| General Fiction posted December 18, 2021 |
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Fiction Ancestral Discovery
Lord of the Manor
by zanya
Grandpa Harry always looked forward to New Year's Day. Now that he lived alone down a long country lane since Grandma had passed away, he looked forward to a visit from his grandson Edward.
Being a history buff like Harry, Edward came armed with new discoveries or new stories to tell.
This year 2018 was exciting. Having bought an ancestry test kit for Harry's eightieth birthday, Edward couldn't wait to find out about Harry's ancestors.
With his backpack ready in the hallway, Harry was eager to travel with Edward to look at an old ancestral homestead in the village of Argoll, across the border in the Scottish Highlands.
The pair set off, armed with some scant information from the ancestry tests.
'Who do you really think you are Grandpa, some royal sibling?' Edward joked as they wound down long country lanes in search of a distant past.
'Ay,' Harry replied. 'This is a game-changer, Ed. According to my ancestry replies and I've had dozens, my family tree dates back to the Earl of Clysdale.'
'Really, pop,' Edward replied with an impish grin.
'Ay,' Harry continued, 'the ruins of the family seat of Clysdale still stand on the outskirts of Argoll. My father took us there as children and always had a lively interest in the place.'
Just then a Manor with a dilapidated look came into view.
'Pop, is that the Clysdale Grand Manor? Looks like a ramshackle to me.'
Grandpa scrolled on his smartphone.
'Yes, yes, ' he replied excitedly, Clysdale it is.'
Many cars had already parked outside the Manor. Having parked the 4x4 precariously on a grassy knoll, the pair climbed out.
A man with a well-groomed moustache and riding gear stood by the entrance gate.
As Edward and Grandpa Harry approached, the man walked towards them, extending his hand in friendship.
'Good day gentlemen, so glad you could make it to the Clysdale family reunion. Today we will add a new and welcome member to our family.'
Edward grinned at Harry, remarking, 'that'll be you pop, you are probably the newest member of this extensive clan.'
Looking around, Harry began to feel a sense of unease.
'Hey Ed, do you think this was a crazy idea? Perhaps I got a trifle carried away with this ancestry mullarkey?'
Edward smiled benignly, 'not at all pop, isn't everybody doin' it these days, finding long lost kith and kin. It'll be fun. Just think next year I'll be coming to visit you as Lord of the Manor.'
'But..but..' Harry blurted out, 'these folks are talking in posh accents, words I've never heard in my entire life.'
Harry laughed. 'Don't let a few posh words put you off pop. They're probably just pretending, feeling just as scared as you are hobnobbing with their newly discovered aristocratic clan.'
'Ed, think I might practise a few phrases before we mingle.'
Edward laughed out loud.
The crowd turned in his direction.
A gentleman in a top hat raised his lorgnette to get a closer look at Harry and Edward.
'Who are these plebs who have been allowed to enter the hallowed halls of Clysdale Manor,' he enunciated to no one in particular.
With that, the sound of the bell in the local church steeple interrupted Harry's dream. Raising himself from his feather mattress he looked at the clock on the wall which indicated it was already noon.
Harry ran his gnarled fingers through his greying locks and looked at himself in the mirror. The whites of his ageing eyes were of a slightly reddish hue.
'So much for getting tipsy while ringing in the New Year in the village square and chatting about all these new-fangled ideas about ancestry,' he muttered.
'No more ancestry for me. I'm happy pottering about my little cottage and chatting to a few old fogies like myself in the local tavern.'
There was a loud knock on the door.
Harry dressed quickly. His grandson Edward stood outside holding an ancestry kit.
'Pops, time to find out who you really are.'
'I'm just an old man who is young at heart and got too excited about welcoming in the New Year,' Harry replied.
Harry the octogenarian was always ready for a challenge and having removed the wrapping, Harry took the first step towards tracing his lineage.
'See Harry, ' Edward said, 'it's never too late to start a new chapter.'
************************
Ancestral Discovery writing prompt entry
Grandpa Harry always looked forward to New Year's Day. Now that he lived alone down a long country lane since Grandma had passed away, he looked forward to a visit from his grandson Edward.
Being a history buff like Harry, Edward came armed with new discoveries or new stories to tell.
This year 2018 was exciting. Having bought an ancestry test kit for Harry's eightieth birthday, Edward couldn't wait to find out about Harry's ancestors.
With his backpack ready in the hallway, Harry was eager to travel with Edward to look at an old ancestral homestead in the village of Argoll, across the border in the Scottish Highlands.
The pair set off, armed with some scant information from the ancestry tests.
'Who do you really think you are Grandpa, some royal sibling?' Edward joked as they wound down long country lanes in search of a distant past.
'Ay,' Harry replied. 'This is a game-changer, Ed. According to my ancestry replies and I've had dozens, my family tree dates back to the Earl of Clysdale.'
'Really, pop,' Edward replied with an impish grin.
'Ay,' Harry continued, 'the ruins of the family seat of Clysdale still stand on the outskirts of Argoll. My father took us there as children and always had a lively interest in the place.'
Just then a Manor with a dilapidated look came into view.
'Pop, is that the Clysdale Grand Manor? Looks like a ramshackle to me.'
Grandpa scrolled on his smartphone.
'Yes, yes, ' he replied excitedly, Clysdale it is.'
Many cars had already parked outside the Manor. Having parked the 4x4 precariously on a grassy knoll, the pair climbed out.
A man with a well-groomed moustache and riding gear stood by the entrance gate.
As Edward and Grandpa Harry approached, the man walked towards them, extending his hand in friendship.
'Good day gentlemen, so glad you could make it to the Clysdale family reunion. Today we will add a new and welcome member to our family.'
Edward grinned at Harry, remarking, 'that'll be you pop, you are probably the newest member of this extensive clan.'
Looking around, Harry began to feel a sense of unease.
'Hey Ed, do you think this was a crazy idea? Perhaps I got a trifle carried away with this ancestry mullarkey?'
Edward smiled benignly, 'not at all pop, isn't everybody doin' it these days, finding long lost kith and kin. It'll be fun. Just think next year I'll be coming to visit you as Lord of the Manor.'
'But..but..' Harry blurted out, 'these folks are talking in posh accents, words I've never heard in my entire life.'
Harry laughed. 'Don't let a few posh words put you off pop. They're probably just pretending, feeling just as scared as you are hobnobbing with their newly discovered aristocratic clan.'
'Ed, think I might practise a few phrases before we mingle.'
Edward laughed out loud.
The crowd turned in his direction.
A gentleman in a top hat raised his lorgnette to get a closer look at Harry and Edward.
'Who are these plebs who have been allowed to enter the hallowed halls of Clysdale Manor,' he enunciated to no one in particular.
With that, the sound of the bell in the local church steeple interrupted Harry's dream. Raising himself from his feather mattress he looked at the clock on the wall which indicated it was already noon.
Harry ran his gnarled fingers through his greying locks and looked at himself in the mirror. The whites of his ageing eyes were of a slightly reddish hue.
'So much for getting tipsy while ringing in the New Year in the village square and chatting about all these new-fangled ideas about ancestry,' he muttered.
'No more ancestry for me. I'm happy pottering about my little cottage and chatting to a few old fogies like myself in the local tavern.'
There was a loud knock on the door.
Harry dressed quickly. His grandson Edward stood outside holding an ancestry kit.
'Pops, time to find out who you really are.'
'I'm just an old man who is young at heart and got too excited about welcoming in the New Year,' Harry replied.
Harry the octogenarian was always ready for a challenge and having removed the wrapping, Harry took the first step towards tracing his lineage.
'See Harry, ' Edward said, 'it's never too late to start a new chapter.'
************************
Being a history buff like Harry, Edward came armed with new discoveries or new stories to tell.
This year 2018 was exciting. Having bought an ancestry test kit for Harry's eightieth birthday, Edward couldn't wait to find out about Harry's ancestors.
With his backpack ready in the hallway, Harry was eager to travel with Edward to look at an old ancestral homestead in the village of Argoll, across the border in the Scottish Highlands.
The pair set off, armed with some scant information from the ancestry tests.
'Who do you really think you are Grandpa, some royal sibling?' Edward joked as they wound down long country lanes in search of a distant past.
'Ay,' Harry replied. 'This is a game-changer, Ed. According to my ancestry replies and I've had dozens, my family tree dates back to the Earl of Clysdale.'
'Really, pop,' Edward replied with an impish grin.
'Ay,' Harry continued, 'the ruins of the family seat of Clysdale still stand on the outskirts of Argoll. My father took us there as children and always had a lively interest in the place.'
Just then a Manor with a dilapidated look came into view.
'Pop, is that the Clysdale Grand Manor? Looks like a ramshackle to me.'
Grandpa scrolled on his smartphone.
'Yes, yes, ' he replied excitedly, Clysdale it is.'
Many cars had already parked outside the Manor. Having parked the 4x4 precariously on a grassy knoll, the pair climbed out.
A man with a well-groomed moustache and riding gear stood by the entrance gate.
As Edward and Grandpa Harry approached, the man walked towards them, extending his hand in friendship.
'Good day gentlemen, so glad you could make it to the Clysdale family reunion. Today we will add a new and welcome member to our family.'
Edward grinned at Harry, remarking, 'that'll be you pop, you are probably the newest member of this extensive clan.'
Looking around, Harry began to feel a sense of unease.
'Hey Ed, do you think this was a crazy idea? Perhaps I got a trifle carried away with this ancestry mullarkey?'
Edward smiled benignly, 'not at all pop, isn't everybody doin' it these days, finding long lost kith and kin. It'll be fun. Just think next year I'll be coming to visit you as Lord of the Manor.'
'But..but..' Harry blurted out, 'these folks are talking in posh accents, words I've never heard in my entire life.'
Harry laughed. 'Don't let a few posh words put you off pop. They're probably just pretending, feeling just as scared as you are hobnobbing with their newly discovered aristocratic clan.'
'Ed, think I might practise a few phrases before we mingle.'
Edward laughed out loud.
The crowd turned in his direction.
A gentleman in a top hat raised his lorgnette to get a closer look at Harry and Edward.
'Who are these plebs who have been allowed to enter the hallowed halls of Clysdale Manor,' he enunciated to no one in particular.
With that, the sound of the bell in the local church steeple interrupted Harry's dream. Raising himself from his feather mattress he looked at the clock on the wall which indicated it was already noon.
Harry ran his gnarled fingers through his greying locks and looked at himself in the mirror. The whites of his ageing eyes were of a slightly reddish hue.
'So much for getting tipsy while ringing in the New Year in the village square and chatting about all these new-fangled ideas about ancestry,' he muttered.
'No more ancestry for me. I'm happy pottering about my little cottage and chatting to a few old fogies like myself in the local tavern.'
There was a loud knock on the door.
Harry dressed quickly. His grandson Edward stood outside holding an ancestry kit.
'Pops, time to find out who you really are.'
'I'm just an old man who is young at heart and got too excited about welcoming in the New Year,' Harry replied.
Harry the octogenarian was always ready for a challenge and having removed the wrapping, Harry took the first step towards tracing his lineage.
'See Harry, ' Edward said, 'it's never too late to start a new chapter.'
************************
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Writing Prompt Write a story about a character who takes an ancestry DNA test. After learning the results, the character visits newly discovered relatives in an ancestral country. What happens when he/she travels abroad? 200 - 700 words. |
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