Audenshaw
‘Perky today,’ said the woman as we passed her. Rachel smiled and I nodded with a foolish grin, as if we had not heard anything so amusing all day. In fact, though, we really hadn’t. The silent breakfast at her flat this morning had been unusually debilitating and she had run out of sugar, meaning I had had to go without coffee.
‘I think she meant you,’ I said thoughtlessly.
Rachel half-smiled. ‘I always feel perky when I’m with you,’ she said. I think she meant it to be cruel or ironic but I smiled back at her.
And then her fingerless-gloved hand was there through my arm and automatically I drew her a little closer and her head leant toward me and the wind hurt my teeth so I stopped grinning like an idiot and closed my mouth. I looked across the water and saw the couple who had mysteriously appeared again. Of course! They had crossed the reservoir on the tracks that lead across the water, whereas we had just doggedly proceeded around the edge. I had seen the reservoir on Google Maps and it looked like a big pair of Y-fronts. We were at present somewhere near the lower left edge of the inner thigh – the bit that really tickles. In a way, I was glad we had not taken the short cut. My Converse were another story though. They looked like no amount of drying and banging would rejuvenate them
Oh well. I’d get another pair the next time we go down the Arndale.
Sadie Fisher is a writer, poet and lover of socks. http://soxysadie.wordpress.com/
Stats:
July 01, 2010 at 10:35 am, Anthony Parker said:
Beautiful little snapshot of a relationship, Sadie. And love the bit about the reservoir being shaped like a pair of Y fronts!
x
July 04, 2010 at 4:15 pm, Audenshaw « Soxie said:
[…] soxysadie I am pleased to say that my short story ‘Audenshaw’ has been published on Rainy City Stories, as well as one of my pictures. The website publishes short stories set in and around Manchester […]
July 06, 2010 at 11:14 am, Bob Crewe said:
I live in Audenshaw. I have walked the reservoirs. I could see the events happening.
July 06, 2010 at 4:00 pm, Soxie said:
Thank you Ant and Bob!
x
July 07, 2010 at 8:47 pm, Belinda said:
Hello,
I really liked this piece. Your descriptions of the lake and the people in the story are very well written and I was transported to the place and the moment.
I think that we’ve all been in that place with someone. I walked around Chorlton Water Park once with an ex-boyfriend, we’d been dating for over a year and this piece reminded me of that walk :)
Thank your for sharing
Belinda
July 08, 2010 at 4:16 pm, Soxie said:
Thank you very much Belinda. We certainly have all been in that place!
Soxie
July 19, 2010 at 3:27 pm, John said:
Enjoyed the read about a romance in Audenshaw.