Good afternoon, Everybody. How are you? I visited the mobile library today to pick up a book I had ordered about how to get one’s life in order. Alas, the book was not on board and so I’ll have to wait until the next scheduled visit of the book bus. Yet another muddlesome month looms ahead… hopefully said book will provide some kind of filing system for my brain soon, fingers crossed…
The books who were present did quake a little as I stepped up into the vehicle, I had to reassure them that I only use books who are no longer useful as books in my work and that they were all perfectly safe. I felt like an uncaught murderer… Too much ‘Luther’, you think? Hmm, perhaps…
Amidst my bothers a solitary figure has been mithering in the corner of the table about his own, somewhat larger, problems… Time for tea and sympathy…
Living on the Edge 209; Floating Hope…
Over the years Leonard had watched his neighbours, one by one, pack up and leave. They gave various reasons for their departures; to be nearer family, to find work, to ‘downsize’, whatever that meant…
Each time there was a leaving do, some sad cake and keep in touch promises, all of which were never kept. As the number of residents dwindled, so did the parties until a singular, fizzless ‘so long Sidney’ drink with just Leonard, Sidney and a glass of flat lemonade, to see Sidney off, remained ….
Leonard was no fool. He stood alone now, looking out to sea whilst contemplating the exodus. He had tried his hardest. He had unattached his gas supply, installed solar panels and a heat pump, used less and less electricity, only used lighting when completely necessary and recycled like his life depended on it…
And yet still, year on year, centimetre by centimetre his once bountiful gardens and beautiful orchard had been gobbled up by the starving sea below. He knew the day was imminent that he too would plummet into the brine.
But. He was not about to surrender. Ever the optimist, Leonard had just booked to have a damp course installed and was learning to swim… xxx
