Love Mules

PHOTO PROMPT © J Hardy Carroll

When security pulled me out of the line, moments before boarding my flight back home, I knew it was over. In a separate room, I watched as they opened my luggage, went through its contents, and finally discovered the plastic bullets of cocaine hidden inside deodorant canisters. I didn’t even try to deny anything. All I could think of was my baby, Yolanda, probably sleeping next to her grandma’s bed now. I yearned to give her everything.

“You’re allowed only one call. So make sure you call someone who can help you, okay?” a security officer advised me.

98 words

Written for Friday Fictioneers hosted by Rochelle. Where the challenge is to write a story with 100 words or less.

Click the frog or here, to read more flash fiction.

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Responses

  1. neilmacdon avatar
    neilmacdon

    Great little story

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply
    1. Fatima Fakier Deria avatar
      Fatima Fakier Deria

      Thank you Neil! 🙂

      Like

      Reply
  2. rochellewisoff avatar
    rochellewisoff

    Dear Fatima,

    You left me hoping she’ll make the right call and happy to see you back. Well done.

    Shalom,

    Rochelle

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply
    1. Fatima Fakier Deria avatar
      Fatima Fakier Deria

      Dear Rochelle, Thank you! It is good to be back. I started writing a novel, and got sucked into first draft excitement and woes. So very happy to be back on flash fiction. 🙂
      Yes, hopefully she calls her family to let them know her situation and not the people she was trafficking drugs for.

      Like

      Reply
  3. Jane Dougherty avatar
    Jane Dougherty

    I like this one! You really leave us dangling though 🙂

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply
    1. Fatima Fakier Deria avatar
      Fatima Fakier Deria

      Glad you enjoyed it Jane!

      Like

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      1. Jane Dougherty avatar
        Jane Dougherty

        I did 🙂

        Like

  4. Iain Kelly avatar
    Iain Kelly

    I wonder if anyone can help her much in her situation – a good lawyer perhaps? Good story.

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply
    1. Fatima Fakier Deria avatar
      Fatima Fakier Deria

      Well hopefully she doesn’t call the drug traffickers who set her up in the first place 🙂 Yes, she is in a sticky situation. Thank you Iain.

      Liked by 1 person

      Reply
  5. Jen avatar
    Jen

    While it’s left open for interpretation, I have to believe she’ll do the right thing. However, guilt is one of those emotions that can take you in either direction. Great little story.

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply
    1. Fatima Fakier Deria avatar
      Fatima Fakier Deria

      Who does she call? Interestingly enough drug mules waste that one call on the drug traffickers that set them up, thinking they will help bail them out. But of course they don’t. Hopefully she doesn’t do that. Thanks for reading Jen!

      Liked by 1 person

      Reply
  6. Sascha Darlington avatar
    Sascha Darlington

    I hope she does have someone to call. Well done.

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply
    1. Fatima Fakier Deria avatar
      Fatima Fakier Deria

      Thank you Sascha.

      Liked by 1 person

      Reply
  7. Varad avatar
    Varad

    As it was the case in a different entry, she could call the president. Not that it would make any difference. This was beautiful and very depressing at the same time. Well written.

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply
    1. Fatima Fakier Deria avatar
      Fatima Fakier Deria

      Yeah I don’t think there’s much to help her now. Thank you for reading!

      Like

      Reply
  8. Mike avatar
    Mike

    Your story left me wondering what her story was, great piece of writing

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply
    1. Fatima Fakier Deria avatar
      Fatima Fakier Deria

      Thank you Michael!

      Like

      Reply
  9. Keith's Ramblings avatar
    Keith’s Ramblings

    You have two spare words – so, who did she call? !!!

    Click to read my FriFic

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply
    1. Fatima Fakier Deria avatar
      Fatima Fakier Deria

      “Hello Mum?” 🙂 Her thoughts on her family hints who she would think of spending that one call on. 😉

      Liked by 1 person

      Reply
      1. pennygadd51 avatar
        pennygadd51

        Yes, I thought that during the story. She should call a lawyer, but she’s more likely to call her mum…

        Liked by 1 person

  10. Fluid Phrase avatar
    Fluid Phrase

    I really do hope she makes it through safe. Makes one wonder what made her do this in the first place. Makes us want to know the full story. Well done!

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply
    1. Fatima Fakier Deria avatar
      Fatima Fakier Deria

      Thank you, though I think the only place she is headed is prison. Thanks for reading!

      Liked by 1 person

      Reply
      1. Fluid Phrase avatar
        Fluid Phrase

        Yeah 😦

        Like

  11. granonine avatar
    granonine

    What an awful predicament. I hope she has that helpful person’s number memorized!

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply
    1. Fatima Fakier Deria avatar
      Fatima Fakier Deria

      Thank you for reading! I don’t think there’s anything anyone can do to help her.

      Liked by 1 person

      Reply
  12. wmqcolby avatar
    wmqcolby

    My goodness! That was full of story! YES! Great work, Fatima!

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply
    1. Fatima Fakier Deria avatar
      Fatima Fakier Deria

      Thank you! I’m thrilled you enjoyed it 🙂

      Like

      Reply
  13. Lata Sunil avatar
    Lata Sunil

    It is a sad little story for the lady who is caught. But, such is life.

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply
    1. Fatima Fakier Deria avatar
      Fatima Fakier Deria

      Yes, the risks we take, sometimes catch up to us.

      Like

      Reply
  14. justjoyfulness avatar
    justjoyfulness

    Oh no! Hope everything works out well in the end.

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply
    1. Fatima Fakier Deria avatar
      Fatima Fakier Deria

      It doesn’t seem like it will. Governments come down hard on drug trafficking. Unfotunately drug mules are desperate people preyed on by traffickers.

      Like

      Reply
  15. Liz Young avatar
    Liz Young

    So sad that this mother thinks her daughter needs material things more than she needs her mother.

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply
  16. pennygadd51 avatar
    pennygadd51

    Lots of storyline and emotion, and a cliffhanger ending. Well written!

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply
    1. Fatima Fakier Deria avatar
      Fatima Fakier Deria

      Thank you Penny ☺

      Like

      Reply
  17. Christine Goodnough avatar
    Christine Goodnough

    Very well told.
    There are so many angles here. A desperate mom — yet never thinking the guys she’s working for today will be in the school yard trying to hook her daughter a few years down the line, or the moms selling their children to pay for the drugs she’s delivering.

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply
    1. Fatima Fakier Deria avatar
      Fatima Fakier Deria

      Those are definitely interesting threads to develop into a full story. Thank you Christine.

      Liked by 1 person

      Reply
  18. Miles Rost avatar
    Miles Rost

    Quite gut-ripping. Well done!

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply
    1. Fatima Fakier Deria avatar
      Fatima Fakier Deria

      Thank you Miles.

      Like

      Reply
  19. plaridel avatar
    plaridel

    she needs a good lawyer.

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply
  20. Moon avatar
    Moon

    I kind of feel sad for the lady because she feels like a single mom who had been doing it for her daughter . Though of course , it is terribly illegal and it might just be her way of consoling herself , now that she is caught. Good security advisor , though.
    Perhaps , she calls the father of her child who happens to be a big boss in a law enforcement agency. Of course, to no avail either . Such a terrific story, Fatima.

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply
    1. Fatima Fakier Deria avatar
      Fatima Fakier Deria

      Thank you. Yes you got it all right. She is a single mom, desperate for money for some reason, though I hinted it had to do with her child. The perfect target for drug traffickers recruiting drug mules. On a border control tv show, this is exactly what the officers advise. Because instead of calling family to inform them of their situation, and not leave them wondering where they disappeared to when they don’t return, they foolishly call the traffickers who set them up. And of course they get no help from them.

      Liked by 1 person

      Reply
  21. Dale avatar
    Dale

    Desperation causes one to do stupid things… hope she makes the right call…

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply
    1. Fatima Fakier Deria avatar
      Fatima Fakier Deria

      It’s difficult to keep level headed when desperation sets in. Thanks Dale.

      Liked by 1 person

      Reply
      1. Dale avatar
        Dale

        Too true.

        Like

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