Can a person be kitsch? He's sweet, but he wears trouser braces with a garish shirt and hat and brightly coloured cords. I give him a chance, but then he invites me back to his and I see the living room... 1970s mustard-orange decor and chintzy lamps, and I'm out. 'I'll be off,' I say. … Continue reading KITSCH
'Come with us, Sir. We need to get you to the fallout bunker right away.' They grab him by the elbows and steer him down a grey corridor, moving fast. 'The fallout bunker? Has there been a nuclear attack?' 'Not that fallout bunker, Sir. The political fallout bunker.' 'Why? What have I done now? Not … Continue reading FALLOUT SHELTER
How long before making the call? The next day - too desperate? Two days - too aloof? A week - too late? Always the same conundrum. Not this time. The following evening. Perfect. He dialled. 'The number you have dialled has not been recognised.' Written for the Weekend Writing Prompt, hosted by SammiScribbles. This week’s prompt … Continue reading AFTER THE FIRST DATE
We had our differences. For most couples they would have been irreconcilable, but we always muddled through. It's all about compromise. Sure, his job kept him busy, away from home a lot. Maybe that helped. We weren't living under each other's feet for forty years. Then I found out it wasn't his job that kept … Continue reading IRRECONCILABLE
She stared at the wreckage. The clean-up task would be huge. Enormous. Gargantuan. Would she be able to do it? Did she have a choice? No one was going to help her. She would have to do it on her own. It was her responsibility, and she had no one else to blame. She stood … Continue reading PICKING UP THE PIECES
