Shielding his eyes with his hand, he glanced up at the sky. Still no trace of clouds. The raging sun was beating down. Sweat beads dotted his dark temples, his throat was parched, much like the arid land he was standing on. The drought left deep cracks in the soil.
“How am I supposed to grow anything here,” he mumbled peering around the dry desolate field.
A teardrop escaped from his misty eyes. The barren ground quickly absorbed it. Despaired, he burst into tears.
A sudden rumble shook him and he looked up and smiled.
The first drops spattered down.
It may look like the story has zero connection with the picture, but right after seeing the lush green potted plants, my mind conjured up images of rain and then it drifted towards the plight of farmers (which I read about in newspapers almost every day). I cannot explain why that happened but I guess my subconscious wanted me to write this.
Written for Friday Fictioneers
PHOTO PROMPT © Ronda Del Boccio
All rights reserved.
Piyali's blogs 
The story was amazing, Piyali and yes this is the sorry plight of our farmers.
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Thanks for the read and your kind comment, Kamal.
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Welcome Piyali.
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I can see how the photo prompted that story. Nicely done!
Susan A Eames at
Travel, Fiction and Photos
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Thank you, Susan.
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Indeed it is a sad plight of the farmers today. An emotional piece!
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Thank you, Radhika 🙂
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So much drought in the world, the current heatwave in Europe is reminding us of how valuable rain really is!
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In my part of the world, drought is a dreadful thing.Thank you for the read, Lain
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We’ve only had a couple of months of drought here, but already I can identify with your character’s glee.
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Yes, it’s scary, especially for the farmers. Because it hits them first. Thank you for the read, Sandra.
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That was done very well Piyali and I instantly saw the connection with the prompt. If only their plight could be just as easily rectified!
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If only it could be rectified at all. Thanks Dahlia
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Very well done and well-connected to the picture, Piyali. The world seems to be suffering (in the Northern Hemisphere, anyway) with such a lack of rain… here too
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A good take on the prompt, and a well-conceived story. You’ve worked hard on your descriptions and chosen some good words – I particularly liked ‘spattered’ for example, because it evokes a response for sound and touch as well as for sight, and that goes to make the writing richer. Nice work!
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Thank you, Penny. I am glad you liked my choice of vocabulary here 🙂 Thank you for the constant encouragement 🙂
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Water is our most treasured resource. You’ve written about it in such a way that
it showcases how important it is to our survival. Well done, Piyali.
Isadora 😎
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Thank you, Isadora. I am glad my story could highlight the importance of water. Thanks for reading 🙂
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Dear Pyali,
Many of us can relate to drought these days. I love the way you ended with the welcome thunder. Beautifully constructed story. And as for you link to the prompt…I’m pleased you didn’t write a literal link to it. It’s supposed to be an inspiration not an illustration. Applause!
Shalom,
Rochelle
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Thank you, Rochelle. I was a little skeptic about my story for not having a clear connection with the picture. Now, after reading your comment, I am relieved.
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A timely read as right now I’m watching the first rain for many a week pouring from the sky.
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Thank you, Keith. I am glad the timing of my story coincided with the first droplets of rain in your area.
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A tough life that we city-dwellers can never truly appreciate.
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Absolutely. We are oblivious to their plight, Anurag.
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With only about 35% of total agricultural land i reliably irrigated here – the small farmers can only prey for rain. A topical take very well crafted.
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Thank you for the read, YS. Yes, things look pretty bleak from here.
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This is a great story. So appropriate in the States, where the West is enduring wild fires, lack of rain, and possibly disastrous harvests. The world will appreciate farmers a lot more when prices all rise because of poor yields.
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Things are not good in my side of the world too. Thank you for the read, Granonine.
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The joy when the thunder rumbled was tremendous which is another way of saying that you wove this story expertly – I was anxious where it was going and breathed a very relieved sigh at those first droplets. Very well done, Piyali.
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Thank you, Jilly. Your comment made me very happy 🙂
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Such an emotional piece written with such finesse! Excellent job done!❤️
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Your comments are always so encouraging, Richa. Thank you again 🙂
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Amazing!
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Well crafted story. It moves from despair to relief.
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Thank you for the read 🙂
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