Edna wakes at 5 AM; each morning the same chores, there are cows to milk and manure to clean, then breakfast for Joe.
“Why’s coffee so weak?”
“We’re down to the last beans.”
Joe has nothing to add, no payments from the mine as long as they are on strike, no more credit from the company store.
“There’s a union meeting later today. There are blacklegs in the mine”.
“There’s always another meeting… They will always find scab to replace you.”
“But we cannot give up”.
Edna looks at the door, knowing what it means.
“I’ll fix your dinner… somehow.”
© Karen Rawson
I’m sure I was not the only one who saw the steep uphill climb, and my thought went to sisyphean life of the miners in Zola’s novel Germinal.
Friday Fictioneers is curated by Rochelle, who give us a new image every week, and for us the task is to write a hundred word story.
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May 2, 2018
Björn Rudbergs writings 
I’m always a sucker for labour stories. Thanks, Bjorn
Glad to make you happy…
Dear Björn,
You captured the mixture of despair and determination. Well done.
Shalom,
Rochelle
When reading Germinal that is what I recall the most.
Hard times indeed. Nicely done.
Hard it is.. (and was)
Backing down is just what they want you to do, but how much longer can they hold out? Great use of the prompt Bjorn.
I wonder that too… but they seem prepared to do what it takes.
It is a desolate picture. I shudder to think what Edna is preparing to do.
I think she will do whatever she needs to do…
I’m sure. Poor thing.
You captured the hopelessness of miner’s lives with this one. Sadly, it still exists…
I think it does… or the mines have been closed.
Not something any of would wish to live through. Hopefully their positive attitude will win through.
My FriFic tale is called Solace!
In many case small wins came in the end.
A tough life made almost impossible – so much hardship here and so stoically borne. Well written Bjorn
I think you have to focus on survival… Sisyphean
Very true. What choice is there?
Powerful story, Bjorn. I could feel the despair. Nicely done.
Susan A Eames at
Travel, Fiction and Photos
Despair is there but so is determination.
Laborers often lose unless they are strong enough to hold out. You definitely captured that. Kudos!
Yes… holding out is what counts. Today the unions are pretty strong (at least in Sweden) so roles can be reversed as well.
A great portrait of their difficult circumstance.
Thank you, and thank for the picture.
A stark portrayal of such a difficult situation — and I, too, am a sucker for a labor story. Although the song I would have linked to probably would be from Billy Bragg. 🙂
Oh yes… Billy Bragg would have worked too..
I love this. It feels very authentic. The dialogue is very natural and the way the couple is struggling to survive financially is something a lot of couples face and have to try to find a way through it. Brilliant write.
The struggle was what I really wanted to portray as well as the ambiguity of continuing or giving up.
Tough, tough life indeed.
Oh yes.. very tough
A lovely word picture of millions in this world.
Seems like she knows how to keep afloat the family during hard times. Nice tale👍
I liked this, I almost went for a dead mine scenario myself. I found this entertaining.
Like minds…
Awesome visual with the mines! Love the song too… one of my all time favorites by Johnny Cash! ❤
I have Germinal in my bookcase – in French, of course, and have not had the courage to pick it up yet. It’s a big one!
Now… I’m feeling the urge to read it!
Loved your take, Björn
A long fight ahead. Great emotion in this one. Very heavy
They will do without coffee, and when they stick together, no one will die of hunger. Solidarity is the only thing that moves us all forward. If we wait for the rich people… Great description of hardship and determination, Björn.
Strikes cause a lot of hardship but where would we be if there hadn’t been strikes. They were tough men. Thank you for the Johnny Cash song – hadn’t heard it for years.
Reminds me of the miners’ strikes in the UK in the 70s and 80s. That decision – defy the strike so you can eat, or hold on… nice one!
Like Ali, your story reminded me of the miners’ strike in the UK. Factual accounts that I read at the time chime exactly with your story. That was how it was. (Not the company store bit, of course, but all the rest of it).
Good writing Bjorn; true to life and very relevant.
Lucky for him, Edna is understanding. Gritty tale, Bjorn.
Edna’s desperation and Joe’s determination are both so well defined. I imagine Edna wishes Joe wasn’t quite so stubborn as she scratches around to feed them.
You capture this bleak situation perfectly, Bjorn. I am interested in the reference and off to look it up.
Bleak but necessary. Their belts have been tightened so much it has gone to their brains.
That ‘somehow’ made me wonder whether she was sacrificing herself to her husband’s cause.
The frustration of the working poor. Beautifully written.
I first heard Tennessee Ernie Ford sing Sixteen Tons when I was about five. You captured it well.
Bjorn, interesting tale of the desperate times of working in the mines. The miners have helped make this country what it is today and it seems they get the raw end of the deal. Nicely written!
A wonderful portrait of grim times.
WOW Bjorn !! You can write a great story in such few words. I want to read the rest of the book.
I love where you went!