IAIN KELLY

CERTAIN UNALIENABLE RIGHTS

Rodney asked him to watch his pretzel cart while he took a break.

It was another humid night. Larry sat on the wall and rested his weary feet. He looked up at the statue with the Rockefeller building behind it.

A huge white face with white hands covering the eyes. Ain’t that the truth, Larry thought, refusing to see what was right in front of them.

Rodney arrived back, ‘Pretzel?’

‘Sure,’ Larry accepted and took one. ‘Where you from, Rodney?’

‘Queens. You?’

‘Costa Rica.’

‘The country?’

‘Yep’.

‘Huh.’ Rodney and Larry looked up at the artwork. ‘Soda?’

‘Sure.’


rockefeller-center-face-in-the-crowd
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.


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64 responses to “CERTAIN UNALIENABLE RIGHTS”

  1. rochellewisoff Avatar

    Dear Iain,

    I enjoyed the comfortable conversation between the two of them. Well done. Pass the mustard, please.

    Shalom,

    Rochelle

    Liked by 3 people

    1. Iain Kelly Avatar

      Thanks Rochelle, I may have been too subtle, but I couldn’t look at the image and not think of the current rhetoric coming from the leader of the free world towards certain people, regardless of political views.

      Liked by 1 person

      1. Alicia Jamtaas Avatar

        Oh, Iain, I definitely picked that up. Not too subtle at all. Just the right “hint.”

        Liked by 1 person

      2. Iain Kelly Avatar

        Thank you Alicia, I’m glad it’s there for a few to ‘get’.

        Like

  2. Michael Humphris Avatar
    Michael Humphris

    So well constructed, ten out of ten

    Liked by 4 people

    1. Iain Kelly Avatar

      Thank you Michael

      Like

  3. ceayr Avatar

    Neat commentary on people and life, Iain

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Iain Kelly Avatar

      Thank you, it’s funny how politics can distort simple concepts, like we are all humans, regardless of where we come from.

      Like

  4. neilmacdon Avatar

    I liked “Costa Rica” “The country?”

    Liked by 3 people

    1. Iain Kelly Avatar
  5. J Hardy Carroll Avatar

    Sounds like a match made in heaven. Well told.

    Liked by 2 people

    1. Iain Kelly Avatar

      Funny that people from different backgrounds and countries can get along, if you read the news these days you’d think it was impossible.

      Liked by 1 person

  6. aheartforafrica641064503 Avatar
    aheartforafrica641064503

    Nice one, Iain. Loved the dialogue.

    Liked by 2 people

  7. Tannille Avatar

    They bonded over tacky art. Universal, brings people together.

    Liked by 2 people

    1. Iain Kelly Avatar

      We should have more of it then! 🙂

      Liked by 1 person

  8. Liz Young Avatar

    Lovely slice of life between two potential friends.

    Liked by 2 people

    1. Iain Kelly Avatar

      Thank you Liz

      Like

  9. 4963andypop Avatar

    Art can say so much when we let ourselves listenJust the lessons we need to hear. Nice job Iain.

    Liked by 2 people

    1. 4963andypop Avatar

      Caught a typo too–Two “at’s”in the second to last para. 😊

      Liked by 1 person

      1. Iain Kelly Avatar

        Got it, thank you!

        Liked by 1 person

    2. Iain Kelly Avatar
  10. Alicia Jamtaas Avatar

    There is calmness in this story that I truly enjoyed, even as you brought in some politics ~ which I also enjoyed. Nicely done.

    Liked by 2 people

    1. Iain Kelly Avatar

      Thank you so much. Maybe everyone could do with just calming down a bit…

      Like

  11. theministryofshrawleywalks Avatar

    As Elbow once said the leaders of the free world are just little boys throwing stones. Good stuff.

    Liked by 2 people

    1. Iain Kelly Avatar

      They did write some good stuff.

      Liked by 1 person

  12. Nobbinmaug Avatar

    Nice take. It’s amazing how often people can forget that California used to be part of Mexico, that most people who live in America are descendants of immigrants, often “illegal” immigrants, that humanity’s origins can be traced back to Africa, everybody, that we’re all human and fundamentally the same.

    Liked by 3 people

    1. Iain Kelly Avatar

      Yep, exactly that. Thanks.

      Liked by 1 person

  13. Dale Avatar

    Wonderful take on the prompt, Iain. Subtle and proof positive that most of us just dig each other, without judgment…

    Liked by 2 people

    1. Iain Kelly Avatar

      If only all could be the same, especially those in charge… Thanks Dale

      Liked by 1 person

  14. Abhijit Ray Avatar

    Nice message. World is changing. Some refuse to see.

    Liked by 2 people

    1. Iain Kelly Avatar

      Thank you so much

      Like

  15. plaridel Avatar

    sounds like the beginning of a new friendship. 🙂

    Liked by 2 people

  16. draliman Avatar

    A nice little scene, and maybe the beginning of a long-lasting friendship!

    Liked by 2 people

  17. gahlearner Avatar
    gahlearner

    Timely, lovely interaction, subtle, but not too subtle and so true.

    Liked by 2 people

    1. Iain Kelly Avatar

      Thank you so much, lovely comment 🙂

      Liked by 1 person

  18. Brenda's Thoughts Avatar

    A nice contemplative story. I like the natural feel of it and the camaraderie between the two characters. There certainly is far too much … “refusing to see what was right in front of them” from those disconnected from real life. Those living in ivory towers.

    Liked by 2 people

    1. Iain Kelly Avatar

      Exactly that, meanwhile the rest of us just get on with life. Unfortunately it causes suffering to many. Thanks Brenda

      Liked by 1 person

  19. notestowomen Avatar

    I liked the ease of this interaction, Iain. Very nicely done.

    Liked by 1 person

  20. Sascha Darlington Avatar

    This is another one where you have to pay attention to the title or else it just seems like a nice slice of life, which is good, but the title tells you what’s really going on. Well done and ever so timely.

    Liked by 2 people

    1. Iain Kelly Avatar

      Thank you so much Sascha, glad you made the link with the title.

      Liked by 1 person

      1. Sascha Darlington Avatar

        I read a story lately where the key was in the title. Since then, I haven’t been so lazy? Unobservant? not to read the title. 🙂

        Liked by 1 person

  21. pennygadd51 Avatar

    What a great story, Iain! On one level, it’s an inconsequential tale of two friends chatting while business is slack. But you give us a title, and a comment on the artwork featured in the prompt, and it immediately becomes a political story, and a beautifully precise one. And I love the subtlety of having Larry be an immigrant – presumably illegal – from Costa Rica – within sight of the statue that is hiding its eyes and not seeing him.

    Liked by 2 people

    1. Iain Kelly Avatar

      Thank you so much Penny, glad you saw the points I was trying to make, without being too sensationalist about it.

      Liked by 1 person

  22. Inside the Mind of Isadora Avatar

    The undertones were sharp enough for me, lain.
    Why can’t we just accept all of live life kindly? Nicley done …
    Isadora 😎

    Liked by 2 people

    1. Iain Kelly Avatar

      Thank you Isadora. It’s mystifying that some want to live their lives in such an angry way…

      Liked by 1 person

      1. Inside the Mind of Isadora Avatar

        Being angry is easy … you can hate everything … being happy requires work … seeing good in all things even the bad. 😎

        Liked by 1 person

  23. JoHawkTheWriter Avatar

    At the end of the day, we are all human, regardless of those who don’t want to see it. Nice job.

    Liked by 2 people

    1. Iain Kelly Avatar

      Thank you, I only wish more would see it.

      Liked by 1 person

  24. patrickprinsloo Avatar

    Public art is so often for the more advantaged. The money could have been spent differently. Beautifully encapsuled.

    Liked by 2 people

    1. Iain Kelly Avatar

      Another aspect to the tale, thanks Patrick

      Like

  25. patriciaruthsusan Avatar

    A good story with meaning and well-written dialog, Iain. Maybe one hand should have been over the eyes and another over the mouth. 🙂 — Suzanne

    Liked by 2 people

    1. Iain Kelly Avatar

      Good point, thank you Suzanne

      Liked by 1 person

  26. James McEwan Avatar

    I suspect if you won’t look then you can’t be held responsible. I like the symbolism, political or otherwise – but you can’t keep ignoring the truth.

    Liked by 2 people

    1. Iain Kelly Avatar

      Not when it is right in front of you. Thanks James

      Liked by 1 person

  27. magarisa Avatar

    What a good job incorporating the elements of the picture into your story. A positive message about human solidarity.

    Liked by 2 people

    1. Iain Kelly Avatar

      Thank you, a bit of positivity was needed!

      Liked by 1 person

  28. Pratibha Avatar

    Very apt observations for the current times.

    Liked by 2 people

  29. Laurie Bell Avatar

    A simple conversation that far many layers. Well told Iain. Look away.

    Liked by 2 people

    1. Iain Kelly Avatar

      Thank you Laurie

      Like

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