Candle Magic
Maya’s nostrils flared with the scent of jasmine drifting past her in thin bands of smoke. A crack in her aunt’s bedroom door revealed a wax waterfall cascading from the table to the brown shag carpet. Lola lay in her bed sniffling next to a mountain of loose, tissue balls.
Maya dipped her fingers in the candle’s’ wax pool, the liquid hot and soothing on her flesh.
“I brought healing ointment,” Maya said. “Something to help with…what’s it called…unrecycled love?”
Lola laughed, tears streaming down her face. “Close enough. Recycle this for me.” She handed Maya a letter. “Burn it.”
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Thanks to Rochelle for leading this group of talented writers, and to Renee Heath for this week’s photo.
Genre: General (100 words)
Copyright – Renee Heath
AmyReeseWrites 
Unrecycled love! I belly laughed at that.
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Oh good! I just thought of it. I’m glad I could make you laugh,
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Oh I don’t have to read the letter to understand its content.. good write..
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Thanks, Bjorn!
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Good story Amy. Recycle that sucker. LOL
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Thanks, Jackie! Recycle, indeed.
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This is such an interesting photo, and I’ve enjoyed seeing what people have come up with for it, yours included!
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Thanks, Carrie! I will be checking them out soon.
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Good story Amy, we can never do enough recycling can we. Have a good weekend.
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W might do this with love until we get it right! Thanks, Michael!
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Wow! That’s special right there. Poor Aunt Lola, but she had the right idea. Nice, Amy!
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Thanks for your kind words.
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i don’t know what unrecycled love means. i feel at a loss to the others who understood it. so if they got it, then i’m the one with the problem.
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What Maya means to say is unreciprocated love. That’s all! I guess if you don’t get it, it can still be kind of funny, I hope.
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oh, so she meant to say unreciprocated but said unrecycled by mistake? i was thinking it should be unrequited or unrequieted, but i never understood that one either. thanks!
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Oh no, sorry. Duh. That’s what I meant. You should see me switching from three different devices to blog while I cook dinner. I changed it a little. Maybe it reads better. You never probably experienced unrequited love, huh?
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oooh i sure have.
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Unrecycled love always makes my nostrils flare too!
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Me too, Guapo. Thanks!
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Funny and touching and mysterious. As all unrequited pieces are.
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Ha ha! Thanks, man. I appreciate it!
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Sad but true – go girl!
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Everyone needs to experience unrecycled love. A lot better than unrequested love. Maya is wise beyond her years.
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Unrecycled love, that’s a great phrase. 🙂 Hope burning the letter will help with the catharsis.
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Thanks, David. I’m proud of it! I never got into this type of thing, but maybe it would have helped. 🙂
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Sad, but a funny and touching moment.
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Thanks, Nadia. Sometimes the funny and the sad happen at the same time.
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I love that phrase! 🙂
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Thanks, Sandra. Maybe it will catch on!
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“Unrecycled love ” is a good one. Love the last line.
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Bless her, “unrecycled love”! I think we can guess what was in the letter.
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Thanks! A good burning can cleanse the soul.
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Poor Lola. Haven’t we all been there? I’m fascinated that you had Maya sticking her fingers into the melted wax. I do that. I’ve never heard of anyone else ever doing that. I thought I was some kind of masochist.
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Michelle, I’ll admit I like putting my fingers in candle wax, too! Ha ha. I find myself doing it without even thinking.
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I love you, Amy. You always make me less embarrassed to be me. 😉
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I love you too, Michelle! It’s best to just always be you. 🙂
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Very well done, Amy. I just love reading these 😀
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Aww, thanks Dianne! I always appreciate you coming by. 🙂
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I was thinking the same thing about putting fingers in hot wax. You’re the second person who included that in a story and I flinched both time. I know hot wax is used in spa and I even had a hand treatment like that once as part of a gift package. But I’d never stick my finger in hot candle wax. What a wuss, eh? I also enjoyed “unrecycled love” and you really made these two and their emotions come alive.
janet
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Really?! I thought everyone put their fingers in hot wax. Ha ha! Thanks so much for your thoughtful comments! I’m glad it came alive. That’s such a boost to hear.
Amy
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Dear Amy,
Clever turn of a phrase…Unrecycled love. Bittersweet story.
Shalom,
Rochelle
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Thanks for your nice comments, Rochelle. I appreciate it!
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Reblogged this on Indian Wedding Photographer and
Indian Wedding Photography
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Thanks for the reblog. I appreciate it!
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Amy, Aunt Lola sounds like a real survivor to me. Good for her. 🙂 Well done. 🙂 I hope your computer gets well soon. 🙂
Susan
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I took it that Maya misspoke “unrecycled” on purpose to break the mood for Aunt Lola. Laughter is the best gift they say, and often a great start to the healing process.
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I see Maya as young and actually just getting it wrong! But she tried. Your interpretation is quite possible too. In any case, laughter is definitely a start to the healing process. Where would we be without it? Thanks, Russell!
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I thought unrecycled love was perfect. It gave Maya a young age without beating us over the head. Loved this.
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Thank you so much. Yes, that was exactly the idea about her age. I see her young and maybe hearing about unrequited love from her mother or something. I’m glad you enjoyed it.
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I love that the character stumbles over a word… like so many of us, but that she gets what she needs, in the end. Well done, Amy. 😉
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I felt this and it made me smile a melancholy smile.
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Thank you, Dawn. 🙂
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You are very clever. Love ‘unrecycled’. x
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Thanks, Becky! xo
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