IAIN KELLY

A MEMORABLE MOMENT

Archie stood contemplating the winter sun set.

‘What a lovely moment,’ Archie sighed.

‘If you say so,’ said Agnes, shivering and stamping her cold feet. ‘Can we go now?’

‘We could just cross the river here rather than walking all the way back to the bridge,’ Archie suggested. The water level was low.

Before Agnes could object, he jumped down from the bank.

There was a squelch as his feet and legs disappeared into the mud.

He clambered back onto the bank, sodden, and without his wellies.

‘Now that was memorable moment,’ Agnes said, as she started walking along the path.


rogers-sunset
Copyright Roger Bultot

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.

Read more from Agnes and Archie here: THE AGNES AND ARCHIE STORIES.

**Wellies elsewhere in the world sometimes known as rain boots or rubber boots**

115 responses to “A MEMORABLE MOMENT”

  1. A MEMORABLE MOMENT — Iain Kelly | O LADO ESCURO DA LUA Avatar

    […] via A MEMORABLE MOMENT — Iain Kelly […]

    Liked by 1 person

  2. neilmacdon Avatar

    The eternal confrontation between dreams and reality

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Iain Kelly Avatar

      Reality always gets in the way. Thanks Neil.

      Liked by 1 person

  3. Lynn Love Avatar

    Always wise to test the water before jumping in feet first! A sobering lesson when you lose your wellies too! Nice tale Iain

    Liked by 2 people

    1. Iain Kelly Avatar

      Thanks Lynn 🙂

      Liked by 1 person

      1. Lynn Love Avatar

        My pleasure 🙂

        Liked by 1 person

  4. Claire Fuller Avatar

    Hah! I don’t suppose that was what he intended!

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Iain Kelly Avatar

      It never quite works out for him. Thanks Claire.

      Liked by 1 person

  5. prior.. Avatar

    still kind of fun to have tried…. (towel anyone?)

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Iain Kelly Avatar

      Ha, exactly 🙂

      Liked by 1 person

  6. MrBinks Avatar
    MrBinks

    This sounds oh so familiar 🙂

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Iain Kelly Avatar

      That’s life! 🙂

      Liked by 2 people

      1. Fluid Phrase Avatar

        True! So true. A relatable, lovely tale.

        Liked by 1 person

  7. Varad Avatar

    With the amount of misadventures these two keep having, guess they should take a break on taking a break 😉

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Iain Kelly Avatar

      They always manage to get themselves into these silly situations.

      Like

  8. rochellewisoff Avatar

    Dear Iain,

    Agnes seems a bit of cynic with a dry sense of humor. I like her. 😉 Good one.

    Shalom,

    Rochelle

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Iain Kelly Avatar

      She is exactly that Rochelle 🙂

      Like

  9. Madison Ward Avatar

    Never jump in feet first! You should always test the water!

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Iain Kelly Avatar

      Lesson learned 🙂

      Liked by 1 person

    1. Iain Kelly Avatar

      Thanks Liz 🙂

      Like

  10. J Hardy Carroll Avatar

    Nice take on the prompt. Pretty sure you could save a word with “sunset” if you needed to 😉

    Liked by 2 people

    1. Iain Kelly Avatar

      Funny you should pick up on that, I debated ‘sun set’ or ‘sunset’. To me they represent 2 slightly different meanings. Fortunately I was 100 words exactly, so didn’t need to compromise!

      Like

      1. Christine Goodnough Avatar

        To have the verb clearly understood, you could say “Sun setting” in any case Archie will clearly understand the old idiom, “fools rush in.” 😁

        Liked by 1 person

      2. Iain Kelly Avatar

        Thanks Christine – you think Archie would learn and heed the idiom 🙂

        Liked by 1 person

  11. joyroses13 Avatar

    Poor Archie, but I did have to laugh! Good story!

    Liked by 2 people

    1. Iain Kelly Avatar

      Thank you Joy. Archie will look back and laugh about it too I’m sure!

      Liked by 1 person

  12. ceayr Avatar

    Funny, Iain!
    As the song says ‘If it wisnae fur yir wellies, where wid ye be’…

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Iain Kelly Avatar

      Thanks CE 🙂

      Like

  13. James Avatar

    Not one of Archie’s finer moments to be sure.

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Iain Kelly Avatar

      Just the latest in his catalogue of mishaps.

      Liked by 1 person

      1. Joy Pixley Avatar

        I was trying to remember some of the Archie stories and it seems to me that this is about on par for the course, no? And of course he didn’t listen to Agnes, because what fun would that have been? Her reaction was the best part, though!

        Liked by 1 person

      2. Iain Kelly Avatar

        There is a definite trend for Archie doing something a bit silly in these stories, part of his charm.

        Liked by 1 person

      3. Joy Pixley Avatar

        I get the feeling that the more Agnes nags him to stop it, the more silly he’ll get. 😉

        Liked by 1 person

  14. bbryanthomas Avatar
    bbryanthomas

    Wellies. I luv’m

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Iain Kelly Avatar

      Just coming into Wellie season too!

      Liked by 1 person

  15. Kelvin M. Knight's blog Avatar

    Agnes and Archie are quite a couple. I can almost hear Agnes’ patient smirk. Lightly told, Iain, and entertaining.

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Iain Kelly Avatar

      Thank you Kelvin, they certainly keep me entertained 🙂

      Liked by 1 person

  16. Clare Hempstead Avatar

    Very amusing. These are great characters!

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Iain Kelly Avatar

      Thank you Clare – I enjoy writing them and spending time with them 🙂

      Like

  17. michael1148humphris Avatar
    michael1148humphris

    I hope that they were not Hunters wellies.

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Iain Kelly Avatar

      If they were he may stay and try and retrieve them from the mud!

      Liked by 1 person

  18. scr4pl80 Avatar

    Great couple this Agnes and Archie. Love reading their adventures in life.

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Iain Kelly Avatar

      Thanks Janet, I enjoy writing about them 🙂

      Liked by 1 person

  19. Lavanya Avatar
    Lavanya

    The dream, the dream-catcher and reality. Nicely done Iain!

    Liked by 1 person

  20. Fandango Avatar

    Seemed like a good idea at the time.

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Iain Kelly Avatar

      They always do at first.

      Liked by 1 person

  21. magarisa Avatar

    Squelching is not lovely. 😉
    Funny one!

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Iain Kelly Avatar

      Thank you 🙂

      Liked by 1 person

  22. Alice Audrey Avatar

    Losing my shoes like that is so totally something I would do.

    Liked by 1 person

  23. Jelli Avatar
    Jelli

    My first response… “Fool, serves you right.” Then, I just cracked up laughing. 🙂 Love it. BTW, I think there’s still a pair of 1972 era correctional shoes, braces still attached floating somewhere beneath the Brent Spence Bridge over the Ohio river…if anyone finds them, please return to me…

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Iain Kelly Avatar

      Ha, there’s a story we’d like to hear! 🙂

      Liked by 1 person

  24. rgayer55 Avatar

    I hope you don’t mind a bit of critique. You could save a few words by omitting “Archie sighed.” It unneccessary as the words follow his actions. And one more word could be gained by changing ‘If you say so,’ said Agnes, shivering and stamping her cold feet – to – “If you say so.” Agnes shivered and stamped her cold feet. – Just a thought.

    Overall, I enjoyed the tale and found it quite humorous.

    Liked by 2 people

    1. Iain Kelly Avatar

      Thanks Russell, always like a bit of critique. I can see your point. My counter-argument would be a pet hate of stories of lots of dialogue that have no identifiers, which become confusing when it is not clear who is speaking any longer. Tends to happen in flash fiction as people try to save words. I think you’re right in this case though, it would still make sense without them. I’ve been over-cautious perhaps. Thanks for your thoughts.

      Liked by 1 person

      1. rgayer55 Avatar

        I have read stories where it wasn’t clear who was speaking. With only two characters, you generally don’t need to use as many identifiers. It gets real tricky when there are three or more people involved in the scene.
        A tool I use to clarify who is speaking is to include action with the speaker’s name.

        Liked by 1 person

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

    Ah this reminds me of many childhood experiences of having to go back and retrieve lost wellies. Nice piece.

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Iain Kelly Avatar

      They do have a tendency to fall off – usually at the worst time 🙂

      Liked by 1 person

  26. Irene Waters 19 Writer Memoirist Avatar

    LOL. I can see that happening. He should have waited for the objections then listened to them but that would have nowhere near as fun.

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Iain Kelly Avatar

      Thanks Irene – exactly, life would be dull if we didn’t act impulsively sometimes.

      Liked by 1 person

  27. Sascha Darlington Avatar

    I think he’s going to have a cold feet.
    (I have noticed that men do like to take some questionable shortcuts, would love to know why impulse wins out.)

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Iain Kelly Avatar

      Maybe the boyhood sense of adventure gets the better of us 🙂

      Liked by 1 person

      1. Sascha Darlington Avatar

        That’s probably it!

        Liked by 1 person

  28. neeltheauthor Avatar

    They are so different yet so inseparable. Nicely written, Kelly.

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Iain Kelly Avatar

      Thanks Neel, they certainly are inseparable.

      Like

  29. Alicia Jamtaas Avatar

    A bit of showing off? A bit of adventure? Dang losing those wellies. It’s going to be a long walk home. Good one!

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Iain Kelly Avatar

      Thanks Alicia – looking for adventure rather than showing off I think. He regrets it now anyway.

      Liked by 1 person

  30. Vinay Leo R. Avatar

    That was one unexpected reality check for him. 😉 Nicely done!

    Liked by 1 person

  31. justjoyfulness Avatar

    Maybe he should just give up and listen to Agnes. Like, always! 😀

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Iain Kelly Avatar

      He never does learn 🙂

      Like

  32. draliman Avatar

    Ha ha. I like Agnes 🙂

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Iain Kelly Avatar

      She has a definite cynical charm to her 🙂

      Like

  33. Keith's Ramblings Avatar

    Hehe! I lost a flip-flop in quicksand once and I had to flip-hop home!

    Click to read my FriFic!

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Iain Kelly Avatar

      Ha, you can sympathise with Archie’s predicament.

      Like

  34. shehannemoore Avatar

    Lol. He got what was coming

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Iain Kelly Avatar

      It always seems to happen to him 🙂

      Liked by 1 person

      1. shehannemoore Avatar

        Hell mend him xxxxxx
        Ps
        Seriously, he is wonderfully flawed .

        Liked by 1 person

  35. Laurie Bell Avatar

    Hahaha lost boots and pride I’m guessing! Good one Iain

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Iain Kelly Avatar

      Thanks Laurie, glad you liked it 🙂

      Liked by 1 person

  36. Liz Young Avatar

    That was far too close for comfort – I nearly lost my trainers in unexpected mud recently – a most unpleasant experience. And not at all ‘cosy’!

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Iain Kelly Avatar

      Thanks Liz, I’m glad it was ‘almost’, and you managed to retrieve them!

      Like

  37. Natasha Avatar
    Natasha

    Oh, they seem to be quite a couple. I like Archie for his streak of adventure. Agnes seems to be a bit of a prude, is she? Haven’t read their other stories, so not quite sure.
    Loved this cute, understated tale with it’s line of humour.
    You know what, I see myself in Archie. 🙂
    Keep these coming, Iain.

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Iain Kelly Avatar

      Thank you Natasha – that’s what I like about Agnes and Archie – they are just an everyday couple, they could be any of us. So glad that comes across. Agnes can be a bit of prude, but other times she reveals a fun side too 🙂

      Liked by 1 person

  38. pennygadd51 Avatar

    What a fun story!

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Iain Kelly Avatar

      Thank you 🙂

      Like

  39. granonine Avatar

    Made me laugh out loud. My husband wants to know what’s so funny 🙂

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Iain Kelly Avatar

      Haha, glad you enjoyed it 🙂

      Liked by 1 person

    1. Iain Kelly Avatar
  40. Dale Avatar
    Dale

    I was married to an “Archie”…

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Iain Kelly Avatar

      We all know at least one.

      Liked by 1 person

  41. Fatima Fakier Avatar

    I get the feeling Agnes won’t let him forget that moment in their adventures to come.

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Iain Kelly Avatar

      Hopefully Archie will look back and laugh eventually too!

      Liked by 1 person

  42. Lavanya Avatar
    Lavanya

    Agnes sounds like my kinda girl. Way-to-go-gurl!

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Iain Kelly Avatar

      Haha, thank you 🙂

      Liked by 1 person

  43. michaelwynnauthor Avatar

    Ha ha Some people are just destined to be daft but we love them for it

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Iain Kelly Avatar

      They do provide us with good story material!

      Liked by 1 person

  44. Sarah Potter Writes Avatar

    LOL. What a twit he is! And I can just see her doing the superior snoot on him, as she walks off along the path.

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Iain Kelly Avatar

      Thanks Sarah, glad you liked it.

      Liked by 1 person

  45. amiewrites74 Avatar

    A great pair, these two. This story made me laugh. Good one!

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Iain Kelly Avatar

      Thanks Amie, glad you liked it 🙂

      Liked by 1 person

  46. The Reclining Gentleman Avatar

    haha! if she’d been filming then maybe he could have bought new wellies from the £250 from You’ve Been Framed 🙂

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Iain Kelly Avatar

      Never mind that, Agnes would have it up on her Facebook straight away 🙂

      Like

      1. The Reclining Gentleman Avatar

        Lol yep I’m showing my age there!

        Liked by 1 person

  47. Sarah Ann Avatar
    Sarah Ann

    LOL. I think Agnes might be hard to please…

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Iain Kelly Avatar

      Archie certainly never seems to manage it!

      Liked by 1 person

  48. Miles Rost Avatar

    Welcome to Turnagin Arm! Well done!

    Liked by 1 person

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