Sweet Saturday Samples - July 14

When Elly runs an errand for her grandmother, things go terribly wrong. If you haven’t been following excerpts from my WIP, Elly and The Geriatrics, you’ll need to know that Elly is staying with her grandmother in a seniors-only mobile home village. Since Elly is in her mid-twenties, she’s not supposed to be there. The Geriatric Government is the name Elly and Granny have given to the homeowners association that governs the neighborhood, and Mrs. Bagley is its president.

        Elly tugged one of Granny’s long-sleeved pullovers over her head, then twisted her hair into a ponytail and tucked it into a floppy hat. Wearing a pair of her grandmother’s long loose pants and her oversized hat, she felt fairly certain no one would recognize her in the waning light. Heck, she barely recognized herself. Anyhow, once she got outside of the retirement village, it wouldn’t matter if someone saw her. She took a quick glance in the bathroom mirror.

Is this how I’ll dress when I’m old?

She waved goodbye to Granny as she left the trailer, hoping her luck would hold and she wouldn’t encounter Mrs. Bagley or anyone else from the Geriatric Government. Elly looked both ways down Bluebonnet Lane and steered the golf cart out of the driveway. Before she’d even traveled a block she saw Mrs. Bagley on the sidewalk up ahead.

        She muttered a curse.

Now what do I do?

She weighed the possibilities, none of them good.

         Make a U-turn? No, that’ll really make her curious.

         The only option was to plunge ahead, hoping the woman really was as blind as Granny said.

Elly stomped on the gas pedal, revved the golf cart up to full speed, and steered to the opposite curb. Luckily, this portion of the street went downhill, so by the time she reached Mrs. Bagley, the cart was flying. The woman waved, but Elly turned her head away, hid her face behind the brim of Granny’s hat, and zoomed on.

        All she heard were shouts of “Marge! Wait!” and “My stars!”

        Elly almost laughed out loud at the old woman’s obvious shock, happy that she believed Granny drove the vehicle. With one hand clutching the steering wheel and the other clamping the flopping hat to her head, she careened down the street. She let out a silent whoop of glee.

        When Elly neared the bottom of the hill and rounded the curve, she jammed the brake pedal to the floor and gritted her teeth. The golf cart barely slowed.

        Oh, no. I'm gonna crash.

I’m working on the final chapters of Elly’s story. Wish me luck in finishing this tale! In the meantime, I’ll keep posting samples.

~ Sandy Nachlinger

What’s Sweet Saturday Samples? 

Each week, writers post brief samples of their work on their own blogs and then link them to the main site, so readers can conveniently “hop” from blog to blog, meet new authors and become better acquainted with ones they already know. All samples are rated PG-13 (or milder), though the books from which they're taken may be spicier. 
For more SWEET SATURDAY SAMPLES, click HERE.