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Playing Second Fiddle to a Clarinet: Friday Fictioneers

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Posted on March 25, 2015 by The Writer's Village

Sometimes playing second fiddle has better results than we can ever imagine…

Each week Rochelle Wisoff-Fields posts a pic to write a 100 word story about.

This week the story is music to Henrietta’s ears.

©David Stewart

©David Stewart

Playing Second Fiddle to a Clarinet

Henrietta, I’m telling Riley this has to stop.
No you won’t, George.
We listen to him every night pretend to conduct that band of old farts.
You’re just jealous because he didn’t ask you to play your clarinet.
I’m too good for his measly group.
And it has nothing to do with the fact you two haven’t spoken since high school.
Nothing at all.
When Mr. Jenkins chose him over you for the solo at the Spring Music Fling.
I was sick that week.
And what a good thing your mother made you attend, and I wound up sitting next to you.

Randy Mazie

54 thoughts on “Playing Second Fiddle to a Clarinet: Friday Fictioneers”

ansumani on March 25, 2015 at 10:13 AM said:

Nice!

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- The Writer's Village on March 25, 2015 at 11:10 AM said:
  
  Henrietta says, thank you.
  George wanted the piece to have a mean ending.
  
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bykimberlylynne on March 25, 2015 at 1:20 PM said:

Tut, tut, George. Time to let bygones be, don’cha think? (should be “wound up” in the last line, no?)

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- The Writer's Village on March 25, 2015 at 1:48 PM said:
  
  Yes, thank you.
  I would have wound up that last line with would instead of wound, woodn’t eye?
  
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aliciajamtaas on March 25, 2015 at 5:42 PM said:

All ends well in bad music and love – so, in that case, George doesn’t get his way.

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- The Writer's Village on March 25, 2015 at 8:23 PM said:
  
  George got the best deal – the girl.
  
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Rachel Bjerke on March 25, 2015 at 6:13 PM said:

George needs to let go! He’ll be a much happier person (and so will she!)
Lovely tale 🙂

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- The Writer's Village on March 25, 2015 at 8:24 PM said:
  
  Clarinet players tend to play things straight – like their instruments, I think.
  
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Francesca Smith on March 25, 2015 at 8:42 PM said:

A lovely story! I think George needs to move on.

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- The Writer's Village on March 26, 2015 at 7:26 AM said:
  
  If he did, Henrietta would miss him. Can he stay?
  
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  - Francesca Smith on March 26, 2015 at 8:17 AM said:
    
    Indeed he can.
    
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    - The Writer's Village on March 26, 2015 at 8:20 AM said:
      
      good. thanks
      
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Nan Falkner on March 26, 2015 at 1:18 AM said:

Really interesting story and romantic! I do think George needs to move on. Nan

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- The Writer's Village on March 26, 2015 at 7:27 AM said:
  
  Please refer to the comments made under Francesca Smith…
  Randy
  
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draliman on March 26, 2015 at 4:57 AM said:

Even though he’s still pretty bitter about the whole thing some good came out if it!

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- The Writer's Village on March 26, 2015 at 7:28 AM said:
  
  There’s usually some good in bad, and vice versa….
  
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Margaret on March 26, 2015 at 7:43 AM said:

George and Henrietta are a lovely couple. Great dialogue, and a fitting title. Nice.

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- The Writer's Village on March 26, 2015 at 8:19 AM said:
  
  care to join them at the concert?
  
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gahlearner on March 26, 2015 at 8:10 AM said:

I didn’t expect this ending, wonderful. They are great characters.

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- The Writer's Village on March 26, 2015 at 8:19 AM said:
  
  Neither did I as i was writing it.
  
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k rawson on March 26, 2015 at 10:59 AM said:

Tons of character coming through and a sweet story!

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- The Writer's Village on March 26, 2015 at 9:33 PM said:
  
  Who you calling a character?
  Oh, you did write sweet, though.
  Thanks, Randy
  
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lingeringvisions by Dawn on March 26, 2015 at 12:05 PM said:

LOL…it was fate i tell you!

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- The Writer's Village on March 26, 2015 at 9:33 PM said:
  
  Fate it is!
  
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AnnIsikArts on March 26, 2015 at 7:26 PM said:

I think these two must be pals with my two characters this week. The stories that ol’ bandstand could tell if it could talk. Great dialogue and characterisation. 🙂

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- The Writer's Village on March 26, 2015 at 9:34 PM said:
  
  thanks.
  We’re all pals around the grandstand, said Dick Clark
  
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  - The Writer's Village on March 26, 2015 at 9:35 PM said:
    
    wait, make that bandstand… 😉
    
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plaridel on March 26, 2015 at 8:12 PM said:

poor george. he must be mad because he ended up with henrietta.

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- The Writer's Village on March 26, 2015 at 9:36 PM said:
  
  No, it’s actually Riley who is mad because he lost Henrietta to George and that’s why he plays music every night driving poor George crazy.
  
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rochellewisoff on March 27, 2015 at 5:14 AM said:

Dear Randy,

Aw, a touch of romance this week and a lot of emotion. I could just hear and see these two. Well layered with few words.

Shalom,

Rochelle

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- The Writer's Village on March 27, 2015 at 8:15 AM said:
  
  Music does that to folks…
  along with a few murders, disappearances, alien visitations, faerie sightings,Jewish guilt, and other penned fictions (or non-fictions). 😉
  
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Dale on March 27, 2015 at 10:32 AM said:

Holding old grudges is never good. He’s lucky he got the girl in the end despite it all!

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- The Writer's Village on March 27, 2015 at 4:25 PM said:
  
  Maybe something more than luck was at work here…
  
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Liz Young on March 27, 2015 at 2:04 PM said:

So even though he didn’t get the solo, music was the food of love after all.

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- The Writer's Village on March 27, 2015 at 4:28 PM said:
  
  music is always the food of love…
  but so are oysters they tell me.
  randy
  
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Björn Rudberg (brudberg) on March 27, 2015 at 4:27 PM said:

I think that it sometimes takes a very long time to grow up.

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- The Writer's Village on March 27, 2015 at 4:31 PM said:
  
  I’m still working on it….
  
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Susannah Bianchi on March 27, 2015 at 4:59 PM said:

What a great title. Made me want to read it right away. Henrietta. That’s a name one really needs to live up to. 🙂

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- The Writer's Village on March 27, 2015 at 5:02 PM said:
  
  I was partial to the title too…if i do say so myself.
  
  And yes, you don’t hear the name Henrietta too often anymore. It’s a great old thing.
  
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  - Susannah Bianchi on March 27, 2015 at 5:06 PM said:
    
    There was Henrietta Topper, she’s the only other Henrietta I can think of. Could switch those George M. Cohan lyrics from It Was Mary when he croons, it’s a grand old name.
    
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    - The Writer's Village on March 27, 2015 at 10:52 PM said:
      
      Then I should have named George, Cosmo.
      and George Kerby would have sang to his wife, Marian – and then George M, Cohan needn’t have even been brought into the picture.
      
      I hope we didn’t confuse everybody – as much as we have confused ourselves. Ha.
      
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      - Susannah Bianchi on March 28, 2015 at 5:49 AM said:
        
        Aren’t you forgetting someone? Neil, the St. Bernard 🙂
        
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        The Writer's Village on March 28, 2015 at 7:12 AM said:
        
        sorry. wouldn’t want to leave him out 😉
        
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milliethom on March 27, 2015 at 5:39 PM said:

I love the way the conversation plays out and George’s long-held pique unfolds. Definitely time he let bygones be bygones and enjoy life with the wife he so fortuitously met. Nice one! 🙂

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- The Writer's Village on March 27, 2015 at 10:53 PM said:
  
  Thanks.
  Should aulde acquaintance be forgot and never brought to mind?
  
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  - milliethom on March 28, 2015 at 12:15 PM said:
    
    Probably so, in this case. 🙂
    
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Jan Brown on March 28, 2015 at 2:44 AM said:

Henrietta’s right! He should be thankful for the gift of love that came out of a bad situation. But some people need the drama of hashing up bad memories.

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- The Writer's Village on March 28, 2015 at 7:14 AM said:
  
  I hate hash….
  I think Henrietta’s terrific and just what George needs.
  Randy
  
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Suzanne Joshi on March 28, 2015 at 12:49 PM said:

Well, Randy, at least he got the girl. I wonder if the two mother’s arranged it. Mother’s can be sneaky like that. Hilarious and well done. 😀 — Suzanne

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- The Writer's Village on March 28, 2015 at 1:03 PM said:
  
  Yes, and isn’t it great when they conspire like that?
  
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dmmacilroy on March 29, 2015 at 7:57 AM said:

Dear Randy,

So there was a virtue to his being bad. I love how you teased this story out for us. Great last line.

Aloha,

Doug

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- The Writer's Village on March 29, 2015 at 8:49 AM said:
  
  That’s me – always teasing.
  Nice to hear from, you, Doug.
  Randy
  
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Creatopath on March 29, 2015 at 11:12 PM said:

Love the title! Funny story and a happy ending.

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Snow's Fissures and Fractures on April 1, 2015 at 11:04 AM said:

What a dialog, what a relationship…thank you for this lovely story.

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