At Jack & Joan's today on a frosty morning. A pleasant get together with everybody in seemingly a good mood or was it me because my story was voted the best?
I started the ball rolling by reading Sally's out as she was unable to make it due to getting a seasonal cold. The story was reflection of times gone by when the local priest held the village community in fear with tales of sinning and its punishment. Brian then told of more vicars with the dilemma of what to do when the confession is of murder. Perhaps you will tell us in January how he solved it?
Rosemary told us about the joys of a school reunion with an annoying successful pupil dismissing all other achievements with a disdainful "How interesting".
Ann read out a story about a cheap caravan holiday that was just that cheap and nasty but gave amusement in later years by the laughter at the funny side.
Joan Read solved giving Christmas presents by giving to Oxfam. John told of a pushy mother who ended up by being a victim of matricide.
Sheila took us on seaside holiday with ice creams and play for the OAPs. Sue's was a romantic tale about meeting an old school fiend and finding out how they now liked each other. Pat left us in the air about what happened to the money left in the tree.
Joan E told of the renovation of a derelict cottage for community use
Here is my masterpiece, well it did make them laugh.
The Rest
Writing can be a dangerous pastime for some authors with too much imagination. I was warned many years ago of this and I have to tell you it is true. I'm just glad I do not write satanic novels. I began the following story as I normally do with little thought about how it will end.
I wrote.
John Smith smiled as he looked out of the window of his semidetached 1930's house at the sight of the postman making his way briskly up the street towards him. Stopping at the neighbours house first with a bundle of letters. John went to the front door and waited but he was disappointed, just the gas bill and an advert for generating your own free electricity for 25 years came through the door flap. "It didn't come Jean," he called out to his wife who was working in the kitchen. "Never mind love," she called, "it will, you just have to have patience." John was not the man to have patience though and felt depressed at not receiving the expected package from Amazon. "You should have paid for first class delivery then you would have got it yesterday." "Yes I know," John mumbled, "but we can't throw away money like that, as he looked down at the threadbare carpet."
"I don't know why you wanted it really" she said, "there so many other things we want, to spend a £100 on books is a bit daft." "I'm not" he protested "it will save me money with a Kindle book Reader I can download hundreds of books, many for nothing. It will save me money over a year or so." Jean was not impressed. "If you bought me a knitting machine I could save even more by knitting jumpers for everybody. The girls get through so many where they keep growing."
"Yes but the machines cost hundreds and anyway you can buy pullovers, woollen things cheaper in Primemark's a lot cheaper than you can knit any."
"It's not the same though" Jean replied drying her hands from having washed all the morning breakfast things. Both of the girls had already left for school, the Crampton school for girls at the end of the road. Jean didn't mind really, John loved all electronic gadgets and as he rarely spent money on himself an occasional outlay that kept him happy was fine by her.
It was November and John a fireman had worked extra shifts during the last week and now had two days off to make up He enjoyed the break from work.
That was as far as I got with the story, still with no clear idea of the plot when something staggering happened . In my mind the scene became real Jean and John were together in the hall both looking at me as if they knew I was creating them and they were waiting for me to continue to give them life. I stared at them and I could hear their tiny voices shouting what do we do now? Even Benji the terrier awoke from his basket in the kitchen to join in with shrill barking towards me. It's big eyes imploring my attention.
I can't remember anymore some say I smashed the typewriter and tore out the page. That is all I can tell you for now, you will have to wait for the rest as the nurse has come with the pink pills.
