Trifecta 90 – Grasp

This week’s Trifecta challenge is to use the the word Grasp, defined as “to lay hold of with the mind : comprehend” in a piece of writing of between 33 and 330 words.

Legal Legitimacy.

Mr Ramsbottom sat down behind his partners desk with arthritic care.  He had been Thomas Whyte’s friend and solicitor for fifty years or more.  His rheumy eyes surveyed the mourners. Maddie, who dotted on her grandfather, even giving up her job to look after him, sat on her own.  She looked cold and dishevelled in her threadbare, woollen coat. Her fingers red and chapped from the cleaning jobs she’d taken on to make ends meet since losing her grandpa.  In contrast, her cousins, so untouched by their grandfather’s death they hadn’t even bothered to come to the funeral, looked almost regal in their Bond Street perfection. It was Thomas’s greatest regret that he hadn’t seen his younger children since the divorce.

“If I might have your attention…” Mr Ramsbottom began. They turned to him expectantly. “As you know I was Thomas’s friend and solicitor, yet despite my advice and his assurances that he would get around to it, Thomas died intestate.”  He paused and straightened the papers in front of him again.  It is true, the law is an ass, he thought.

“In such cases the law states that any estate goes to the nearest, living blood relatives.” He paused again, gauging reactions, unable to look Maddie in the eye.   “I’m sorry to say that probate investigations have brought to light the fact that George Whyte, Thomas’s eldest son, was not the biological father of Madeline Mary Whyte.”

“Wha…” gulped Maddie clutching at her throat, unable to grasp the significance of what had been said.

“It seems that Mary, Madeline’s mother, was married when she met George and her husband was Madeline’s father. As George did not adopt Madeline and she is not a blood relative, despite his stated wishes to the contrary she is not an heir and therefore not entitled a share of the estate.”

All their eyes swivelled towards poor Maddie.  Wheezing heavily, her head throbbing, Madeline tried to stand.  No longer able to breath she sank to the floor.

Trifecta 89 – weak

I’ve had some extra time this week so I thought I’d have a go at this week’s Trifecta challenge.

“You can’t have it both ways. Either you’re committed to this family or you’re not. If I lose my license I’ll lose my job and then where will we be? No money, no mortgage payments – we’ll lose the house. Is that what you want?” He paused for breath, fists clenched ominously by his side.

Sarah kissed the baby’s soft, powdery skin, gently smoothing the sheet and tucking her in. He had started first thing that morning when yet another speeding ticket had tumbled onto the mat. … 93 on the M11 on Saturday 27^th January. The 27^th – the day he had told her he was going to the rugby with the boys. The 27^th  – the day Jack Harmon, one of those boys, had called to ask if he wanted to do a spot of fishing since they hadn’t managed to get match tickets. The 27^{th –} their fifteenth wedding anniversary.  Her shoulders sagged, tears threatened as she understood what the myriad of lies and excuses meant. Theatre tickets that he’d said were for his mother, deadlines that required him  to work weekends, money missing from the joint account.  The M11 goes to Cambridge. Cambridge could only mean one thing – Sally.  Sally ‘it was all a big mistake’. Sally ‘I’ll never see her again; my life is here with you and the children’.

“Sarah” he began again, wheedling this time. “Come on love, its only three points, you haven’t got any. It’s nothing. Take the points and then we can put it all behind us. Oh, come on Sarah. You know I love you, just do this one little thing for me.”

The baby snored softly. Sarah turned towards her husband.

“That’s weak Robert. Is that the best you can do? Take your ticket and your points and get out! Get your precious Sally to take the points for you!”

His nostrils flared. His fists tightened into balls of iron. Sarah turned and walked towards the nursery door unaware of the danger.