The Art of Growing Affection

© A Mixed Bag

Marmadas Twofoot fumed as he stomped up the walkway to the door of his home. Each hairy foot slammed down as though he were angry with the ground itself.

How dare she? he asked himself as he grasped the doorknob of the round portal that led into the cozy interior of his hobbit hole.

Marmadas had just returned from the market in Loamsdown where Ruby Gardner had told him that his tomatoes had worms. Worms! What did she know? Her cucumbers were shriveled and her carrots limp and he’d told her as much quite loudly. Their shouting match had been quite the spectacle.

He set his basket of tomatoes down on the floor in his kitchen.  He remembered how she’d called him a big-nosed lout, her soft cheeks glowing pink and how her hair had billowed in the breeze as she informed everyone his vegetables were unfit to eat. He recalled the way her breasts heaved as she ranted about how his crops were an embarrassment; the worst in the Shire.

He reached for a tomato and just before biting it, noticed something wriggling on the surface: A worm.

Marmadas grinned. He couldn’t wait to see her again next week.

Word Count: 200

[This is my entry into the Sunday Photo Fiction challenge, hosted by Alastair Forbes. Write a short story of 200 words or less from the photo prompt provided.]

~V