Click below to join:
https://jfb57.wordpress.com/2015/01/12/100-word-challenge-for-grown-ups-week163/
The prompt this week is …freedom… + 100 words
SEVEN Little LETTERS
“Let me explain—”
The uniform’s hand flew up. “Silence. Passport.” Crisp pages snapped between thickened fingers.
“Boris, see about the bag.” Uniform trousers swept past Mike. Slam.
“It’s a mistake.”
“Quiet.” The scarred fist smacked the desk; the chair creaked. “Travelling alone?”
“No. Yes. What’s this about?”
“I ask questions. Not you.”
“What about freedom of speech?”
The desk giant threw back his head and roared. “Your country maybe. This my country.” His mustard yellow teeth retreated.
“My mother—”
“What?”
“Sick…help her come home.”
Boris returned; they conferred.
“You have freedom visit my jail.”
“Lawyer—?”
“Boris fine lawyer.”
© 2015 All Right Reserved Tess and How the Cookie Crumbles
How the Cookie Crumbles 
January 13, 2015 at 5:35 pm
Scary… you do these so very well!
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January 13, 2015 at 5:56 pm
I still feel when you’re in a foreign country, you are at their mercy. It’s not like North America.
I guess I watched too many movies maybe. 🙂
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January 13, 2015 at 6:00 pm
And that is why it is so scary….just a whole different mentality and treatment.
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January 13, 2015 at 5:48 pm
Really like tis. Gave me the chills.
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January 13, 2015 at 5:57 pm
Thank YOU, John.
Have you been doing your regular posts? I haven’t seen any in a while.
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January 13, 2015 at 6:25 pm
Yes, my posts are Monday, Wed, Friday, and Saturday Here is the link. Maybe you stopped following me somehow (WP is always doing that) http://www.johnwhowell.com
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January 13, 2015 at 10:09 pm
Thank you. I knew you post regularly. WP has been gobbling words, changing accesses, freezing.up. Scares me lately. I’ll subscribe again. Better check who else I’m missing.
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January 14, 2015 at 9:12 am
Thanks for the follow. it showed up this morning
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January 15, 2015 at 8:37 am
Still can’t figure out what happened. I might have more to recoup. 😮
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January 15, 2015 at 9:15 am
These things happen when one goes to sleep. All night vigil is not the answer either. 🙂
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January 15, 2015 at 9:56 am
Sigh.
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January 13, 2015 at 6:10 pm
Travel definitely has its dangers. Well said of little stories that do happen every day.
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January 13, 2015 at 6:17 pm
Well written darling. We can be at the mercy of other countries and their regulations..and sometimes even made up for their benefit. Chilling 100 worder. 💜
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January 13, 2015 at 6:41 pm
Yikes!!! Here’s to freedom. 🙂
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January 13, 2015 at 10:11 pm
😀 😀 It’s been a crazy beginning to the year. Must send you an e-mail. 🙂
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January 13, 2015 at 6:50 pm
Excellent!
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January 13, 2015 at 10:12 pm
Thank YOU, Darlene. Thank you. ❤ ❤
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January 13, 2015 at 6:52 pm
Yes, I agree, here’s to freedom. It is such a precious thing. Great job with the prompt Tess. I’m participating this week too, finally!!! 😉
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January 13, 2015 at 10:12 pm
Fabulous. I haven’t posted my link yet. Must go over and read all the submissions.
Thanks so much for your kind words, Geraldine. See you soon. ❤
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January 13, 2015 at 6:58 pm
Love these challenges!
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January 13, 2015 at 10:13 pm
Me too. ❤
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January 13, 2015 at 8:23 pm
Well done, Tess. 🙂
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January 13, 2015 at 10:14 pm
Thanks ever so much, Paulette. ❤ ❤
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January 13, 2015 at 11:59 pm
Tess your words are so powerful I found myself leaning into the screen and becoming more anxious by the second. Thank heavens you didn’t have any more words!
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January 14, 2015 at 8:01 pm
Thank you, Sue. This even gave me chills when I read it through. We don’t know how lucky we are in North America. People complain North America profiles them, but what do you call being held up because you’re in the wrong place at the wrong time or if you look like someone, or someone pointed you out to cover up something / someone else. We read about it all the time.
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January 14, 2015 at 8:09 pm
We have so much to be grateful for Tess. Our freedom ranks right at the top.
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January 15, 2015 at 9:14 am
We must protect it at all costs even as we think we’ve won it fair and square with two great wars and more in between. ❤ ❤ ❤
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January 14, 2015 at 1:29 am
I think this could still happen in some parts of the world and you’ve brought the possibility to life!
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January 14, 2015 at 8:03 pm
I believe it does in present day…I read it in our newspapers. What’s the charge? Can’t go home? Families band together. Years go by. I’m not saying all these people are innocent or guilty, I just point out it still happens.
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January 14, 2015 at 2:15 am
Reblogged this on Smorgasbord – Variety is the spice of life and commented:
100-word challenge for grownups – this week’s cautionary tale from Tess Karlinski….
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January 14, 2015 at 2:31 am
This is powerful and chilling.
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January 14, 2015 at 8:21 pm
Thank You. We can’t give away our freedom of speech, or any of the freedom our soldiers fought for.
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January 14, 2015 at 3:45 am
As always, right to the point, and so frightening, because of the terrible truths behind it.
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January 15, 2015 at 8:29 am
Thank you, Judee. This is so true. All you need to do is read the newspaper or listen to the news. Detainment in a foreign country is still real.
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January 14, 2015 at 5:56 am
Oh crap……
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January 14, 2015 at 8:26 am
I can see this happening ~ very scary
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January 15, 2015 at 8:35 am
I know. Detainment still happens. Thank you for your kind support. ❤
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January 14, 2015 at 10:51 am
Wow! Sometimes I feel like that coming home at my own airport, lol. I can’t help but wonder what country this story was in? 🙂
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January 15, 2015 at 8:40 am
‘Boris’ put me in mind of the country. ❤
When we arrived at Toronto airport in April, a police officer with a sniffing dog, went around the carousel of incoming luggage. Didn't see that anywhere else during our vacation, not even China.
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January 15, 2015 at 12:28 pm
No kidding! I always say that coming home makes me feel as though I’m guilty of something. Many airports are busy looking for drugs and criminals. Our airport is busy looking to get you for 13% duty on our hard earned money we choose to spend on vacation. #ARG
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January 15, 2015 at 3:52 pm
😀 😀 😀
Sigh.
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January 14, 2015 at 1:08 pm
Excellent! It reminded me that I really should get back to post about the experiences in my life.
I can’t imagine where this airport in your story is, although I can’t visualize it being in Europe.
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January 15, 2015 at 8:43 am
Is ‘Boris’ a clue? 😛
Sounds like you have some interesting tales to tell. Do share. 😀
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January 14, 2015 at 2:44 pm
Once again, you’ve left me hanging. What country is this anyway so I may avoid it? China?
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January 15, 2015 at 8:45 am
Sorry to leave you hanging, Jacqui.
Might “Boris’ give you a clue? ❤ ❤
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January 14, 2015 at 7:19 pm
I traveled to countries like that. Learned it the hard way to bite my tongue. Even had to look different, had to hide my eyes and hair. The freedom that we know is not everywhere guaranteed. Well done my friend!
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January 15, 2015 at 9:03 am
Thanks so much for your kind words. I’m pleased you like this piece.
Might you share some of your travel experiences which allude to such uncomfortable situations? ❤ ❤
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January 15, 2015 at 9:25 am
I traveled a lot in Europe and Africa in the 80’s. When some of the countries still belonged to Russia. The old Czechoslovak Federal Republic, Peoples Republic of Bulgaria, Peoples Republic of Poland, Peoples Republic of Hungary. Same goes for Africa, depending where you travel to. I visited South Africa, Tunis, Morocco and Kenya. Too be honest, it can happen all over the world if you are a tourist and don’t know the language very well.
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January 15, 2015 at 10:00 am
Sometimes, I wonder if the ‘officials’ aren’t playing with a tourist’s head because they can, or they just like playing superior.
I imagine all kinds of things, which aren’t necessarily real scenarios.
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January 15, 2015 at 11:05 am
That’s what I thought often as well. They take advantage of people if you don’t speak their language well.
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January 15, 2015 at 3:48 pm
I have had similar thoughts.
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January 15, 2015 at 10:00 am
You sure have been around the block. Wow. Must have learned a lot from your travels. Lucky you. ❤
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January 15, 2015 at 11:04 am
I was very fortunate. I traveled the word or lots of it and I got paid for doing so :-).
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January 15, 2015 at 3:47 pm
Lucky lady, but after a good while it must have become tiresome living out of a suitcase?
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January 14, 2015 at 7:52 pm
“His mustard yellow teeth retreated.” Now that’s a great sentence!
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January 15, 2015 at 9:12 am
Thanks so much, Laura. This character put me in mind of a rat: nasty whether smiling or not. ❤
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January 14, 2015 at 11:12 pm
Skeery!
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January 15, 2015 at 9:41 am
Indeed.
We cannot get complacent at home or while traveling. As it is, our freedoms are being whittled away. Have you noticed?
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January 15, 2015 at 7:16 pm
Notable touch of uncertain fright … thus well done.
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January 15, 2015 at 8:48 pm
Thanks so much. I’m pleased you like this. 🙂
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January 16, 2015 at 4:18 am
Fabulous as always Tess. I could picture that whole scene so well. 💞
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January 16, 2015 at 6:35 am
Oh my – this scene is going to stay in my head all day! EXCELLENT!!!!
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January 16, 2015 at 11:29 am
Scary…
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January 16, 2015 at 12:06 pm
Thanks. I hope so.
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January 16, 2015 at 12:47 pm
‘Mustard Yellow Teeth’. Love that. And ‘Boris fine lawyer’. Something tells me never to travel to this place…I thought US immigration was bad enough, haha 😀 Another great flash Tess, bravo 🙂 😀 🙄
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January 16, 2015 at 1:09 pm
Thanks so much, Sherri. Those teeth would scare the you-know-what out of me. Not everyone has a dental plan or care if they do. Travel these days IS scary especially foreign language countries. Who do you turn to? 👿
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January 16, 2015 at 3:27 pm
I don’t think Boris passed the bar.
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January 16, 2015 at 5:41 pm
Great character study and suspense in 100 words!
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January 16, 2015 at 10:24 pm
Tess, scary. I traveled so often in the past this scenario use to scare the hades out of me sometimes. Loved this one!
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