A Memorable Story

When I first ran across Paul Stewart on Vocal, I was quite frankly a little intimidated by the number of stories he’d written (I’d never have enough time to be so prolific), and a lot intimidated by his number of challenge wins (I mean, how can you rival such insane creativity?).

However, after reading a single story, I hungered for more. So I subscribed. Time limits how much I can read (he's published nearly 1450 on Vocal), but when I do, I’m always left with something I didn’t have before.

The story I selected for this critique, “Hold Onto It for as Long as You Need To,” was from about three months ago. I don’t know how I missed it initially, but I read it last month, and it still lingers in my mind.

This deserving challenge-win was from the perspective of Sophia, a young woman dying of cancer, in the form of recorded journal entries. The journal, intended for Bryan—her devoted saint of a husband—poignantly described her thoughts and feelings in her final days.

She reminisced about the early days of their relationship. On what would’ve been their daughter's fifth birthday, she mourned the babe they’d lost in infancy.

It defined her guilt over Bryan having to bear the burden of caring for her. It strongly insisted he should not read a morbid funeral poem at her service.

The journal also detailed little bits of their day-to-day life; the good, the bad, and the other. Cupboards left open. Myriad coffee rings Bryan left throughout their home. Their first visit to the beach. It included her wishes on trivial matters once she was gone. Such as, she didn't want him to repaint the hallway because she liked peach.

Perhaps most poignant of all were the days Sophia admitted she was too ill to record.

Paul’s signature sarcastic wit dotted the story throughout. For example, Sophia’s threat to haunt Bryan, "worse than your old biology teacher’s warty chin," if he recited the forbidden funeral poem.

An emotional, believable, and beautifully written story, I highly recommend it if you haven’t read it already. I loved it and suspect you would, too. You might want to have a tissue handy, though.

To read the entries of some really amazing authors, or if you want to consider joining this unique and interesting challenge, click below: