Across the water is a country of luxury. My family loads our keelboat with goods and drags a raft of timber behind us. Across the river we float, trickling down to the exotic city where we trade.
Our family trades logs for some silk, corn for new shoes, and furs for sugar. We sell the raft to lighten the load back upriver.
I ask Pa, “Why do they trade their riches for our poor goods?”
Pa pushes the keel. “They live in a desert. To them, we’re the rich ones, but we’re all rich once we’ve shared our treasures.”
This was written for this week’s Carrot Ranch Challenge, “Across the Water.” Rivers often serve as borders, even if they also serve as connectors between us all. Today, which is World Communion Sunday in my tradition, I wanted to look at that combination in this 99 word flash.
Photo by Rachel Xiao on Pexels.com
What a beautiful story, and such wonderful wisdom. A great share, HRR.
Nice piece of writing! Great imagery
I enjoyed this story and the background for it. It is a kind of sin isn’t it, that a connector and a shared resource is also a barrier and a border.
I’m so glad you are writing short stories again. I have missed you and I’ve missed them!
That last line speaks wisdom. This Pa is like an Ingalls Pa who seemed wise, too. No matter where we go in the world, people share more in common than the novelty of their regional treasures. Great one!