Flash Fiction: How Droll

Grandpa had a lot of secrets. Everyone knew that what he did in WWII was top secret and that he would take it to his grave. I was just hoping that now that we were all at his bedside on the last day of his life that he would let us in on that secret.

“Grandpa…”, I hesitated, “It’s ok if you want to share anything with us before your time is up.”

I took a risk and I was hoping that it would pay off. He looked around the room with squinty eyes at all of us as if he was contemplating what he might say.  Then he smiled and looked up at the ceiling. He opened his mouth to say something and we all leaned in.

Was he going to let us in on decades of secrets? Then he said two words that would leave us all confused.

“How droll…” were his last words and he closed his eyes for the last time.

None of us knew then that those words were a clue to his past. I only figured it out years later when going through all of his belongings. I found a confidential document titled The Droll Project. This old, faded piece of paper explained how we really won the war.

via Daily Prompt: Droll

 

Update: I wrote a continuation to this story for the next days one-word prompt. https://notyouraveragemomblogweb.wordpress.com/2017/11/17/flash-fiction-mushroom-gas/