The Block Party | Freewrite: 9/7/24 | Prompt: A Picture Is Worth A Thousand Words

The stairs attached to the housing unit on the third level that finally claimed the livelihood of Morten Hallbright was witnessed by no less than twenty people.

All the twenty individuals saw was Morten tumbling down the stairs in what many would later describe as a life-ending accident where the blood-curdling scream alerted them he'd finally done it.

What they didn't see was his grandson who lived with him had run upstairs and into the apartment to retrieve his skateboard. As children tend to become sidetracked, the boy decided he required a restroom visit.

Morten had already consumed a six pack of beer before the family arrived. Rushing to finish dressing, it was no surprise that he didn't notice the skateboard waiting for him in the middle of the living room's open door.

Morten Hallbright. If ever there was a more generous, caring, lighthearted, and loving family member, you couldn't find him in that family group. Lovingly called Uncle Mort, the only negative word spoken about him was his stubbornness. No shades of gray existed for Uncle Mort. He expected others to follow his example.

His community volunteer services were well known. The only thing missing in Uncle Mort's life was the fortune he dreamed of that hadn't yet materialized. It wasn't from his lack of daily play. His apartment neighbors would smile as he walked by on his way to the local convenience store. His return included a bundle of lottery tickets, a carton of menthol cigarettes, and two six packs of his favorite beer.

By the time Uncle Mort reached retirement age, he was well on his way to being the recipient of several underlying medical conditions detrimental to his health. Still, he continued his daily lifestyle.

As always though, fate has a way of catching up and reminding you who's in charge when you least expect it.

The day of his horrible accident, his wife, Aunt Mamie, had gathered the family for their quarterly meet and greet block party, together with good food, drink, and activities. Never mind, the location wasn't quite appropriate for a family get-together.

The building was, after all, located in an apartment complex. Although recently placed on the "To Be Monitored" list in that city's inspection department until all safety concerns were brought up to code, the complex was still a dilapidated place to reside. And all dwellers unfortunate enough only to afford the mandated rent knew the pitfalls and perils the unsafe conditions presented.

But as family tend to do, they turn negatives into positives so they can live their lives in a semblance of normalcy and good spirits.

Four family members playing a game of Spades. Six men slamming dominoes down hard on the table. Three women tending to food tables, with two serving. Children playing various games. And other neighbors who'd invited themselves for freebies stood nearby.

Suddenly, Uncle Mort stumbled out the front door headed toward the railing. The skateboard disappeared over the railing and fell to the courtyard. A quick turn sideways, and Mort's body was airborne for a moment before losing his footing and hitting the concrete stairs, then sliding downward. His cap flew from his head. His eyeglasses followed. Mort unsuccessfully extended his hands to break the fall. His right foot twisted forward.

Chaos ensued. Horrified, the family jerked a collective breath as all paused their activities and ran toward the stairs.

Severely injured, Uncle Mort suffered two broken wrists, a broken ankle, crushed ribs, with numerous visible scars and possibly internal damage.

"Don't move him," one nephew shouted as his hands shook uncontrollably, but quickly managed to dialed 9-1-1. Children burst into tears and clung to their parents at seeing their relative in such a broken state.

The ambulance arrived thirty minutes later.

Uncle Mort remained in the hospital for over two months. His physical appearance far exceeded his diagnosis. He would survive the trauma after broken bones mended.

But fate stepped in. During the last few days of his stay, one of his assigned nurses checked on him. Aunt Mamie had left the room for a cup of coffee. Rounding the hallway, her mouth dropped as she noticed a flurry of activity.

The light flashed on the outside of Mort's Room 197 alerting the staff that a Code Blue had been issued. Aunt Mamie dropped the coffee and ran as fast as she could. By the time she reached his bed, Uncle Mort was gone. The victim of a massive heart attack.

Although the management company pushed back that Morten Hallbright's recklessness was a contributing factor to his accident and subsequent demise, Aunt Mamie forged ahead with what she believed was her due.

She no longer had her life companion to scold about consuming too much liquor and smokes. She overlooked the fact that she'd often complain about their high prices after returning from the grocers with his favorite brands.

While she waited on her pending case to be resolved, she continued her nightly television watching routine. Lately, her mind would wander as an occasional tear would fall remembering with fondness their bets on who'd guess correctly the items presented on their favorite game show, The Price is Right.

Welcome back to my freewrite prompt story for this week. The photo that is the subject of the story spoke to me about a person who is in distress.

Describe what you see.
A building that appears dilapidated with dirty concrete stairs. The sky appears without a weather condition approaching. Iron railings are in place to prevent accidents. An older gentleman who wears glasses has taken a fall down a flight of stairs. His cap goes flying off his head as he attempted to brace himself from the fall. He appears to be screaming perhaps for assistance.

Describe what you feel.
Not knowing what caused the fall, the man may have suffered a medical emergency or just stumbled on something in his path.

Write a story or poem about what you think is going on. I leave with you my story for: A Picture is Worth A Thousand Words - 9/7/24.

^{Image used with permission of contest owner}