Her challenges were not visible. She had no wheelchair, guide dog, prosthesis or hearing aid. It would have been easier if they were visible.
She carried herself with aplomb. Engaging well with her colleagues and clients. Sometimes she was aggressive, but it wasn’t noticeable to people who did not know her well.
It was inside her brilliant mind that the cracks lurked. Gaps in her mental processes that stopped some of the usual though connections from happening.
Her husband plastered over the cracks and built bridges to breech the gaps. He carried her; pushing her in a mental wheelchair.
This was written for the Carrot Ranch Flash Fiction Challenge:
January 9, 2019, prompt: In 99 words (no more, no less), write a story about a carried wife. Why is she being carried? Who is carrying? Pick a genre if you’d like and craft a memorable character. Go where the prompt leads!
You can join in here: https://carrotranch.com/2020/01/10/january-9-flash-fiction-challenge/
roberta-writes.com 
‘Pushing her in a mental wheelchair,’ that took some warped writers mind to come up with that quirky thought Robbie. If anyone could you could.
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Thanks Ellen … I think. That is exactly how I think of OCD sufferers, as having their mind in a mental wheelchair.
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Yes it must be.
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Robbie that’s a brilliant take on the prompt you saw a great and thought provoking story there. Very well done 💜💜
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Thank you, Willow. OCD and its effect on other people has been on my mind a lot lately.
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I wonder why that is Robbie 💜
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It is strange, Willow, that this year my son has not improved with his OCD during the holiday period. It is as if he hasn’t calmed down at all over this 5 week period.
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Does he usually Robbie? What age is he . Sometimes age can affect people’s behaviour, like 5 or 7 year cycles. It may just be a blip. Perhaps you have all been busier than normal.💜
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He is turning 17 in February. I think he has been stressed because of the on-going load shedding and knowing that we may have to leave South Africa. It is hard for our kids dealing with these sorts of crisis all the time and there is the terrible crime as well which they know about.
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Yes it would be plenty of stress for any teen to cope with and with the added load of OCD it will be made even harder. Sending you all calming vibes 💜 💜💜
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Thank you, Willow
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A pleasure Robbie
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Oh wow!
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Thank you, Ritu.
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We never really know, do we? And yet we are judged…
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You are exactly right, Deborah. Happy New Year.
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This reminds me of several ailments that begin in childhood and evolve with the growing adult. Like Dyslexia. There are others but I can’t think of them right now. And those adults some with the help of others function quite well. Some without meditations. I can see this also with the adult who has never learned to read. We need if we have to judge; judge the true heart – quirks should not define us.
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Hi Jules, you are right, this could apply to other mental disorders or just a lack of opportunity like not learning how to read. An interesting thought, to be sure.
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Excellent, Robbie!
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Inspired piece, Roberta, on so many levels. Congratulations.
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Love this. It is so true it is the challenges you can’t see that are the hardest.
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Yes, definitely, and I find people don’t believe that there is a problem if the person is an achiever.
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Splendid!
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Glad you liked this, Annette.
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Very well done, Robbie!
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Thank you, Bette.
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Excellent writing, Robbie. I like where you went! ❤
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Thank you, Colleen. I often think about mental illness and its impact on the patient and the family.
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Oh, good job, great idea for the flash Robbie. Lots of inventive responses to the prompt from Charli. 🙂
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I know, Marje, I have been amazed at the variety in the responses.
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I particularly like the use of metaphor in the last paragraph. Brava!
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Thank you, Liz.
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You’re welcome, Robbie!
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Wow, Robbie – this is great. Sometimes I feel my husband pushes me in a mental wheelchair (when the depression gets bad). Fantastic way to describe a mental health affliction.
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Thank you, Jessica. That is how I think of Greg’s OCD. It is hard to make people understand when they can’t visibly see any problem. It would be the same with depression.
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Well, very well done, Robbie 😊
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very well written … we all need to be carried occasionally 🙂
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Thank you, Kate. That is true.
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What an interesting character study and intriguing glimpse into their relationship. So much in this small peek, Robbie, and a great hook for more. Well done!
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You dove deep into the concept and the phrase “pushing her in a mental wheelchair” brought it all home. Great flash, Robbie.
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Thought provoking story, nicely done 🙂
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That was well done, Robbie! The short story speaks volumes.
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Thank you, Mark, I’m glad you like this.
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Chills, Robbie. Do you ever turn one of these flash stories into a longer one? I want to know what’s going to happen!
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I keep them as a list of ideas, Barbara. I just need more time …
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Ah yes, time – where can I get some more of that?
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If you find more, please send some to me.
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Brilliant & wise
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Thank you.
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That’s a different kind of carrying, Robbie. I like your last line: “pushing her in a mental wheelchair”.
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Thank you, Norah. Of course, I do have experience with mental illness which is where this description came from.
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You made good use of your experience.
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