No Big Deal

 No Big Deal

What you do for someone may seem like nothing to you, but it could have a huge impact on another. That situation can form or enrich a relationship.

In my novel, Baggage burdens., Joseph helps Susan, an elderly vender, who has a flat tire. To him it was no more a bother than a mother cleaning up supper dishes. To Susan his actions were life saving. Not only does she praise him the next time they go to market, but also she remembers the good deed a year and a half later.

 “Look at what the nice lady gave me,” Amber blurts out.

Joseph examines a black horse pendant carefully. “It’s beautiful.”

One of the books that Jill reads to Amber is Black Beauty. ‘Tomorrow I’ll ask her if she’d like to go out for ride,’ decides Joseph.

As Jill arrives, Joseph looks up. “Gave?” He points to the necklace.

“Yeh.” Jill glances at the table from where the necklace came. When she looks back at Joseph, she adds. “Susan said no charge. Something about you changing a tire. It’s the least she could do.”

About half a year ago, Susan, the sixty-three year old lady had a flat. She stood behind her open trunk and stared at the spare. It seemed to Joseph as if she were trying to wish the tire out. Her arms hung limp, as if refusing to pull the bulky weight. Joseph’s offer, “need help?” was greeted with such a sigh of relief. Changing the tire took less than ten minutes. She offered to pay him but he said, “no big deal.” He forgot about it the minute he drove away, but Susan made his gallant deed her lead story the following Saturday morning.

People are good. Such a portrayal may seem like uninteresting reading material. Without a struggle how can one rejoice in the triumph of the human spirit? However, good people don’t always have an easy life.

Also, since the reader isn’t expecting tension, now is the time to introduce seeds of conflict either in the middle of a tranquil period or shortly after. By gently tossing in a developing concern a reader can understand how a character in the story can miss the tell tail signs. Why?––because the reader more than likely missed the sign too.

In the excerpt above it may seem that Joseph is struggling with a perceived problem. In reality the ticking bomb is inside Jill.

“Something important happening tonight?” asks Thomas. He points to Joseph’s watch. “You’ve checked it several times.”

“No. No. Nothing,” answers Joseph. He commits to stop checking the time. “Just looking forward to Jill picking me up.”

He’s plagued by an impression that Jill was on the verge of saying something to him as he drove to market in the morning. At first he suspected it was his imagination, but as they entered Camrose Jill started to say something and then stopped again. He guesses Jill is seeking Ann’s advice, like he often does with Thomas and Rebecca.

‘Maybe on the way home,’ he thinks.

“I haven’t seen you this anxious since the last time Jill was pregnant.”

In a peaceful setting a writer plants a conflict grain.

Tucked in a normal everyday activity Joseph struggles with a perceived problem. Like an innocent leaf poking its head above ground is a sign of a weed. Jill’s unspoken question.

haiku capsule:

              No! Not a flat tire!        

                               Joseph’s rescue remembered.     

                                Thanks, insufficient.

Next blog: Gender Conflict