Friday 1 August 2008

For Fiction friday, 3WW, and Sunday Scribblings

Serena could gamble with the best of them. The ponies were her passion; Saratoga her shrine. Every year she came to upstate New York for the entire six week meet.

Exacta, trifecta, pick 6, daily double, these were music to her ears; the Racing Form a feast for her intellect. Track conditions, Byer speed figures, grade of race, distance; her eyes pored over each minute detail every night back in her hotel room allowing nothing to be omitted.

Every morning she woke at first light, to rub shoulders with jockey agents at the local bagal shop, and then enjoy her breakfast sitting in the hallowed clubhouse seats while the lady at the loudspeaker announced when a famous horse would step onto the track. Serena had seen them all--Ginger Punch, Inside Information, Fourstardave, Easy Goer, Hansel, Alysheba, Lady's Secret.

After, she went back to get ready for the afternoon. A leopard print dress was her favorite outfit, the sleeveless one that cinched at her waist and then flared around her knees.

She was a woman in a man's world. She could wear what she wanted, do her hair as she wished; there were no female eyes to criticize her and how she looked. Here, at Saratoga, she could do what pleased her.

True, this was a temporary world, but this was her world, the time when she came alive.

The time when she became complete.

9 comments:

Anonymous said...

Sounds like quite a girl! Oh - I won on the horses today! Really enjoyable read.

Anonymous said...

I especially enjoyed this one - went to saratoga with my dad when I was not quite 10 years old with a trainer friend of his from brandywine stables. . . Serena is an interesting character. . . has she appeared in any of your other writing?

Gemma Wiseman said...

Lovely insight into someone determined to be how she wishes to be ~ regardless!

Jodi Cleghorn said...

You evoke a wonderful array of images ... a guess there are few of us in the world who would not have been to the races at least once in our lives.

I really liked this and was particularly interested because you commented that it was based on a real person. I'm big on women being feminine in a man's world ... and holding firm and proud that feminine grace.

I'd love to know more about her too.

Tumblewords: said...

What a delightful person - I envy her. Nicely written.

Lenore said...

To be honest, she was only made up for this writing prompt, for the leopard dress one in particular. She's a mix of a real lady who was always at Saratoga every year for almost 10 years that my dad and I went when I was a teenager, who always dressed exactly as she wanted. And back then the track and where we always sat was full of men who's only interrest was betting. The other mix is more a tribute to my 4 month old son's infatuation with Serena Williams.

Thanks everyone for the kind words. :)

Anonymous said...

This needs another part. Very well written.

Creativity

TC said...

I really enjoyed this story. You set the scene and made us feel like we know her.

P.S. That pic of your son and his Aunt cracks me up :) My niece and nephew love to tug on my hair as well, so I feel her pain.

Anonymous said...

Wonderfully written!!! You bring a nice flavour to the character. The stucatto writing does well to bring the energy up, giving me a feeling that your character is frantic in her energy about her passion for gambling and the races. I can just picture her walking through the racing lobbies in high heels, short, quick steps, focused on her racing form...brilliant!

I'm a little late posting my Friday Challenge...I invite you to come by for a comment. :D

That's my two pence...
Arial ;)

Arial Burnz - Romance Novelist & Artist
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