“Eat More Bananas.” Photo credit: Eleanor Verni.
/FICTOGRAPHY/ def. — The intersection of photography (submitted by readers) and fiction (written by me!).
With a two-week break from writing this segment because I’ve been up to my eyeballs editing and working on preparing my novel, I’m back today with a piece of fiction. The photo above was taken by my daughter on the Baltimore Beltway. She hates bananas, so this piece of work is inspired by knowing someone who can’t stand the food. This piece of flash fiction comes in at 283 words.
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EAT MORE BANANAS
The flu. It had taken over her life for the last few days. Sick in bed and vomiting, her fever had reached 104 degrees. She was achy with chills, and unable to do anything but puke and sleep.
In her weakened state, she had to dress and get to work. Four days of sick leave had left her shaky, but she had managed to put an outfit together and zip up her boots, though she decided to put on makeup was a little too much hassle for her. She packed herself a Ginger Ale and some saltine crackers, which was about all she believed she could manage, and she got in the car.
She drove out of her apartment complex, and onto the Interstate. With her shades covering her tired eyes, she listened to her favorite radio station as she drove with all the other frenetic people on their way to earn a living.
She couldn’t believe her eyes when she saw the truck. Her stomach started to churn and flip and groan inside her.
She hated bananas, even more now than she ever did.
And there was a truck encouraging folks to eat more of them. The audacity!
She had eaten bananas right before the flu had hit; she had made banana pancakes despite her aversion to the food because she’d had company. For first few hours she was ill, bananas—and the smell of them—were all that came up. Disgusting bananas.
She wanted to go around the truck, but he maintained his place in front of her.
“Eat More Bananas.”
She chuckled knowing full well that she’d never touch one again for as long as she lived.
