cobwebs
Copyright Sarah Potter

Written as part of the Friday Fictioneers challenge hosted by Rochelle Wisoff-Fields (more details HERE). The idea is to write a short story of 100 words based on the photo prompt (above).

To read stories of 100 words based on this week’s prompt, visit HERE.

Iain Kelly

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121 responses to “GRANDPA’S LUCKY SHOES”

  1. neilmacdon Avatar
    neilmacdon

    A satisfying tale, Iain

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply
    1. Iain Kelly Avatar
      Iain Kelly

      Thanks Neil, glad you liked it.

      Like

      Reply
  2. Varad Avatar
    Varad

    A very gripping tale, Iain. The throwaway line of maybe he couldn’t face what he survived gives context to the whole tale. Well done.

    Liked by 3 people

    Reply
    1. Iain Kelly Avatar
      Iain Kelly

      Thank you, very kind.

      Like

      Reply
  3. Reena Saxena Avatar
    Reena Saxena

    And luck gave way, with the desertion of the shoes ….

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply
  4. Moon Avatar
    Moon

    I really liked the expression ‘withered feet’ .
    The heart of the story ‘Perhaps he couldn’t face what he managed to survive.’, was so poignant .
    Beautifully crafted.

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply
    1. Iain Kelly Avatar
      Iain Kelly

      Thanks Moon, much appreciated.

      Like

      Reply
  5. rochellewisoff Avatar
    rochellewisoff

    Dear Iain,

    You’ve layered a lot of story between the lines and into the shoes. I cringed at the spiders. Good one.

    Shalom,

    Rochelle

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply
    1. Iain Kelly Avatar
      Iain Kelly

      Thanks Rochelle.

      Like

      Reply
  6. Björn Rudberg (brudberg) Avatar
    Björn Rudberg (brudberg)

    How can you ever cope with the guilt of survival? Using the right images you painted the shellshock of being left on this side of Styx.

    Liked by 2 people

    Reply
    1. Iain Kelly Avatar
      Iain Kelly

      Thanks Bjorn, I imagined it was guilt and at the same time the horror of what he had seen in the trenches.

      Like

      Reply
  7. Caerlynn Nash Avatar
    Caerlynn Nash

    I can’t help but wonder if he took his “tale of luck” to the grave like so many others who wouldn’t talk about what happened.
    Nicely done, Iain.

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply
    1. Iain Kelly Avatar
      Iain Kelly

      Thanks Caerlynn – I imagine the same way, never able to talk about what he had seen or done to survive.

      Liked by 1 person

      Reply
  8. Keith's Ramblings Avatar
    Keith’s Ramblings

    Those shoes could tell some stories I’m sure. Nice one Iain.

    Click to read my FriFic!

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply
    1. Iain Kelly Avatar
      Iain Kelly

      Thanks Keith

      Like

      Reply
  9. James Avatar
    James

    Aren’t spiders considered lucky somewhere? I read that spiders are part of the Christmas decorations in Germany and some cultures believe it’s bad luck to kill the “house spider”.

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply
    1. Iain Kelly Avatar
      Iain Kelly

      That’s new to me – I can’t imagine they’re lucky for anyone 🙂

      Liked by 1 person

      Reply
      1. James Avatar
        James

        Actually, they eat a lot of the more pesky insects.

        Liked by 2 people

      2. Iain Kelly Avatar
        Iain Kelly

        Very true.

        Like

      3. Siobhan McNamara Avatar
        Siobhan McNamara

        Here in Ireland it is considered bad luck to kill a spider. There is also a spider (unfortunately I can’t remember which one!) that is supposed to be a sign of money coming your way.

        Liked by 1 person

      4. Iain Kelly Avatar
        Iain Kelly

        I might be quite unlucky in Ireland… 🙂

        Liked by 1 person

  10. Christine Goodnough Avatar
    Christine Goodnough

    You’ve put a lot of feelings into 100 words. I think Gradpa would have approved their choice.

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply
    1. Iain Kelly Avatar
      Iain Kelly

      Thanks Christine

      Like

      Reply
  11. scr4pl80 Avatar
    scr4pl80

    Lucky indeed. Nice story.

    Like

    Reply
  12. pennygadd51 Avatar
    pennygadd51

    I’m not surprised Grandpa held onto the shoes, after the good luck of surviving the first World War. My maternal granddad came through unharmed, and he would never speak about it. But his subsequent life was long and happy, so it was possible to recover from the trauma – thank goodness.
    You’ve written a very believable tale, Iain. I liked the economical use of dialogue.
    Best wishes
    Penny

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply
    1. Iain Kelly Avatar
      Iain Kelly

      Thank you Penny, glad you liked it and took what I intended from it.

      Liked by 1 person

      Reply
  13. Kelvin M. Knight's blog Avatar
    Kelvin M. Knight’s blog

    A touching story, Iain, complete and satisfying. Thanks for the post.

    Like

    Reply
  14. Lynn Love Avatar
    Lynn Love

    Funny what people choose to be buried in – my dad was buried in the scruffiest tee shirt and jogging bottoms at his request. This speaks of darker times, though, ones that can’t be forgotten but that grandad would rather not acknowledge. Nicely done

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply
    1. Iain Kelly Avatar
      Iain Kelly

      Thanks Lynn – it’s sounds like your Dad had a sense of humour and liked to be comfortable!

      Liked by 1 person

      Reply
      1. Lynn Love Avatar
        Lynn Love

        Haha! He certainly did, Iain 🙂

        Liked by 1 person

  15. lavmuses Avatar
    lavmuses

    You have built layers of story within 100 words. Nicely done!

    Like

    Reply
  16. Sandra Avatar
    Sandra

    The detached tone of the undertakers suits the theme of the story. Well done.

    Liked by 2 people

    Reply
    1. Iain Kelly Avatar
      Iain Kelly

      Thank you Sandra, glad that came across – for them it’s just another day at work.

      Like

      Reply
  17. Kalpana Solsi Avatar
    Kalpana Solsi

    He hung up his boots by wearing them on his final journey. The memories of war are buried with him. A very finely etched story.
    https://ideasolsi65.blogspot.in/2017/09/walk.html

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply
    1. Iain Kelly Avatar
      Iain Kelly

      Thank you so much.

      Like

      Reply
  18. Alicia Jamtaas Avatar
    Alicia Jamtaas

    Nicely done. Because we’ve been watching the Ken Burns series about Veit Nam this really hit home. Kudos.

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply
    1. Iain Kelly Avatar
      Iain Kelly

      Thanks Alicia – I’m looking forward to catching that series, heard good things about it.

      Liked by 1 person

      Reply
  19. joyroses13 Avatar
    joyroses13

    Good story! But I definitely couldn’t have been the one that cleaned out the spider nest from his shoe!! That is love in action! 🙂

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply
    1. Iain Kelly Avatar
      Iain Kelly

      Thanks Joy – me neither.

      Like

      Reply
  20. lingeringvisions by Dawn Avatar
    lingeringvisions by Dawn

    I love the uniqueness of this story. Bravo Lain!

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply
    1. Iain Kelly Avatar
      Iain Kelly

      Thank you Dawn, very kind.

      Liked by 1 person

      Reply
  21. Siobhan McNamara Avatar
    Siobhan McNamara

    An excellent story that told a far bigger tale of the reality for so many men of that generation

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply
    1. Iain Kelly Avatar
      Iain Kelly

      Thanks Siobhan

      Like

      Reply
  22. Alice Audrey Avatar
    Alice Audrey

    If he managed to survive all the way until now, then those shoes were very lucky indeed.

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply
    1. Iain Kelly Avatar
      Iain Kelly

      Thanks Alice

      Like

      Reply
  23. Chasing the Kill Avatar
    Chasing the Kill

    Well written. I enjoyed reading it!

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply
    1. Iain Kelly Avatar
      Iain Kelly

      Thank you

      Like

      Reply
  24. Tracey@MyBajaKitchen.com and TraceyDelaplainMD.com Avatar
    Tracey@MyBajaKitchen.com and TraceyDelaplainMD.com

    To be buried in your lucky shoes just seems ironic and somehow amusing. I guess everyone’s luck runs out eventually.
    Tracey

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply
    1. Iain Kelly Avatar
      Iain Kelly

      Thanks Tracey – I guess if you were wearing them when you actually died they might not be your lucky shoes anymore! 🙂

      Liked by 1 person

      Reply
  25. Life Lessons of a Dog Lover Avatar
    Life Lessons of a Dog Lover

    The line ‘Perhaps he couldn’t face what he managed to survive,’ coupled with the statement they were army issued shoes really brings the story together and offers the reader so much to think about. Nice take on the prompt.

    Liked by 2 people

    Reply
    1. Iain Kelly Avatar
      Iain Kelly

      Thanks Cindy, happy that you made the connection and the intention.

      Like

      Reply
  26. Mrs. Completely Avatar
    Mrs. Completely

    Wonderfully written Iain. Such a poignant story. :o)

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply
    1. Iain Kelly Avatar
      Iain Kelly

      Thank you, much appreciated.

      Like

      Reply
  27. neeltheauthor Avatar
    neeltheauthor

    Very realistic story told with a lot of minimalism. Well written Kelly.

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply
    1. Iain Kelly Avatar
      Iain Kelly

      Thanks Neel

      Like

      Reply
  28. granonine Avatar
    granonine

    You always manage to come up with an idea that no one else uses. Love this sweet story, honoring the man who wore the shoes in the Great War.

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply
    1. Iain Kelly Avatar
      Iain Kelly

      Very kind, thank you. Glad you liked it.

      Liked by 1 person

      Reply
  29. Miles Rost Avatar
    Miles Rost

    He was lucky. Or…was he? I know of the stories of those who survived WWI, and for many, it wasn’t pretty. Well done on evoking the past, sir.

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply
    1. Iain Kelly Avatar
      Iain Kelly

      Thanks Miles. A good point: ‘lucky’ in these situations is a very relative term.

      Like

      Reply
  30. Dale Avatar
    Dale

    Beautifully told, Iain. Have to agree with that wonderful line: ‘Perhaps he couldn’t face what he managed to survive.’ It tells so much.

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply
    1. Iain Kelly Avatar
      Iain Kelly

      Thank you Dale, much appreciated.

      Liked by 1 person

      Reply
  31. draliman Avatar
    draliman

    Great story, especially the line about not being able to face what he survived. I guess he’ll take that story to the grave with him.

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply
    1. Iain Kelly Avatar
      Iain Kelly

      Thank you. yes, like so many who never spoke about what they had been through.

      Liked by 1 person

      Reply
  32. FabricatingFiction Avatar
    FabricatingFiction

    A really layered story Iain. I liked it a lot.

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply
    1. Iain Kelly Avatar
      Iain Kelly

      Thank you Louise.

      Liked by 1 person

      Reply
  33. Vinay Leo R. Avatar
    Vinay Leo R.

    ‘Perhaps he couldn’t face what he managed to survive.’

    Each of us would own a trinket like that perhaps. That line hangs in memory nicely…

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply
    1. Iain Kelly Avatar
      Iain Kelly

      Thank you, it could certainly apply to many people and things, not just wartime.

      Like

      Reply
  34. hombrehompson Avatar
    hombrehompson

    Very powerful in so few words. Really good.

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply
    1. Iain Kelly Avatar
      Iain Kelly

      Much appreciated, thanks.

      Like

      Reply
  35. Fluid Phrase Avatar
    Fluid Phrase

    Like everybody here, I loved that line “Perhaps he couldn’t face what he managed to survive.’”. It’s great you have captured all our attention in that single line and told an entire story of war and loss. Very well written.

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply
    1. Iain Kelly Avatar
      Iain Kelly

      Thank you so much.

      Like

      Reply
  36. Jelli Avatar
    Jelli

    wonderful tribute. Most soldiers I know would prefer to ‘die with their boots on’ so it’s fitting to buried such. 🙂

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply
    1. Iain Kelly Avatar
      Iain Kelly

      Very true, I hadn’t thought of that saying when writing it, but it does fit. Thank you.

      Liked by 1 person

      Reply
  37. Rowena Avatar
    Rowena

    Iain, such a great take on the prompt and this has been reflected in the insights in the comments as well. Shoes can say so much about a person and I can’t even begin to imagine what those army boots would mean to your protagonist.
    As an aside, I went on a very long drive after dropping my daughter at camp this week. Obviously, my SLR doesn’t do selfies and so I photographed my red joggers with the flowering red tree in the background. The shoes added such a lot of depth. Created an unspoken journey.
    xx Rowena

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply
    1. Iain Kelly Avatar
      Iain Kelly

      Thanks Rowena. there’s bound to be a website somewhere dedicated to photos and stories told through shoes – you should try and track it down 🙂

      Liked by 1 person

      Reply
      1. Rowena Avatar
        Rowena

        I did follow one a few years back called Toe Mail where you photographed your toes in a photo and wrote a post. I loved that and it was doing really well but then suddenly stopped.

        Like

  38. The Mom Who Runs Avatar
    The Mom Who Runs

    Insightful last line. Touching story; nicely done!

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply
    1. Iain Kelly Avatar
      Iain Kelly

      Thank you

      Liked by 1 person

      Reply
  39. Liz Young Avatar
    Liz Young

    Many returning soldiers had buried memories.

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply
    1. Iain Kelly Avatar
      Iain Kelly

      Indeed they did. Thanks Liz

      Like

      Reply
  40. JS Brand Avatar
    JS Brand

    I’m too late to add anything,but this is a great story that it’s hard to believe could be told in so few words.

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply
    1. Iain Kelly Avatar
      Iain Kelly

      All comments appreciated, thank you.

      Like

      Reply
      1. JS Brand Avatar
        JS Brand

        You’re welcome Iain. I wish I could be as prolific a flash fictioneer as you. Your ability to produce quantity AND maintain quality is enviable.

        Liked by 1 person

      2. Iain Kelly Avatar
        Iain Kelly

        Too kind, but thank you 🙂

        Like

  41. plaridel Avatar
    plaridel

    his comrades on the other side must be grinning from ear to ear when he sees his shiny shoes. 🙂

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply
    1. Iain Kelly Avatar
      Iain Kelly

      That’s a nice thought, thank you.

      Liked by 1 person

      Reply
  42. Rosemary Carlson Avatar
    Rosemary Carlson

    Interesting tale, Iain!

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply
    1. Iain Kelly Avatar
      Iain Kelly

      Thank you

      Like

      Reply
  43. Laurie Bell Avatar
    Laurie Bell

    Wow great story. The layered emotion here is subtle but so strong

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply
    1. Iain Kelly Avatar
      Iain Kelly

      Thank you Laurie.

      Like

      Reply
  44. subroto Avatar
    subroto

    Very nice. Men of that generation weren’t told of terms like PTSD and had to just live life as it happened.

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply
    1. Iain Kelly Avatar
      Iain Kelly

      Thank you, very true, a lot of suffering in silence.

      Like

      Reply
  45. ellenbest24 Avatar
    ellenbest24

    A lot to be heard between the lines. Good job.

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply
    1. Iain Kelly Avatar
      Iain Kelly

      Thank you Ellen

      Like

      Reply
  46. Akshata Ram Avatar
    Akshata Ram

    Loved the way the tattered shoes convey grandpa’s story

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply
    1. Iain Kelly Avatar
      Iain Kelly

      Thanks Akshata

      Liked by 1 person

      Reply
  47. spicedmullings Avatar
    spicedmullings

    Very succinct in its telling, your story made me draw a sharp breath. A reality we may often know nothing about!

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply
    1. Iain Kelly Avatar
      Iain Kelly

      Thank you so much.

      Like

      Reply
  48. Sarah Potter Writes Avatar
    Sarah Potter Writes

    This story is very touching, in a strange way. After all the mayhem and horror of the trenches, and seeing hundreds and thousands of his fellow soldiers dying so tragically, I’m guessing that he would see his shoes as lucky.

    By some coincidence, yesterday we were discussing in our household what we’d like to wear in our coffins. My musician husband said he would like to wear his humorous organist’s t-shirt. I said I would like to wear my fluffy red dressing-gown. My son…well, he didn’t for a moment suggest wearing those shoes of his that are pictured in the photo prompt!

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply
    1. Iain Kelly Avatar
      Iain Kelly

      Haha, I guess they have no such important meaning for your son. Thank you – yes, he saw them as lucky shoes only because he managed to get out of the trenches alive and go on to live a full life.

      Liked by 1 person

      Reply
  49. Dahlia Avatar
    Dahlia

    Makes me want to know about Grandpa and his experiences – nicely done Iain 🙂

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply
    1. Iain Kelly Avatar
      Iain Kelly

      Thank you

      Liked by 1 person

      Reply
  50. Tina Sequeira Avatar
    Tina Sequeira

    Hi Iain! As always, I´m amazed at your narrative powers. You´ve conveyed so much in so little. And with lots of style too. Your writings are the perfect testimony that style can have a lot of substance. 🙂 Keep writing!

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply
    1. Iain Kelly Avatar
      Iain Kelly

      Thank you Tina, too kind 🙂

      Liked by 1 person

      Reply
      1. Tina Sequeira Avatar
        Tina Sequeira

        🙂

        Liked by 1 person

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