Rank and foul, the old man was in his wine. He would not shut up. The same stories of the Republic, delivered in his slurry Catalonian lisp. For the hundredth time he told how his nephew, ten years old, smuggled a bomb into Franco’s headquarters, a bomb disguised as a picnic basket.
The filthy old bastard grinned. He held up a slice of baguette.
“We were told to send a girl. But we knew the guard was a pederast.” He drove his grimy finger into the bread, twisting it back and forth. “Too bad the bomb did not go off.”
Don’t like the sound of him!
Rosey Pinkerton
I wouldn’t leave that 10 year old nephew with that old man alone. Nice narration that brings the repulsive old man to life.
Wow, I know way too much about this miserable old guy! Great writing! 🙂
Good evocation. I felt like I was sitting there watching.
Tracey
This man sounds like the type of person one would not like to meet in a dark alley.
Great narration, it made the story come to life.
This is so good on so many levels, and so timely, too. Where do the crimes of the enemy end and those of the revolutionaries begin?
Terrorists have ever been the same. They carry different flags serve different causes but always utilize the same tools it seems.
He is a grumpy old man for sure. Great description. I could envision it all.
You could feel the anger of the rank and foul old man as he told his tale. Driving his grimy finger into the bread and twisting it back and forth told it all (if we didn’t already know it.) A tale where you dislike every character in it but love the story.
Great description of your character and good story. Bravissimo (or similar).
Somehow, even if the cause may be just the cost was high.. Well told,
Agreed with Anonymous and Björn, that old revolutionary chose immoral tactics
but the foe he faced had it coming and too bad the bomb missed IMHoO, Tay.
A compelling portrayal of an ugly character and his experience. The title is intriguing, as is the ambiguity of the narrator’s attitude. I think he’s not without regret for what happened to his nephew, despite his seemingly dismissive ‘Too bad …’.