6 August 2026, Freewriters Community Daily Writing Prompt Day 3187: row faster!

“OK, but Papa, there's no water around to help you, so you're gonna need to row faster … a whole lot faster.”

Capt. R.E. Ludlow smiled gently at the assessment of his seven-year-old granddaughter, Amanda, of the new stationary rowing machine.

“This is actually for your grandmother,” he said, “and, no, Amanda, it doesn't take water, but we just do the rowing for exercise.”

“OK, but … I'm confused because, what?” Amanda said. “No boat, no water, but you can still row?”

“Come here, Amanda.”

So the captain put Amanda in the rowing seat and she reached her little hands up and put them over the rowing ends of the oars.

“Ugh … uggggggggh...”

She couldn't move them, try as she might, until her grandfather covered her little hands with his immense ones.

“Let's try again,” he said as he stepped across the machine, and sat down behind her … and suddenly, the oars moved and they were working the machine.

“Oh, I get it … you don't need water and stuff,” she said. “You just row and close your eyes and use your imagination!”

“Right, Amanda. Grandma enjoys this a lot, so I got her a machine, and the seat is big enough so you can go, too.”

“I think Lake Esmeralda is very pretty,” Amanda said, and closed her eyes with a big smile as she and her grandfather rowed on … and instead of being kissed by sunshine, her little forehead was kissed by her grandfather.