Lighten up.

“There” she said, “that looks perfect with your minimal colour palette”. She tilted her head to one side, narrowing her eyes. “Actually…you know I think you could go a shade lighter”.

Emma bent double to reach the Dior sample under the counter. “Try this”, she straightened up, “Scarlet is so on-trend”.

Why didn’t these people wear colour, she wondered. There’s so much black here you’d swear someone had died.

Write it down now.

As he slid into sleep he was visited by fantastic notions and breathtaking tales. They pricked, beat and pinched him to take notice, while he was slipping away.

“PAY ATTENTION” they shouted in his ear, “Don’t sleep now, we have so much to tell you”.

But he chose to sleep. “Leave me in peace. We will share dreams in the morning”, he muttered.

His notepad lay empty beside him now…and he was far away.

Fall mad in love.

“There’s somethin’ crazy about you”, said Thomas.

“Boo!…BOO BOOO!!!” the hair whipped her face pink, “I’m a wee GHOSTIE is why”.

“Will ye stand still for a minute and let me get an eyeful o’ ye?”, he cried but no…

she was off and leaping like a madwoman.

 

Go to the park.

The kids had no clue she still smoked. She took her last puff waiting for them to turn the corner from the bus, and had time to hide the evidence before they walked in. She’d chuck the butt in the bushes and suck a Tic Tac while she made afternoon tea.

“We had the Health Bus today”, said Callun.

“The preppies have got baby chicks in their room” remarked Ava, “They’re all colours”.

“That’s nice. Why don’t you and your brother take this and go down to the 7 eleven. We’ve run out of cordial”.

She watched them till they were out of sight, and then lit up a smoke. She loved her day alone at home.

 

Trust yourself.

The blood-red Suit of Certainty was everything she’d hoped for. It hugged her tightly, was impervious to all weather and was visible from 500 metres. She took longer strides when she was wearing it, and she could hold her chin up to meet anyone’s gaze.

“LOOK AT ME” it said, “I AM WITHOUT DOUBT”.

People and dogs heard her coming and stared as she strode past. Screeetch-it…screeech-it…screeetch-it…said the red vinyl to the timid and the unsure.

Eat the green jelly.

The stain on his tongue was a dead giveaway but he didn’t care. Green jelly crystals, straight out of the packet and as dry as a nun’s nasty. He couldn’t get enough of them.

They glowed fluorescent and irresistible. Raspberry, lemon, and orange were no good…just sorry stand-ins. Pretenders to perfection.

Every night in the pantry, he fed his dark side.

Be thankful.

“It’s making me crazy”,  said Marta. “I’m cooking dinner…he’s smiling at me, I’m in the laundry…he’s smiling, I’m feeding the baby…smiling again”.

“Maybe he’s happy”.

“What’s he got to be happy about? Nobody smiles like that unless they’re getting something”.

Take inventory.

Losing somebody is hard, but you eventually get over it, she told her friends.

“Wait long enough and you’ll forget where you left them” she’d say, “years pass, then you run into them in the place you least expected”.

After she lost Vernon she made a habit of paying more attention. She hadn’t lost anyone since, but Vern remained lost and that irritated her. She hated surprises.

One at a time.

She liked to catch leaves before they could reach the ground, and make a wish on each one. When the wind blew stronger from the South, there were more falling leaves than she could save.

She cried, “I wish they would fall more gently and give me a chance to rescue them all!”.

The wind died down, and she was able to reach each leaf until the the branches were bare.

 

Stop the self-talk.

There she was again.

If he pulled up would she freak and run? Maybe she’d smile…even stop and chat for a bit. What does it take before a chick knows you’ve made it big time? The car?…the cashmere?…the Rolex? Maybe never; she was always up herself at school.

“Stuck up bitch”, whispered Amal as the light turned green.