R Is For…

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Good morning A-Zers, and non A-Zers of course 😉 Did you have a nice Easter Sunday? Eat lots of chocolate? I didn’t get an egg but i did eat a whole bag of Revels lol

So today is R day on the A-Z Challenge and its another day of feeling pretty uninspired. Am i just losing it, or does it all depend on my mood?

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My random word today is Redundant and my initial idea was about a woman who’s kids had all flown the nest, but that’s too much like my “B” post, Bird.

Ok, here goes…

Harold took his coat from the hook on the back of the kitchen door and kissed his wife Simone on the cheek. As he’d done every morning for 22 years. A job for life at Burns they’d said. Company car, healthcare, pension scheme, and a partnership for the hardworking up and coming lawyer, if he played his cards right. But for the last week Harold had been leaving home at 16 minutes past 7, getting on the tube and then spending every day sitting in the British Museum. There was no longer a job at Burns, no company car, and a pittance of a pension.

“What do you mean the car needs repairs? There’s nothing wrong with it!” Simone whined as Harold requested the keys. She used the car to take her mother shopping twice a week.
“It’s probably just a service, MOT, that kind of thing.”
“But Harold, it’s a brand new car!”

It had been humiliating handing the keys back to Mr Burns Jr.
“I’m so sorry Harold, you know how hard this is for me. My dad would be turning in his grave if he knew I’d had to let you go. But times are hard, and you’ll be fine. Man of your age, 55 is still young nowadays. Or you could just say sod it. Put your feet up, take Simone on a world cruise.” He slapped Harold on the back as he escorted him from the building. “We’ll pay you until the end of the month of course.” Mr Burns lent against his bright red Porsche.

Sitting on a bench in Hyde Park Harold took out his notebook. He checked through the figures he’d written a week ago. Nothing had changed. No matter what way he wrote them it still meant they would have to sell the house. Simone would be devastated. Thirty four years they’d lived there. Brought up their children in that house. It wasn’t just bricks and mortar, it was a home. Simone had worked hard over the years, supporting his late nights at work, making sure he always had a hot meal and a clean shirt. The people at the Social Security office had pointed out that as he owned his home with no mortgage they wouldn’t be able to help. Why had he bothered paying all those taxes?

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Vichaya Kiatying-Angsulee @ FreeDigitalPhotos

Harold knew there was only one solution to his problem and as he stood on the edge of the pavement waiting for a bus he hoped Simone would understand.

 

I’m so sorry….I tried to make Harold’s story a happy one, but, he just didn’t want it to go that way. I guess there are 2 ways it could go, so there may be a glimmer of hope 😉

27 thoughts on “R Is For…”

  2. Vikki, you might feel uninspired but it certainly doesn’t show on the page (screen)! You’ve had some great gems of writing the past month and I have really enjoyed reading them!
    Having said this, I hope you’re going to let us have a post at them start of May letting us know how you felt the A-Z challenge went for you and if you plan to continue writing and blogging again. Have missed your blog so much!
    Take care, Cat

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    • Hi Cat *waves* 🙂

      Awwww, thanks honey. I really needed this to get me back into writing, and i think its worked, so yeah, i think I’m back back. The plan is to continue to write every day, like i used to. Im also going to start working on my Nano novel now, and I’m really looking forward to that 🙂

      xx

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  4. I ate a lovely chunk of a Belgium Chocolate cake the only problem was it them required an extra 15 minutes on the cross trainer to burn off enough calories to stay inside my daily allowance and as we are going out to eat today it may be close again 😀

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  5. Poor Harold? or perhaps not so poor. After 22years he should have been entitled to a big redundancy pay out, and with no mortgage perhaps early retirement might be a better option than becoming road-kill under a Red London Bus! but I loved it.
    love Sue X

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    • Thanks Sue 🙂 Yeah, i was thinking i might need to research this one. I know in employment law you HAVE to give redundancy, but I’m sure unscrupulous employers can find a way round it 😉

      I think its more about the pride for Harold, and being terrified about trying to find a new job in a world where age-ism (sp? lol) is rife. Perhaps he could get on a bus and go and get himself a job in B&Q 😉

      xx

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    • Thanks Julianne 🙂

      I know if my husband was ever made redundant (impossible as we run our own business but still…) it would really affect him. Im pretty sure he wouldn’t throw himself under a bus, but he would probably feel like it. xx

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    • Oh wow…ok Margo *thinks* They’re little round chocolate balls in a bag. Some are filled with coffee cream, some with orange cream, toffee, raisins and Maltesers. Then theres some chocolate pennies/disks in there too. They used to have a peanut one but they got rid of that 😦 Im not really that keen on them, but my son got some for The Hubster, and its chocolate after all lol xx

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  10. In classic story telling, what Harold needs most is some kind of an intervention, a stranger, a mentor, some kind of shock. Maybe just as he’s ready to throw himself under the bus, a teenager runs in front of him, and Harold rescues the teenager! Or Harold could meet someone at the Museum accidentally. You’d written a marvelous story, but what’s next? How do we face crushing news? Your readers want to be thrilled by how close Harold comes to the edge and then inspired by how he faces down that really insensitive boss and with courage and hope, recreates himself and validates his love for his wife, teaching us all there is love and hope, no matter how dark today may seem . . . Go for it! I’m here from that A to Z and thank you for visiting my blog, but don’t think writing a poem a day is easy either!!!! I’m impressed at your stories. This is a big challenge you’ve set.

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  11. I was trying to imagine that he got ON the bus, but it just didn’t work so think you’re right and poor Harold just had to go under it.

    I agree with Cat, would love to know at the end of the month how you found the challenge. I’ve loved reading your posts – maybe next year I’ll have to give it a go…. Lol Xx

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Lets chat!