(Author’s note: Merry Christmas!)
Dreams (Gone)
by Miles H. Rost
Teddy stood, brushing the sand and dust off his clothes.
He lodged the large, uncut opal into the top of the headstone.
“Ay, da. I buried ya where the paper told me.”
Teddy’s father spent most of his life in the holes next to where he now laid. His fortune was in opals, a dangerous job with a great reward. The cancer treatments, though, depleted that fortune and left it all gone. By the time Teddy showed up, it was too late. He died.
“I’ll be back soon, da. I have to close this deal on oil with the Singaporeans.”
Music and Fiction 
At least he had a purpose in life
Very true. Some wish they had such purpose. Thanks for stopping by!
What a last line! Nicely done, Miles.
Susan A Eames at
Travel, Fiction and Photos
“Like Father Like Son”. Thanks for the comment!
Looks like the son is following in his father’s footsteps.
Sometimes sons do that. Othertimes, sons diverge paths. Same type of business, different type of product.
Bleak. Sounds as if the son is much like the father, just mining a different substance.
Kind of reminiscent of “Cat’s In The Cradle” by Harry Chapin, no? Thanks for stopping by!
Yes! Hadn’t thought of that, but yes.
Like father, like son. Chasing after things that in the end don’t matter. Nicely written!
Depends on what world philosophy you follow. For John D Rockefeller, it was always “one more dime”. Thanks for stopping by!
So, I’m guessing he found oil in the old opal holes? Hopefully. 🙂 Merry Christmas, Miles. Hope you’re doing well.
Nah. Off the coast of Queensland, more likely. Opal holes only yield opals. A late Merry Christmas to you!
Hmm … like father like son? Mining around?
Merry Christmas to you and yours!
I should have used that song instead. (“Like Father Like Son” – Lionel Cartwright). Thank you for stopping by!
🙂
If he found oil in the opal mines, then his father really just fell short of hitting it lucky. Nicely told!
Nah. He found the oil off the coast of Queensland. That’s why he’s hurrying off to his meeting.
So his father stripped the land of opals and now he’s doing the same with oil. Like father like son.
The surprising thing I found out about opals is that it’s not like a strip mine, where they do concentric circles. All they do is dig down and dig very deep. Once they get done with the holes, many times they get filled back in with the same dirt they dug out. It’s fascinating. Thanks for stopping by!
It all in the genes, well told.
The philosophy, not really genetic, but learned. Dad taught business to his kid well. Wasn’t that good in other areas, though. Thanks for stopping in!