F is for FIDDLER

Welcome to Day 6 of the Third Annual A to Z Challenge! This post is late because I've been so hectic over the last two days… and will be just as busy over the next two days… it means that I haven't visited as many blogs as I did within the first three days *le sigh*

My theme my 26 fiction posts will revolve around something musical – it could be anything, as long as it's musically-related… maybe a song title, an artist/band, musical terminology, musical instruments, words relating to sound/rhythm/movement/dance etc.

MUSICAL ASSOCIATION/CONNECTION. FIDDLER –  a person who plays the violin, especially one who plays folk music.                       

                     

Reginald Hutchinson was something of an oddity.

A real piece of work, happy-go-lucky and always upbeat, with a heart of gold.

He was finicky and fussy, too.

But most of all – he loved to fiddle.

Now I’m not talking about playing the violin oh my word, no!

He loved to fiddle with this and that. He tinkered with an assortment of appliances – the faulty toaster, the rusty iron and the washing machine when it finally gave up after ten years of unfailing loyalty.  

He pottered about in the kitchen where he had an array of tiny plants and different herbs in window boxes. He nurtured them lovingly, giving them the perfect amount of food and water combined with the correct number of hours exposed to the sunshine, all year round.

Armed with garden tools and matching gloves, he tended the flower beds in the outside garden, watering, weeding, digging, and the flowers seemed to flourish under care. He was quite the green-fingered fusspot!

He was prim and proper when it came to his outward appearance. Since he was not in the habit of purchasing clothes, he spent time mending odd articles of clothing, sewing missing buttons and fixing hems that had come undone.

To the townsfolk, despite the eccentricities, he appeared harmless enough…

Little did they know what lay beneath the carefully constructed smokescreen…

                        *          *          *          *          *          *          *          *          *          *

GENRE: FICTION

32 Comments

  1. Sia McKye on April 7, 2012 at 1:33 am

    Well, I love fiddle music, as you know, but this was interesting. Nothing like leaving us on the edge of the cliff, or something. lol! So are you going to tell us where he hid the bodies? Hmm, I gonna have to be watching to see if there are any answers to these cliff hangers.
    I understand time contraints. I've had a list a city block long to get through. I've been trying to get to different ones each day because the articles are interesting and I love seeing how creative so many of the bloggers are. 
    <a href="http://www.siamckye.blogspot.com">Sia McKye OVER COFFEE</a>

    • michelle on April 7, 2012 at 11:23 pm

      There are so many blogs to visit… I don't think I'll be able to visit them all… though I'm doing my very best to get to, at least five a day. Where are the bodies? What do you think? One guess… 🙂

  2. Stephanie on April 7, 2012 at 11:45 am

    The science fiction nerd in me hopes that he's not just a serial killer.  Ha!

    • michelle on April 7, 2012 at 11:24 pm

      There's more to him than meets the eye… that's for sure… 🙂

  3. Elise Fallson on April 7, 2012 at 12:24 pm

    What a hook at the end! Hope things settle down for you soon. Sounds like you're pretty busy, but that may be a good thing, it'll keep you out of trouble. (;

    • michelle on April 7, 2012 at 11:26 pm

      I don't mind the busy part… it's just that I planned on visiting more blogs than what I can presently manage… *sighs*    🙂

  4. mary aalgaard on April 7, 2012 at 1:32 pm

    The ideal set-up for someone with a dark side.
     
    <a href=http://maryaalgaard.blogspot.com>Play off the Page</a>

    • michelle on April 7, 2012 at 11:27 pm

      You've hit the nail on the head!

  5. Damyanti on April 7, 2012 at 3:56 pm

    Loved the set-up in the end!
    Btw, used your story starter today :)–thanks!!
     

    Look forward to your challenge run…
    –Damyanti, Co-host A to Z Challenge April 2012
     
    Twitter: @AprilA2Z
                 #atozchallenge

    • michelle on April 7, 2012 at 11:28 pm

      On my way over there now….. 🙂

  6. Pat Carroll Marcantel on April 7, 2012 at 4:33 pm

    You just get better n better, Michelle. Loved this beginning.  (How many full-fledged books will she get out of this one-month challenge)?

    • michelle on April 7, 2012 at 11:30 pm

      Ms. Pat… you are too kind! Thank you! Fully-fledged books? Phew! I'm not too sure about that… sounds very industrious… 🙂

  7. The Golden Eagle on April 7, 2012 at 4:45 pm

    Uh oh . . . that does not sound good for the townsfolk!

    • michelle on April 7, 2012 at 11:31 pm

      Yes, right under their noses… that's how it normally happens… and people just don't see it!

  8. Erin M. Hartshorn on April 7, 2012 at 7:12 pm

    Ooh, I want to know what he's hiding!

    • michelle on April 7, 2012 at 11:32 pm

      Lots of stufff…  you can bet on that… 🙂

  9. Donna B. McNicol (@DonnaBMcNicol) on April 8, 2012 at 4:33 am

    Oh my, I want MORE>>>>>>>now have to go read your other entries. Definitely adding you to my daily list of blogs! Loving the A to Z….

    • michelle on April 8, 2012 at 10:48 pm

      Thank you Donna! I'm so glad you enjoyed the story… 🙂

  10. Rekha on April 8, 2012 at 10:03 am

    My , my after all this soft warming up, you pull the rug from under us with this bomb,. Tell me, he is a mage orbetter still an good alien or maybe a govt.secret agent

    • michelle on April 8, 2012 at 10:49 pm

      Definitely more in the secret agent category… *chuckles* I love the way your mind works Rek!

  11. Debbie on April 8, 2012 at 4:50 pm

    Hey there that is a great story and I love a good cliff hanger. I can only imagine what is buried in that garden, making it grow, and also a have the perfect picture in my mind of exactly what Reginald looks like.
    -Debbie

    • michelle on April 8, 2012 at 10:53 pm

      Thanks Debbie… it's great that you've formed a picture from the story… that means it stirred your imagination… glad you enjoyed the cliffhanger too because I actually battled with this piece… 🙂

  12. Jaycee DeLorenzo on April 8, 2012 at 5:13 pm

    What was it?  What was it??????????????

    • michelle on April 8, 2012 at 10:54 pm

      I'm still working that out myself !!!!! LOL

  13. julie kemp pick on April 8, 2012 at 8:55 pm

    I' can't wait to  see what happens next! Fascinating mystery!

    • michelle on April 8, 2012 at 10:55 pm

      Glad you enjoyed it, Julie.

  14. Catherine Noble on April 9, 2012 at 10:53 am

    Oooooh I want to know what's behind the smokescreen! 😀 What a delightfuly eccentric character, looking forward to finding out more 🙂

  15. michelle on April 9, 2012 at 2:11 pm

    Isn't it amazing how eccentricity is linked to something delightful? Well, most of the time… which provides the perfect foil for somebody with a *hidden agenda"…  🙂 Thanks for popping in, Catherine.

  16. Tracy Brown on April 11, 2012 at 5:50 pm

    Very nicely done! I love this line: green-fingered fusspot.
    🙂 So, are those bodies serving as compost in his garden?

  17. michelle on April 11, 2012 at 6:05 pm

    Thanks Tracy. 🙂 What do you think?

  18. Jocelyn Rish on April 12, 2012 at 3:58 am

    Love how you quickly pulled a switcharoo on the type of fiddler he was.  And fun it of mystery at the end!

  19. michelle on April 12, 2012 at 10:29 pm

    I love your word switcharoo… it's too cool! I'm going to borrow it 🙂

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