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"Hey! I just had a crazy thought. What if you could change your past; would you do it?"
The suggestion comes from my best mate, Jack Perkins. We are at the pub, The Hound and Barrell, where we have talked and drank for almost 15 years. Jenny, the curvey bar-maid, pulls a pint of London Pale and passes it to me. I smile at her and take a sip looking over the top of the glass at Jack.
"I don't know," I answer, searching for something I would like to change.
"Be careful what you think of, I'm sure we never understand all the implications of our actions." He looks at me with seriousness but then winks and takes a sip of beer.
"Some months after I met Sioban, I wasn't sure of things," I suggest to him, "and I sent her that letter."
"I remember her arriving at my flat in tears," he answers, frowning.
"Well, we've never been tighter than now. I know I love her, but what if I had let my doubts pass and not hurt her with that letter?”
"I don't know, mate, but it sounds like a good suggestion."
We pass to other things. Jack turns his attention to the Manchester-Tottenham match on the tellie. I share some laughs with Jenny who lingers close to our good-natured calm. Later, in my flat, slightly drunk and very tired, I straighten the picture beside the bed of Sioban and I at Bristol beach last summer, and soon fall asleep.
The dream is ghostly and vivid. In it, people and things seem to be mere shadows; they pass through me and I through them. I look at my watch and see a familiar date three years ago when my letter was delivered to Sioban.
A postal delivery van drives through me and, when I look up, I realise that I am standing in her street. The postman descends from the van and I follow him as he huffs up the steps to her building. In the small space behind the mailboxes, he distributes the post. A small envelope slides into the box with her number. In my ghostly, vivid dream, my hand passes into the box and removes the letter.
I awake suddenly; opening my eyes to an unfamiliar flat in the first light of morning. I quickly recognise the curvey form beside me as Jenny.
'Oh my dear God,' I whisper to myself. 'How drunk was I? What have I done?'
I slip from the bed in rising panic and gather my clothes from the floor. I see on myself the unmistakable signs of my infidelity. I dress in silence and then escape into the street. I run the few blocks to Sioban's building and race up the steps. I am about to press the button when I look at the name plate. My hand stops in mid-movement and I read it again: 'Jack and Sioban Perkins'.
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This was my entry for the writing contest.
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| Blog Comments
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Excellent stick man....did you win???
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Posted by Hollis
on 2008-05-04 13:28:43
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wow stick, that was really good. think of adding to it? or just leaving it here?
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Posted by spiritualcoma
on 2008-05-04 13:31:32
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I really like the twist at the end. I read it twice :]
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Posted by smileforthecamera
on 2008-05-04 14:38:36
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Yup! It's offically awesome, Stick! You rock! Congratulations! (again)
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Posted by BootLady
on 2008-05-04 15:07:24
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Great once again! You must have won!
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Posted by CavedogRob
on 2008-05-04 21:15:48
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The best man won.
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Posted by circe
on 2008-05-04 23:58:57
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You devil - that was just great. I can't wait to see your name in all the bookstores, so I can say 'I know that guy' Cheers Stickman!
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Posted by overthehillandfar...
on 2008-05-05 04:14:04
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good story stickman...hope you win the contest....k
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Posted by lastblastkl
on 2008-05-05 20:12:30
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I can see why you won honey, this is fantastic! excelent! x
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Posted by missmarie
on 2008-05-06 07:36:30
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OH gawd that was great! Your imagination is so wonderful, I love reading all of your stories and I really hope you win.
btw being born an O'Connor, I love the name Sioban.....
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Posted by smilinirisheyes
on 2008-05-06 11:35:10
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Now i know why you won, should have known before reading lol.
You are a great writer hun and you deserve to win.
Well done, xx
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Posted by bubblydi
on 2008-05-09 13:23:44
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| Views: 127
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