'Are we there yet?' Archie asked. He was feeling claustrophobic in the hermetically-sealed caravan. Agnes peered out the kitchen window as the countryside whizzed by along the autoroute, 'Not yet, just passed Paris.' 'Maybe we should have picked somewhere closer than the Mediterranean?' 'You wanted warm sunshine and the beach.' Agnes brought the coffee over … Continue reading A CHANGE OF SCENERY
Here he comes, full of bluster, just like his president. He wasn't ruining the holiday exactly, but every time that bellowing voice approached the pool area, the patrons visibly slumped. 'Mornin' y'all!' He hefted his great bulk onto a lounger. 'S'cuse me, boy! A little refreshment over here!' The pool boy reluctantly answered the beckoning … Continue reading THE BALLOON
Archie strolled back from the shop, newspaper under his arm. Another fine Mediterranean morning. In the campervan, Agnes was still in bed. Archie settled down in his seat to read the headlines. Iran had retaliated against America with missile fire. A commercial aeroplane had gone down. He turned the page. Bush fires in Australia. Not … Continue reading EXTENDED VACATION
He lumbered down the narrow staircase. Breath heavy, legs aching. His broad flanks brushed either side of the narrow, twisting spiral staircase. This was not why he had come to Belgium. Finally, he reached the bottom of the Belfort. Dolores and Brad were waiting patiently. 'Okay,' he managed a cheerful smile, wiping the sweat from … Continue reading PICTURE POSTCARD
Full body scanners rang alarms sporadically, accompanied by flashing red lights. Body and bag searches caused extended queues. Once past the security gate the hollow muzak was interrupted to remind people not to leave their luggage unattended. Security dogs snarled. The guards walked around with hands on machine guns. CCTV cameras kept a watchful eye … Continue reading AIRPORT ’19
