A desultory fan shifted the hot air side to side is a writing prompt from my current work in progress, as yet untitled. The section it comes from is shown below. The story is a sequel to River Witch and a dual timeline – having fun with that!
The receptionist, hair limp, face pink and damp as she grappled with the unfamiliarities of a computer system – which, she muttered to Mara, was new and sending her mad – had nevertheless quickly found Kathryn Pearce by consulting a paper list under the keyboard. Having beeped a relevant person, she bade Mara take a seat.
‘Water there,’ she added, pointing to a half full plastic cooler in a corner of the room.
Mara would have preferred tea or coffee, but as neither were on offer, she helped herself to water in its tiny cup, gulped the tepid liquid down, tossed the cup in the adjacent bin, and sat, as bidden, on a bright orange vinyl chair. Above her, a desultory fan shifted the hot air side to side. Mara squinted at it, hoping it was cooler where her mother lay.
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A DESULTORY FAN SHIFTED AIR SIDE TO SIDE
“God it’s hot.” Sean couldn’t help but sound exasperated, as he gazed forlornly at a desultory fan that shifted air side to side without lowering the room temperature one iota.
January in northern Australia was always stifling, the humidity through the roof as people struggled to perform their daily business.
The much talked about climate change appeared to only have made it worse as Darwin sweltered through its hottest wet season on record.
“If only we had air conditioning,” he lamented. “Things would be much more comfortable.”
Sean’s wife Susie looked at him with large brown, understanding eyes.
“Yes, it would be lovely,” she agreed. “Unfortunately, we can’t afford it right now.”
The young couple had moved to the Northern Territory for work a few months earlier when the weather was much cooler. The house they had rented had just been affordable on their limited one salary, leaving barely enough for food and other basic necessities.
Now that the summer had struck, existing in such high temperatures and humidity had become almost unbearable – and the only fan they possessed struggled to keep the heat at bay.
To top it off, Susie was pregnant with their first child, due in June, and the impossible humidity certainly wasn’t helping her. Most days, she would lie about exhausted as the baby growing steadily in her womb robbed her of significant energy.
Still, despite her own problems, she felt for Sean. He was the one who had to turn up each day to his physically demanding carpenter’s job at a nearby building site and, by the time he returned home, he was physically and mentally spent.
Suddenly, she spotted an advertisement in the Northern Territory Times offering air conditioners at 50 per cent discount including installation.
Susie couldn’t help but smile as she gazed fondly at her husband.
“Think I’ve found the solution to our problem,” she chuckled.
“What’s that,” he asked, still fanning his face with a large piece of paper.
“Have a look,” she replied, passing the paper across the table.
“I don’t believe it,” Sean exclaimed and, with a wide grin, reached for his mobile.