We are the family of everyone who means us no harm, whatever the results of what they do. We love Pizza Friday, snow days, and getting into pajamas in the afternoon when we’ve spent the day at the beach. In fact, Gallagher-von-Durfeldom heaven is a Friday snow day near the ocean sharing a pie in our pjs. We hate things too, but nothing in common. Our only prejudice is that there is always a better way. As far back as we can remember, we have held jobs that suit our skills but more importantly suit our temperaments; hence shall ye know us by our satisfied smiles. If we have shortcomings, our bosses learn to deal with them. Now, anyone is welcome to adopt our way without joining the family, but whether by accident or from biological inevitability, we marry from families who act like Gallagher-von-Durfeldoms. Call it a tradition. It’s what we do, not what we say that makes us who we are, and we say what we say only so as not to say nothing. Keep an eye on us anyway. Though no more likely to cuddle with strangers than any other family, we press our faces for comfort or warmth whenever we need either to the faces of other Gallagher-von-Durfeldoms of any age or gender. If that makes you uncomfortable, you’ll never be G-v-D, but neither are we inviting you. We are sufficient. Wives who enter our family become everybody’s wife; husbands too, though this rarely happens, and children are watched by so many eyes they feel as if everyone is a parent. We neither subscribe nor prescribe; instead, we warn our youngsters, if the world begins to look like Gallagher-von-Durfeldom, beware whether it has changed to become like us or whether you have lost your way.
This work by davidbdale is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 United States License.
Based on a work at davidbdale.wordpress.com.
8 comments
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November 6, 2009 at 1:45 pm
Jared
Just found your site. This was a great story to start with. For some reason it reminds me of Fitzgerald’s “Great Gatsby.” Very well done, sir.
Thanks, Jared, and welcome to Very Short Novels. Your “Chapter 6” reminds me of my own “Trolley Problems.” Maybe you should try it next. Maybe other visitors will read both and compare. Are you doing Nanowrimo on your blog?
–David
November 6, 2009 at 4:05 pm
Jared
Just read your Trolley Problems. You win, hands down. I am doing nanowrimo. Are you?
You’re very kind, Jared. No, I don’t write enough words for Nanowrimo. Since I started this site, though, without counting, I can tell you I’ve written (266 posts x 299 words each) 79, 534 words. When I get to 299×299, this project will be over. Then, maybe, something long.
–David
November 9, 2009 at 3:15 am
petesmama
Oh, a pity you are not doing NaNoWriMo. I have a couple of friends giving it a go, and the enviable task of looking over their drafts now and then.
I don’t know if I want you to stop at 299 x 299, though. This is a fun ride.
Thanks, petesmama. If I could do Nanowrimo by producing 299 words a week, I would.
–David
November 9, 2009 at 1:01 pm
The Querulous Squirrel
I loved the story but am horrified this project has a time limit. There are very few fellow flash fictionite bloggers out there and you would be greatly missed.
As you would be too, qs. I promise I’ll share somehow whatever I do next, but this project is indeed finite. (I wouldn’t say it has a time limit, more of a word count.) Thank you very much.
–David
November 9, 2009 at 8:44 pm
anhinga
I, too, hate to hear your 299-word novels will come to an end. They are a high spot in blog world. I’ll have to trust that whatever you come up with next will be as good.
That’s very sweet, anhinga. You needn’t worry for a while, of course. At the rate I’ve been writing them lately, we’ll be together on this project for another year. Have you read the whole collection then, or did you leave yourself some to dole out when the fresh ones stop coming?
–David
November 10, 2009 at 7:04 pm
The Querulous Squirrel
Now back to this story, this is a very strange one indeed. The wives are everyone’s wives? The husbands, too, but not really? Everyone is really huggy? We’re a cozy bunch? Who the heck are they besides Mormons? I can’t figure them out? They make no sense to me at all. The narration is from inside out, how they see themselves, but I get the sense the world sees them in a whole different way and I don’t have a good sense of what that is except some antisocial fringe group. No?
I’m not sure who they are either, qs, and don’t mean to identify them as an actual group you might be able to name. I am though very interested in exactly that self-perception of tight insular groups, how sane their insanity seems to them. Their certainty is slightly seductive and their self-sufficiency is appealing to the uncertain. Maybe you don’t find them as ominous as I do, but I’m delighted you care enough to ask.
–David
November 13, 2009 at 10:23 am
litlove
Have you really reached 266? I will admit to a pang to think of the end of your flash fiction; it’s always meant a lot to me. I like your comic-grim portrayal of that close-knit familial collective consciousness. It’s intriguing to see how the shift of the pronouns, from the lively variety of I’s and you’s and he’s and she’s to the blanket coverage effected by the ‘we’ sounds so suffocating and stultifying. I shivered reading this, and am pretty sure that Gide is turning in his grave, too.
It will still be a delightful ride to the end, I hope, Litlove, as much because of your indispensable commentaries as for anything I contribute. Who else counts my pronouns!? Regardless, we’re nowhere near the end just yet, and when it comes, I have every faith we’ll find another way to keep in touch. Promise?
–David
November 20, 2009 at 4:12 am
fachmy casofa
OMG! it’s so unique!
It may be, fachmy, and I certainly thank you for saying so, but WordPress seems to think it bears resemblances to “White Cross,” “The Cutting Board,” and “Executioner’s Apprentice.” I’d appreciate your reaction to those recommendations. Is WordPress right to identify them as “possibly related posts”?
–David