Should she ring the ambulance?
She didn’t like to bother them.
After all, they were busy, and had better things to do.
But the pain in her chest wasn’t going away.
She took two paracetemol and went to bed with a cup of hot milk.
That should settle it.
They found her body two weeks later.
That snowy day was clear and crisp.
My breath came in short gasps.
Hands and feet cold.
In wet gloves, and inadequate shoes.
The brightness hurt my eyes.
But I enjoyed that day like no other before.
A Mynah Bird in a small cage.
Jumping from perch to perch.
It didn’t seem natural to me.
They had taught it to swear.
And fell about laughing when it did.
I wanted to set it free.
Who knew, when they started blogging.
That other bloggers could become great friends.
Never met, never spoken to. No matter.
But no less cared for and loved.
And their loss no less heartbreaking.
(In memory of Sue Vincent)
That last goodbye.
Now where was that?
After the restaurant meal?
Following that heated argument one night?
Perhaps that last phone call was the time?
All blurry now. Specifics forgotten.
“Stop crying now. Be a man”.
He said.
It is hard to be a man.
When you are only eight.
“Next time, hit him back. And hit him harder”.
I nodded, fighting back more tears.
“Yes dad”.
A 1950s Sunday afternoon.
Lunch eaten.
Comics read. (Twice)
Dad asleep.
Mum knitting.
I’m so bored.
Bar fights in films.
And on television.
So much nonsense.
I was once hit with a chair.
It didn’t break in pieces.
And I didn’t get back up.
Not for a long time.
“Who you looking at?”
He broke an empty glass on the edge of the bar.
Then pushed the jagged remains in the direction of my face.
“Want some of this, do ya?”
I didn’t. So I walked out. Backwards.
To find somewhere else to drink.
And left him gloating over his small victory.
Scruff didn’t seem to want to go out that day.
But he clipped on the lead anwyay.
“Come on, old boy. Time to go to the shops”.
Walking around town, the small terrier got attention.
And when he came out of the shops, people would be stroking old Scruff.
Then he got to talk to them too.
If only for a moment.
beetleypete 