Becca gives up, pitching the filament-thin allen wrench across the room, where it hits a blocky imitation wood table with a wan and entirely unsatisfying clink.
Maybe some-assembly-required Swedish furniture wasn’t such a good idea after all.
“I’m sorry, ma’am, we don’t do reverse delivery. If you need to return something, you’ll have to bring it back to the store.”
“I…can’t..DRIVE,” Becca hisses into the speaker, before pitching the phone after the allen wrench. Well, she could probably quell her driving terror with enough wine, but that would be defeating the purpose, wouldn’t it?
Each week, Ivy at uncharted hosts Six Sentence Stories, a flash fiction linkup. This week’s cue was “return.” More fun Sixes are here.
99 Monkeys 
I just assembled an ikea desk and file… I was ready to do myself in by the end of it!
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I make my husband do it. Some-assembly-required is always a nightmare!
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I can’t drive either, despite a driving licence. Wine does not help either. 🙂
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It probably wouldn’t, no!
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wan and entirely unsatisfying clink. Great description! Been there, done that!
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Thank you!
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Consumer frustration level 10, we’ve all been there. “Easy assembly” never is, nor is “easy return”, and customer service seems to be a disappearing art. I feel for Becca, she’s already under so much pressure and little straws can indeed break the proverbial camel’s back. I keep hoping life will turn the corner for her soon, she needs something good to give her hope! Excellent writing…. very relatable!
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Aw, thank you so much!
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I could relate to the frustration–well done!
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Thank you!
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frustration feeding on frustration…. damn, what is that feeling, the horrible appreciation> of things getting worse and worse? good ‘un
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Thanks! I can’t think of the word either.
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Who hasn’t had experience with putting together Swedish furniture? We can all relate to this story – I’d be drinking wine while I was assembling the parts and attempting to read the directions.
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Me too! Not sure if it would help the process, but it would certainly help my attitude.
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I have some things here I need to box up and send back–but fortunately nothing as big as furniture! I think almost everyone can relate to the frustration your character is experiencing.
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Thanks for stopping by!
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Frustration – a feeling we’ve all encountered for one reason or another.
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