The atmosphere resembled the smell of week-old leftovers coming from the kitchen. But Sophie’s Cafe sat right next to the Northern Tennis Centre. Every afternoon, men of all ages relaxed and socialised after a game of tennis. Jenny Styles considered it the ideal place to find love, or at least a man interested in an average-looking thirty-year-old like her. She sipped on her second soy latte, scanning the room for potential targets, hoping today would be the day. Across the room, a man in his early forties, standing a little over six foot with sun-bleached hair and a perfectly manicured three-day growth rose to his feet. Several tennis rackets protruded from his bag. The back of his shirt had the word “coach” stamped upon it. The men at his table stood and shook his hand firmly, and the women kissed his cheek with adoring smiles. Jenny’s eyes met with his as he turned to face the exit. He smiled at her […]
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In Better Hands
Ryan sat quietly in the rain, clenching his hands tightly in his lap, listening but not really paying attention to the spoken words. Could there be a more sombre occasion? Many would say yes. Only a few would remember the funeral of Fran Wilcox. A total of four enhanced the occasion with their presence. Two aging, scruffy looking women stood back under the shelter of a weeping willow, gently sobbing. They played bingo with Fran on a Thursday night and were the sum of her recent social partnerships. Their tears were genuinely sympathetic to her passing, but they were unaware of the real hardships and sorrow Fran endured during her troubled life. One of the other two attending was Fran’s only son, Ryan. He sat politely listening to the two-dollar priest give his two-dollar service. With a glaze over his eyes, he stared deeply into the final resting place of his dearly beloved mother. His mind sifted through the bad memories, […]
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Let’s Dance
It was the same thing every Saturday night. Rosie prepared an early dinner and handed it to her husband who sat quietly staring at the television. “Why don’t you come too?” she’d always say. “It’s never too late you know.” Bob never dignified the question with a response. Between shovelling fork loads of food into his mouth, he silently reached for the remote control, selecting his favourite show. He couldn’t imagine anything worse than going with her. Rosie shrugged as she applied a final shine to her pretty red dancing shoes. She put on her very best dress, the same one she wore every Saturday night. It made her feel like an angel as she glided across the dance floor. With her bag packed, she gave Bob a loving peck on the cheek before heading out. She paused at the door and tried one last time. “Life begins when you learn to dance.” “Off you go,” grunted Bob. He loved Rosie […]
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