Before we go to Paradise by way of Kensal Green
Alice wasn’t expecting to go to Paradise, either by way of Kensal Green or any other way. Not after what she’d done. She’d never been exactly religious, but she had once held spiritual beliefs and thought there might be an afterlife. But, when her dog, Beanie died – or rather was put down, which was…
Nothing in Common
Jack and Maud had nothing in common and had been happily married for 50 years. Just like Jack Spratt, in the nursery rhyme, they managed to complement each other and fit together. Maud was a cat person but had acceded to Jack’s request that they keep a dog, which had then become two and eventually…
A Foot in the Door
The breakthrough Lisa had hoped for never came. Years later, when she thought she’d come to terms with her lack of success on the stage, she bumped into an old friend, Polly Audrey, from drama school who had gone on to become a mega star. ‘Hi,’ said Polly, ‘how extraordinary to run into you after…
Behind the Smile
Despite the warmth her smile conveyed, her eyes didn’t follow suit. It was an artificial smile, put on after years of practice to hide the pain. Lucy’s pain was private, not something she wanted to share, so this mask was exactly what she needed to keep others at bay. No one had ever questioned it.…
Ignored
Lexi actually wanted to be ignored, yet she’d dyed her hair bright red, which was giving out a completely contradictory message. Whenever anyone seemed to notice her – and she was very conspicuous – she felt intruded upon. The commuter scrum was unpleasant and unfamiliar to Lexi. One chap, in particular, seemed to be taking…
Overheard
Lily squeezed into the cupboard, under the stairs, and hid herself behind the coats. Her heart was beating so loudly she was scared that might give her away. She was also petrified she’d be discovered and asked what on earth she was doing. Lily wanted to overhear what was said about her. It took a…
A Mountain to Climb
I found out when I was ten that I’d been adopted and felt completely exhilarated. Yes, I know, so many children can’t believe that their embarrassing parents are for real, but in my case, mine weren’t. Yippee, I thought. In those days, it wasn’t the fashion to tell children these things, like it is now,…
A Trick of the Light
I sat in my basement study, trying to revise for an exam – I needed to be able to regurgitate some facts and figures. My concentration was shot. A stream of light filtered through the slated blinds, and the dust motes danced. My mind went off on a complete tangent. Were these fairies? Would they…
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Babs Kirby 