He felt old. He felt tired.
Forty years leading his people, the Father of the Nation. Now they wanted rid of him.
How could they be so ungrateful?
He freed them from oppression. Didn’t they remember?
Resign, they cried. Perhaps he should.
Father Time was catching up with him.
The clock ticked relentlessly.
No. There was still much to be done.
He locked the clock away in the closet. Back to work.
***
They watched the old man shuffle across his cell. He banged his fist into his palm. He started addressing an imaginary audience.
No one listened anymore.
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 
A warm portrait of Bob
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I wonder if anyone does call him Bob? I like to think so.
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Many people in Southern Africa call him Bob. Not so much to his face, though
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Lovely bit of interpretation of the prompt, Iain. Nicely done.
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Thanks Varad
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Great topical take on the prompt. A reminder that many who claim to free you from oppression are simply substituting another brand of it.
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Thanks Sandra. Alas, I fear that might be about to happen to the people of Zimbabwe again.
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Good story, Iain. I like the way you use short sentences to emphasise the dictator’s loss of strength and vigour.
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Thank you Penny.
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Dear Iain,
You’ve left much to read between the lines. A well constructed and multi-layered story. I love the way you went outside the closet. 😉
Shalom,
Rochelle
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Thanks Rochelle, and Happy Thanksgiving 🙂
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I enjoyed your clever, topical and thought provoking take on the photo prompt.
Susan A Eames at
Travel, Fiction and Photos
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Thank you Susan, much appreciated.
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If only you could lock away time…Very topical story, indeed.
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Thank you Lore
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I like to think of Noriega throwing a tantrum because his prison toast is soggy.
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It is nice to think of these tyrants being reduced to such small men.
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For a second there I thought about Moses leading Israel out of Egypt. Guess I was wrong 🙂
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I certainly didn’t have Moses in mind! 🙂
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No, I figured that out pretty quickly 🙂
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Great take on the prompt!
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Thank you so much.
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This is a powerful piece of writing. Well done.
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Thank you, glad you liked it.
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I imagine Fidel Castro felt much the same way.
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And a few others. They were perhaps lucky (or unlucky?) to survive long enough to get to feel this way.
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Yes, the delusion of every so-called “revolutionary” that they were on the side of good when after all, they just replaced one totalitarian dictatorship for another.
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Timely topical terrific!
Click to read my FriFic!
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Thanks Keith
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He has at least avoided the cell. Clever use of the prompt.
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Although that may be his age rather than anything else. Thanks Liz
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Thanks for inspiring me to read about him, Iain. Leaders should realise their mission is to lead the country and its men to light( while still in power) .
Wonderfully written.
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Thank you Moon, so pleased you liked it.
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Unlike his country, Bob was fortunate to survive into his ninety’s,
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Hopefully Zimbabwe will prosper in the future.
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I’m sure it reflects badly on me as a person, but to think of men like Mugabe shuffling in their slippers, locked up and ignored pleases me. He’s lucky – he could have ended up like Musolini and I’m certain he would have deserved it. Well written Iain
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I don’t think it reflects badly on you at all – I would imagine many would want far worse for him. I agree he is lucky, I’m also amazed he managed to hold on for as long as he did at 93 years old. Thanks Lynn.
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All things must end – the bad as well as the good. My pleasure Iain.
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Brilliant and topical take on the prompt, Iain. Will be interesting to see what’s next for Zimbabwe… though…
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From the sounds of it, possibly much of the same, just under a different name. Thanks Dale.
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Sadly…
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Fantastic! Topical and apt. And now we await a crocodile to ascend the ‘throne’. God help humanity.
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It’s not the first choice of name you would want for a President…
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Tee-hee!😂😂
I just posted this on my FB page
What’s in a name?
Emersion from exiled immersion
The crocodile appears
Sangfroid, devoid of fears
It’s cold dead eyes
Survey the land of its people
Now it’s great prize
With some trepidation
A crown is bestowed
But will it live up to its name?
Will it show us its death roll?
Emersion from immersion
We’ll see, as events unfold
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The great liberator has fallen on bad times. As per news reports “former first family is pitifully depressed and lonely”. You’ve got the portrayal down pat.
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Thank you
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Beautifully poignant. I almost thought you were writing about Mahatma Gandhi. Until I saw the end. Two hundred out of one hundred👌👌👌
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Thank you – Gandhi was a very different person, although in the end he may have felt some of the same despair that no one was listening to him anymore.
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Yep he was different. The first part would apply to him.
I wonder if he felt that way when Godse shot him. If you watch the movie Gandhi where Ben Kingsley is the main protagonist, you will note this.
Thank you!
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I wonder if they are only shuffling one dictator for another. I hope not. Such a timely piece…
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Thank you Susie, I hope not as well, time will tell.
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Nice one! Time for a change (overdue). I liked the style, with the short, snappy sentences.
Any resemblance to any person alive or dead is purely coincidental 😉
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Thanks – I should have added that disclosure 🙂
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Excellent.
Love it.
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Thank you CE
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Very topical, and I can imagine the real man doing this – still talking even though no one is listening.
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In his mind I’m sure he still believes there are those willing to listen to him.
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From what I’ve heard on the news the people of Zimbabwe may be rejoicing prematurely. Good writing, Iain. 🙂 — Suzanne
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Thanks Suzanne, I’m afraid they may be too.
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Loved it. You almost had me feeling sorry for Mugabe about whom this story could have been written (if it wasn’t).
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It had him in mind, but I didn’t want to be specific – there are a few who it could apply to through history. thanks Irene.
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That is a wonderful take. Brilliant.
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Thank you so much.
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Well done. All dictators should end up in prison with time to contemplate their crimes
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Thank you. If only justice was so properly served.
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Brilliant and topical too.
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Love the conciseness and the very real character of the old man – a recognisable figure – a well told story
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Thank you very much.
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Very timely tale here… I can hope that this will happen in more places.
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Thanks Bjorn, so long as what replaces them is an improvement…
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Outstanding! Loved it.
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Thanks Russell
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Very topical and cleverly done. You almost have me feeling sorry for the neglected and past-it dictator
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Almost, but not quite. Thank you Sarah Ann.
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Hi Iain, this is wonderful. I particularly liked all the different forms of confinement in the story : the man himself, time, the hiding of the clock, his cell, his madness (?). So impressed by how the story has a really sharp focus but raises so many issues. Cool!
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Thank you so much Rachel, so pleased you saw so much in it 🙂
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Excellent take. So pathetic end for him.
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Thank you.
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Such a concise use of your words to say so very much. The purple Goddess would be pleased with your editing skills. Powerful story with a great deal to fill in … nicely done, lain.
Isadora 😎
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Ha, I hope she is! Thank you.
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Thoughtful piece.
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Thanks Dawn!
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I like your interpretation of the prompt.
Good one!
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Thank you so much.
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Oh wow. Topical and philosophical. I like it.
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Thank you 🙂
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