It had to be a sign…an abandoned guitar propped up against the tree in the middle of nowhere. It was hers.
A virtuoso violinist, Charlotte had been thinking about switching to guitar and jamming with the cool kids down at the park. She was sick of being different – the lone violinist accompanying the wind.
Besides, this guitar was asking to be taken.
Suddenly, she heard Charlton Heston’s voice booming out with unequivocal ancient authority: “Thou shalt not steal”.
“Little Miss Goody Two Shoes” couldn’t argue with Moses.
Capitulating, Charlotte left the guitar behind and kept walking.
Violin it is.
….
99 words PHOTO PROMPT © Bill Reynolds
As you might be aware I play the violin. Well, I played the violin right up to the start of covid. It is a relatively lonely instrument unless you belong to an orchestra or ensemble of sorts while guitar is much more social at least where we live.
By the way, Charlton Heston played Moses in The Ten Commandments.
This is another contribution to Friday Fictioneers kindly hosted by Rochelle Wisoff-Fields.
BTW I mixed up the photo prompts this week and responded to last week’s by mistake and it’s too late to add it to the link but perhaps you’d still like to check it out, especially if you have views on minimalism versus hoarding.
Here’s the link: The Last Word.
Best wishes,
Rowena
Beyond the Flow 
I’m glad she didn’t steal, but hope she gets the chance to do guitar and violin in the future!
Love it that she thought Charlton Heston was god
Early conditioning is hard to break. Hoping the guitar finds a way to be played again.
Dear Rowena,
My favorite instrument in the whole world is the violin. I don’t play but I love to listen to it. Play on!
Shalom,
Rochelle
I can play the guitar, but it can’t be compared to the voice-like quality and versatility of the violin. If only I’d learned it.
A wonderful story, Rowena. Excellent take on the prompt.
As for the instrument, check out the youtube (Elephant Revival) on my FF post. Also nearly anything by the The Petersens Band, but I’m sure they call it a fiddle. 🙂
Thank you, Keith. The violin is apparently the instrument closest to the human voice and it really has become a replacement voice as I can’t sing like I used to. I think it has a soul-like quality about it, which is what attracts me, but I would like to jam on a guitar with some friends as well. Would be fun and a great sense of belonging. There’s also the ukulele.
Thanks so much, Rochelle. I have only played a couple of times since the covid lockdown but I still have my music stand set up and my violin is handy. My days just seem to evaporate.
Yes. My husband comes from Tasmania and he once found an electric bass floating in a river and he dried it out and he played it and still has it 30 years later.
Thanks, Neil. he did have a commanding voice.
Great take on the prompt 🙂
I’d do anything Charlton Heston, I mean Moses, said. Ahem. He really was an unforgettable actor. Loved this story, Rowena.
That would definitely be a difficult temptation to avoid. Great story. But, I think she could pause to play it, and then leave it without tooo much recourse.
Wow, that is truly amazing, Rowena.
Can’t help but think that Charlotte’s violin invoked God to avoid being supplanted 😀 Nice take on the prompt!
Love it! Violins definitely have opinions and mine has always been very jealous. Doesn’t like neglect. I could see it calling on divine intervention!
Is it stealing if an item’s owner can’t be found? Maybe a bit of recycling?
The violin sounds a lot like writing, they’re both largely solo pursuits. Is writing more interactive? Writers can blog and whatnot.
This one truly spoke to me. I played violin until arthritis made it too painful. Strummed the guitar a bit, but never really progressed. Interesting, the social interactions of each instrument. One place in which a violin is more social is when it’s a fiddle, used in square dancing and other types of country music. Interesting post for this piano-playing virtuoso wannabe 🙂
I’m glad she didn’t steal the guitar but kept on with the violin. I love violin music! Lovely story.
I love that last line. Resignation at its best. May the violin make her happy.
The voice of a moral compass is a good one to heed.
Good on her for resisting. I love the sound of the Violin. It’s beautiful and can be really rocking as well. I’ve learned to play the Ukulele, I feel quite accomplished getting 4 strings o make so much good music. Especially being left-handed. Nicely told.
She could buy a guitar and play both?