text: Desert Plant – Occassionalmusingsblogpost.wordpress.com
  National highway that cuts across continental America from east to west passes through this town. More like an apology of a town, with a population of fifty, one gas station and one convenience store.
  He stopped his car here because he had business at the convenience store. Got his car filled with gasoline, lit a cigarette and looked around. Nothing really has changed in last five decades. Located at the foothills of rocky mountain, landscape has remained sun burnt, dusty and unfertile. Nothing grows here except the study desert plant, some call it Octotillo.
  Father had pointed at this plant in his childhood and adviced, "Be sturdy like this desert plant; No water, no shade, no fertiliser. It is not asking for anything. Yet, growing on its own strength. It is easy to die, difficult to live. Want to be something in life, son, be an Octotillo. Extract the last drop."
  His business grew with time. He has everything that he did not in his childhood – money, food, shelter, security. Today, pointing his gun at the owner of convenience store for his monthly protection money, he remebered his father's advice. "You were right dad; extract the last drop!"
  This little piece of fiction was inspired by the weekly prompt challenge hosted by Sunday Photo Fiction Sep 2nd, 2018, for Aspiring Writers. Thanks for reading!
  Photo prompt, by Joy Pixley.
  Desert, Octotillo, Plant, Sturdy
  14 thoughts on "Desert Plant"
  Oh no, that turned dire at the end there, what a surprise twist! I like the phrase "apology of a town."
  I like how you use the plant as a learning tool for his son. Too bad the son took the message the wrong way.
  I did not expect that ending. Sad that he only learnt to collect dollars. As the Octotillo listens to the wind and only takes what is given by nature.
  Yes, it was a twist towards darker side. Thank you for reading.
  Another thief – though your guy is successful. 😉
  Nice to bring the plant in.
  I read somewhere that some cacti wait 50 years before growing their first arm/branch.
  My guy is a robber more like a mafia. He collects protection money. Regarding the plant, there could be another plant that his father was citing.
  Maybe the father didnt expect this turn of events from the son when he had preached about Octotillo. A surprise twist in the end.
  https://ideasolsi65.blogspot.com/2018/09/bare.html
  Great story. I like the lesson his father tried to teach him using the plant. What a shame, he turned to organized crime instead. It goes to show you that you can teach and raise your children as best as you can but ultimately, their decisions and choices in life will determine how they will turn out.
  Ha ha ha, lovely ending. Good to see he followed the advice of his father faithfully 🙂
  Glad you liked it. There is a dual meaning. We can argue his father adviced him to be strong he interpreted it differently. Or, his father himself was a crook that way so is following fathers footsteps.