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This is a picture of a group of young girls. It was taken from a website for the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women
We were the seven brides for seven brothers we never met, and this was the last time we were all together. I’m behind the camera.
Daphne was being her usual daffy self on the wrong side of the railings.
Poppy was doing what she always did, hogging the popcorn, not wanting to share.
Phyllis and Phoebe were pulling faces, making me laugh so much it’s a wonder this photo’s in focus.
Sharon just wanted to be close, leaning into Phoebe’s shoulder as they were the best of friends, and Sarah always had to look at things from all angles.
The day after this picture was taken, we were sent to our new lives.
None of us knew where anyone else was or how their lives turned out so I posted this on social media in the hope that maybe one or more of us would see it.
147 words
About pensitivity101
I am a retired number cruncher with a vivid imagination and wacky sense of humour which extends to short stories and poetry. I love to cook and am a bit of a dog whisperer as I get on better with them than people sometimes!
In November 2020, we lost our beloved Maggie who adopted us as a 7 week old pup in March 2005. We decided to have a photo put on canvas as we had for her predecessor Barney. We now have three pictures of our fur babies on the wall as we found a snapshot of Kizzy, my GSD when Hubby and I first met so had hers done too.
On February 24th 2022 we were blessed to find Maya, a 13 week old GSD pup who has made her own place in our hearts. You can follow our training methods, photos and her growth in my blog posts.
From 2014 to 2017 'Home' was a 41 foot narrow boat where we made strong friendships both on and off the water. We were close to nature enjoying swan and duck families for neighbours, and it was a fascinating chapter in our lives.
We now reside in a small bungalow on the Lincolnshire coast where we have forged new friendships and interests.
pensitivity101 
I know this is fiction but I really hope they can find each other and reunite!
Thanks Christine.
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I thought the girls were eating cereal, but I guess it is popcorn.
Could be either Jim.
A terribly sad state of affairs. I was reading that the Taliban in Iran moved the legal age for marriage from 18 to 9 and then decided that 13 was better…. All those 9 year old girls sent to be brides to men who were older than their fathers or grandfathers! That is a tragedy and torture!
I feel for the young girls who never have a childhood..
This piece is incredibly powerful. You managed to take an old photograph and turn it into something haunting, tender, and full of unspoken stories. Each girl’s personality—Daphne’s daffiness, Poppy’s reluctance to share, Sharon’s quiet closeness—adds so much life to a moment that becomes even more heartbreaking once we understand what follows.
The line “We were the seven brides for seven brothers we never met” hit hard. It says so much in so few words. And the idea of posting the photo in hopes of finding even one of them again is both devastating and hopeful at the same time.
Beautifully written and deeply moving. Thank you for giving voice to something so painful with such grace.
Thank you so much for your kind comment. I’m glad you liked it.
This is so sad and it does happen… Even these days it still happens.💜💜💜