I really do love stories, “The Chalet School” and Bilbo Baggins  when I was young,   Slinky Malinky , Roald Dahl and Harry Potter (complete with voices) with MasterS when he was; MrS reading me Saki  short stories.  He felt kinship with Conradin from Srnedni Vashtar, even though his aunts were nothing but kindness. For me bounding spaniels bring to mind The Open Window, and we both envy the sangfroid of Clovis, and Tobermory “…after all it’s not my Axminster”.

Sometimes, I have a go at writing them myself. I was a bit short of inspiration for my post today so I thought I’d cheat a bit and put in a story. I wrote it last year. I was reasonably happy with it at the time but it reads quite clunkily now.

“now this is what I call a story”

Anyway, here it is:

Friendship, a 10,000 step programme.
Monday January 8th.
Geordie Robb grumbled but laced up his boots and set off down the road. He’d agreed to give it a try. He walked past the house with the green fence then its neighbour where a woman was taking in her bin. At the end of the row a black and white dog sat guard. He reached the newsagent.
4,500 steps.
Bus back home. A cuppa with the paper.

Monday February 12th.
Geordie checked the weather, sighed “rain later” and put on his boots. He first smelled, then saw the grey painted fence, next door a woman was planting bulbs and beside the last gate a collie wagged her tail. He picked up his paper from Hardy’s then popped into “Blooming Lovely” for a bunch of daffs. 5,364 steps.

Monday March 19th.
Not a bad day right enough, dry and bright but a fair old breeze going, whipping the “For Sale” sign at Ardshiel and giving Mrs Webster’s poor daffs a beating. It doesn’t worry Floss, it means more and quicker sniffs, she twirls for her biscuit and ear scritch. Geordie picks up his paper, some eggs and a packet of Bourbons. On a whim he pops into the bookies and has a look at the runners in the Gold Cup. You never know.
6,513 steps.

Monday April 9th.
What a day to have your flit! At least the removal men seemed to be working hard but it couldn’t be nice having the door open all day and a wee one to contend with. Geordie had to walk out into the road to get past, they’d pulled the truck right up onto the pavement. Sadie waved from inside, even she couldn’t face the garden today. Ah, here’s Floss, a bit bedraggled but what’s a drop of rain when there are biscuits about? Good girl. Busier today on the High Street, kids still off school? Oh yes a queue at the sweetie counter and wrappers round the bins. Dropped a cheque off at McHugh’s, they’d made a nice job of it.
6,893 steps

Tuesday May 8th.
Such a lovely day, little Isla’s having a rare time in the garden, her Mum’s given her an old washing up bowl to play in. Sadie’s borders are looking a treat, those blue ones, what are they called now? They were Jackie’s favourite. And for a minute the blue sky fades. Does anyone else feel the cloud? Geordie shakes himself and scrabbles for Floss’s biscuit. “Good girl, not such nice weather for a hot dog eh? You go and lie down”. “Blooming Lovely” doesn’t have any of the blue flowers but it has those ones that are like big pink buttercups, she liked them too, and some sweet peas. Geordie was glad he could blame his eyes on hay fever. The shop lady was sympathetic, “…it’s all this good weather sends the pollen raging”. Six months, no time really. No time and all time. The flowers wouldn’t last long this weather. Maybe he should ask Sadie about planting something?
Geordie sat for a good long time before heading home.
7, 283 steps

Monday June 11th .
Geordie grumbled to himself, it wasn’t the walk, he liked that now but he couldn’t be doing with that nurse talking to him like he was a kid. Six month review. Oh well, it had to be done. Isla gave him a big grubby grin from her garden, there were bits of grass and dirt stuck to the suncream on her cheeks. Sophie’d rigged up a tent from some old sheets but it was hard work keeping the wee one in the shade. Sadie was waiting on her porch, Geordie took one of the bags, it had a little lavender plant, compost and the kneeler, Sadie carried the trowel and some other tools. Geordie wasn’t sure of their names he’d never been one for gardening. They were a bit later getting to Hardy’s, Sadie treated herself to a Raspberry Mivvi and said she’d wait at the cross ‘til he was finished at the doctors. The nurse turned out to be not so bad, she was pleased with his blood pressure, his weight was down. He wasn’t so sure about the questionnaire thing but it pleased the nurse, so did the data from the chip. No not “the nurse” she’d called herself Caitlin, introduced herself, it was on her name badge. It was still sunny when he came out, Sadie had a drip of sticky pink on her blouse, “Look at me, what a slaister” . They walked up to Cnoc nan Caorann and planted the lavender.
8,054 steps.

Monday July 9th .
Hottest day of the year. Geordie had woken up feeling sweaty and unrested, these warm nights were murder. Isla was squalling, Geordie could hear her from his garden. As he reached Ardshiel he could see Sophie trying to strap a bone stiff Isla into her buggy. “Oh Geordie, she’s a nightmare today, wants to walk but it’s too much in this weather. And there’s no way I can carry her and the shopping” It was an easier task for two but he could hear her sobs right up the road, Geordie thought the little girl was probably suffering from the hot nights too. Sadie would be fuming, all that money to go to Portugal and we get a heatwave! Still she’d be having a good time with Cammy, Jodie and the boys. He’d pop around later when it was a bit cooler to do the watering but he popped in to cut some flowers, she’d said he could take any he wanted. Those big ball-y ones, Dahlias? Jackie hadn’t been overly fond of them but Geordie fancied a bunch to brighten up the house. He’d take some of the daisy types for the grave, and maybe one of those tall blue ones? He called into Hardy’s for his paper and a bottle of water, maybe get an ice cream on the way back when his hands weren’t so full? It wouldn’t be bad , just this once. A wee treat. He was sweating cobs by the time he got up to the cemetery but he tidied up the grave, the lavender was doing well. Full of bees.
Happy Birthday love. He knew she couldn’t hear but it made him feel better. It was almost more of a birthday than her last one, he hadn’t been able to take in flowers and she didn’t feel like eating. He’d wanted to make it special but she was too sick to care. He sat a good long time, listening to the bees.
8,054 steps.

Tuesday August 21st .
Gosh was that really a nip in the air? Not cold exactly but a hint of Autumn, like a word on the tip of your tongue. Geordie had reset his internal calendar when they’d moved. Back…..was it home? Back down South then, years had started in September; Jackie at work again, new term, new kids, new year, much more than in January. Taking turns with the cooking, picking up bargains on the way home, trays in front of the telly, wine at the weekend. No more experiments with holiday spices, long chatty suppers. It wasn’t always easy getting away, his colleagues didn’t see why he had to take leave then, but Jackie liked flying off with the chalk dust still on her hands. The house seemed quieter once term started. Not that Jackie spent all day there, no she was always out and about meeting friends, or busy gardening. She filled it, she filled it with…Geordie didn’t know what. Sophie might have said energy. This new place though, there hadn’t been the time. No, this is no way to be thinking, let’s get on down the road. All quiet at Ardshiel, Sophie was away at her Mum’s, wee Isla would be loving that. “Hi Sadie, how’s things? Are you coming today?”. “But it always looks braw, well I won’t turn down a few courgettes if they’re going spare”. “I’ll look in on my way back”.
“Hello Floss, here’s your biscuit, good girl”.
9,000 steps.

Monday September 17th .
“Morning Sophie, hello Isla how are you today?”
“Hi Geordie, she’s a bit grumpy about being in the buggy but she’ll cheer up when we get to the park, is Sadie coming today?”.
“Yes, managed to drag her out of the garden, she thinks the weeds’ll take over if she misses a day!” .
“Hiya Sadie, nice to see you”.
“Hello love, oh and hello to Missy Isla, you’re full of beans”, “how old is she now?”.
“Two and a half, I’ll need to register her for pre-school in the spring”.
“They’re not babies for long these days are they?”.
“I think she’ll be ready, it’ll be good for her to be around children more”. “Hello Doggy” .
“Does Floss get out for much?”.
“Maybe we could ask Moira if she’d like us to take her sometime?”.
“Isla’d love that, not sure if Floss’d be so keen”.
“Oh she’s very placid”.
“Even with tail pulls?” .
“Do you want anything while I’m in?”.
“Just some water please Geordie”.
“Nothing for me thanks”.
“Swings!”.
“Just wait a minute Isla we need to get you out. Don’t pull you’ll have the buggy over”.
“Have you been to the new café on the Broadgate?”.
“Oooh, it’s a bit pricey”.
“Mmm, it didn’t look too child friendly, I’ll have to leave it until she’s at nursery” .
“As long as it lasts” .
“She’s having a great time, aren’t you lovey”.
“Higher!”.
“Aye, she’ll sleep tonight” .
10,000 steps

Monday October 15th .
It was hard getting going but Geordie knew he couldn’t let the grey back in. Lace up the boots and get walking, never mind the rain. No sign of Sophie, she’d be busy with Isla, up at the library maybe. Sadie had said she was going down to look after the boys, letting Cammy and Jodie away for a bit of late sun. He turned in at number three and clapped the door. “Hiya Geordie, come on Floss, Geordie’s here, it’s walkies time” “Mind you have a cup of tea when you drop her back”. Not the High Street, up along the canal path, he could let Floss off the lead there. What were smells like to a dog? Geordie had once seen a picture showing a dogs nose proportionally to the amount of input it got. A normal sized dog with and outsize schnozz. Oh God, he was back with Jackie, her trying to explain autism to him, sensory input all different. Not wrong, different, she’d been on a course. Aw Jackie pet, you’d have loved this. We always planned to get a dog.
12,000 steps

Monday November 19th .
Review time again, it wasn’t quite the six months but he wanted it done before Christmas. “Mr Taylor, I don’t think I’ve met you before, can you roll up your sleeve please……” Her name badge said “Elaine” , she was sterner than Caitlin, old school, but ok really. He’d see if Moira wanted him to take Floss out later.
10,974 steps

Monday December 17th .
Geordie groaned, it looked icy so he’d have to wear his boots. He hoped the new place wasn’t too fancy. The others were getting a taxi but he’d got a key from Moira so he could pick up Floss. What was he thinking? It couldn’t be that fancy if it let dogs in, or at least not bothered about the floor. He needed to set off a bit early, some of the cards were too thick for just a stamp, he’d have to take them to the counter. On the way back he’d see if they had any trees at the grocers. He thought he could manage one this year. Just a small one. 12,450 steps.

Until tomorrow

Marina xx