Nights With Nonna
Flash Fiction | 2 Minute Read
This story was written in a Writing Prompt Party I hosted last week in the Stop Writing Alone community. We used the Storymatic Kids cards to inspire a story (see the photo of the cards we pulled for this). We usually write for anywhere between 15-20 minutes to get our stories.
This story is a 2 minute read.
NIGHTS WITH NONNA
Being at my grandma’s house is the best. The smell of the sauce seems to ooze out of the walls even when she isn’t cooking. Her bath towels are so big they wrap around my body from head to toe and the powder puff she uses on me after the bath is soft and tickly and smells like flowers.
“Quit giggling, Gigi,” my grandmother says as I try to wiggle away from her and back into the towel.
“You’re tickling me, Nonna!” I screech.
“Okay, lay still, then, and let’s get your PJs on.” She whispers, “I have a story to tell you.”
I loved my grandmother’s stories. They were better than any of the books my mom read me. Grandma’s stories were about magical kingdoms, princes, princesses, and knights. I threw both arms up over my head so she could slip my nightgown over and I crawled quickly under the covers of the large bed in Grand,a’s guest room. She walked back to the bathroom with the towel and the powder letting my anticipation grow by the moment. Then she tucked me in, kissed me on the forehead, and sat in her rocking chair.
“Before I begin GinaMarie, I have a question to ask you.” Nonna had her serious lecture tone going, so I was worried I was about to be accused of some wrong-doing during the day.I wracked my brain trying to remember anything I could have done since Dad dropped me off in the afternoon. .I could think of nothing, unless Nonna was about to start pulling some of those “be lady-like” rules Mom was always on me about. I always messed that stuff up.
I turned to Nonna, pulling the covers closer to my chin and said, “Okay Nonna. That’s fine.” I was trying to be as polite as I could imagine.
“Gigi, when I tell you the stories of the kingdom and you imagine how wonderful thatworld is – who do you wish you could be?”
My eyes grew wide. This was some question! Was it a trick? It felt like the exact type of thing someone who was truly trying to be “lady-like” would have a single right answer to. My mom would want me to be the princess. Heck! That’s what she calls me half the time! “Princess?” I asked.
Nonna giggled, “Gigi, this isn’t a test. It is a simple question I am curious. I am curious about you, my granddaughter and her deep desires. Who do you want to be? Not who do you think the world wants you to be.”
This is why I loved my Nonna.
“I want to be the knight, Nonna. I have always wanted to be the knight. I want to be brave and strong and I want to help the kingdom, not really rule it.”
Nonna’s eyes were wet as she nodded along as I spoke. When I finished she said, “Me too, Gigi. I have always wanted to be the knight.”
Then she got out of her rocking chair, hugged me, climbed into the bed next to me and started telling me another story.
Leave a Comment and Don’t Hoard this Story!
So much of this story is inspired by memories I have of spending time at my grandmother’s house as a child. What is one of your favorite memory of times you spent with your grandparents?
If this is your first time here…
Don’t forget to subscribe so you get all of my story hoard delivered right to your inbox every time a new piece is released!
The inspiration
Storymatic KIDS is a card game for storytellers of all ages. Here are the cards that inspired this story:
Very nice story, you did a great job portraying the a little girl loving her Nonna and relating with her mother. Thanks.
Beautiful..