
Competition One Winning Story: Every Thing We Own by Amy O'Neil
The winter I lost my job, my son was home sick from nursery. I made him a heart-shaped box from cardboard and folded a lottery ticket inside.
“If we win I’ll buy you a proper present,” I whispered, cupping his hot cheeks.
One by one numbers rolled out that weren’t ours.
My son adored the box anyway. He plucked things from all over the house, hid them inside and gave them back to me as presents. His filmy eyes watched my face for delight. Sometimes a harmonica lay inside, sometimes a crayon or a sock. Items that had never been together before were chosen and set down at new angles, like the splintered casing of a Biro cutting across a piece of soap. I pretended to be happy.
Christmas day we were waiting for our tax credits. All we could do was put our things in the box and pass it to each other, back and forth. We ransacked cupboards and lifted furniture. I gave him pasta shells, he gave me his asthma pump. His final gift was that crinkled old lottery ticket.
“That’s everything Kiddo,” I sighed, handing over the empty heart box. While he peered inside for the last time, I smoothed creases from the ticket hoping next year would be different. He kissed the curves of the heart, ran laps around our living room and punched the air as if we had won.
Illustration by Amy O’Neil
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A wonderful flash Your voice was sad but the promise was clear. Well done for both pieces af art.
Thank you Ellen. So glad you enjoyed it!
There are so many positive thoughts, so much potential in that heart-shaped box. Simple truth. I loved it!
Thank you Jacqui!
A loving relationship in hard times. Reminds me of Donna Tart’s ” The Gold Finch ”
Huge compliment, thank you! I love The Goldfinch.
Very moving and very positive. Great writing
I was OK until “he gave me his asthma pump’. Where are the tissues?
I really loved this, well done!
What a great piece of writing and a deserved winner. As with all the best flash fiction, there is a novel’s-worth of character, story and reader involvement here. I look forward to reading more of your work.