Bertha

~ Sonya
attic window, garret
image from unsplash.com

She came with the house, unbeknownst to us. Well, maybe we didn’t check the attic because if you’ve seen one, you’ve seen them all.

Or so we thought.

To be honest, she isn’t so bad. On occasion, she turns downright lucid and charming. But she hates the roofers we hired to install solar panels and no matter what we say, she won’t listen to reason.

As she keeps pointing out, this is her home and nobody asked if it was okay to sell it after her husband died and wouldn’t it make you mad, too?

We cannot argue with that.

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33 thoughts on “Bertha”

  2. Oh, Sonya. I can’t tell you how much I love this. The idea of some unexplained old woman just coming with your house. I do love the fatc you’ve not said if she’s a presence, a ghost – a real life old lady with squatter’s rights! One of my favourites of yours.
    Reminds me of a story of my own.
    https://lynnmlovewords.wordpress.com/2015/04/18/through-wooden-bone-and-slate-skin/
    BTW, I know it’s early days but heard anything back from Hodderscape yet?

    Liked by 2 people

    1. So happy you enjoyed it. This was one of those stories that arrived fully formed and I’m rather pleased with how it turned out :). I’ll have a look at your story later when I’m not on a tiny screen that reflects the sun…

      Nothing from Hodder yet, no. They must have been swamped, though.

      Liked by 1 person

      1. Ah, the joy of the fully formed story – it doesn’t happen often with me, but when it does, joy:)
        Yes, you’re right – Hodder must have been deluged. I wouldn’t be surprised if we get emails saying the expected reply date has been put back to give them more reading time

        Liked by 1 person

  5. Another by the way – was the use of the name intentional?
    Bertha is the name of the first Mrs Rochester – the Mad Woman in the Attic in Jane Eyre. Intentional, or a hint of literary osmosis going on there?
    Ever read The Wide Sargasso Sea by Jean Rhys? Marvellous ‘backstory’ of the first Mrs R. I can feel another of my Books in the Blood coming on …

    Liked by 2 people

      1. Aha! Gold star for me 🙂
        I loved the Wide Sargasso Sea and can highly recommend it. It sounds dodgy – another author using characters from a classic novel – but Rhys has such sympathy for the poor, two dimensional Bertha of Jane Eyre – she’s a great writer who was Creole herself, so wanted to make ‘Bertha’ (also a Creole woman) more rounded, to give her good reasons for her destructive behaviour. It certainly shows Mr Rochester in a new light …

        Liked by 1 person

        1. Gold star indeed 🙂
          I always thought that Bertha Rochester was a bit one-dimensional – I reckon I’ll bump the Wild Sargasso Sea up a few spots on the to read list.

          Liked by 1 person

  7. Lol, okay its a little funny to find a woman in the attic after you have moved there. Its painful to how mistreated she was. Well, i have many emotions reading this story, definitely a wonderful take on prompt

    Liked by 1 person

  8. I’m sure this woman is not a ghost. I can see her, tiny, wrinkled and irate! Yes, the story starts off creepy, but she’s adorable in her way.
    I love this story – nothing new there, but I really, really love it.

    Liked by 1 person

  10. I’m glad I found my way to your 100 word stories. I’m looking forward to following and reading more from you. I like Bertha! I was thinking to limit myself to 300 words. I’m having a hard time with that and try to get an idea across within that limit. I’m amazed how you’ve done it with just 100!

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Hello Kathy, welcome to the show! Glad you liked Bertha 🙂

      I think the thing about limits is that it takes some getting used to. If you stick with your 300-word limit, it’ll get easier.

      Liked by 1 person

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