Southend U3A

Alcoholics Anonymous - Joan Bond

November 2012

Joanna, with nothing to get up to, began to drink a lot. She ended up going to AA. Unfortunately she didn't remain anonymous. All the people who made the statement, 'I am Joe Bloggs and I am an alcoholic' were starting to he blackmailed if they didn't want it to go public. She made a big mistake when Jo Bloggs turned out to be a pseudonym for the mafio guy who ran the local Gambling establishment. Jo apparently had a nasty accident when a large black car was seen to accidentally run her down.

Well that's got rid of her and a title for a story which I find very difficult to write about.

I now have a pristine piece of paper and 468 words to play with.

The world is my oyster as to whether I write a mystery, romance, fantasy, even a travel guide. I have been around to many places. India, for example, rich in stories. I can write about the lovely people I met, always smiling, and happy with their lot, very little though it may be.

They were happy too; apparently God would sort everything out so they had no worries. I could write about hospital goings on, I also watch so many of those programmes that I could do a tracheotomy any time, no trubs.

I also read detective stories, read so many in fact I always work out who did it before I am halfway through. Speaking of those authors, Colin Dexter always uses some really long words. I always have to look them up, but then want to try them out in conversation.

Designing my characters will be fun. I use 'design' lightly but really can devise a type, what they do and think, their friends and relatives and even the clothes they wear.

Heck, where do I start?

Ghosts - all the others in the group have had a go about them. A man was looking for a house where a couple had lived when his family was small, he knew the name of the neighbours but not the number of the house. A chap emerged from along the road and Jason asked if he knew the Robinsons. Yes, mate, number twenty five along there. Jason found the house and knocked.

Ann Robinson answered the door and Jason recognised her straight away.

'I hope you don't mind me calling but I wanted to ask if you remember my wife Norma.'

'Of course I do,' said Ann, 'Why has anything happened to her?'

'Yes,' Jason said. 'I have been away at sea for a year and when I arrived home she had gone; with the two kiddies too.'

'Oh I am sorry, she said. 'Come in.' She didn't know whether to make him a cup of tea or try to find some stronger liquor.

'How can I help. I haven't seen her for a long time. I am working now and don't have the time to fraternise so much. I don't really have time at all. The children have grown up and left home and Bill having now retired doesn't like to socialise much. She made him comfortable but couldn't help him with his problem. Jason left to try some other means of finding them.

He had walked to the end of the road when he realised he had left his wallet on the table in the house. He walked back and knocked several times with no reply. The young man who he had asked directions from earlier came along. He stopped when he saw Jason on the doorstep and said, 'You won't get any reply there mate, there was a bit of trouble and the place has been empty for ten months or so.'

'But it can't be,' he said. 'l have just been talking to Ann.'

'Well mate. There was a murder there about a year ago and the lady in question was found guilty and is now in prison. Because of the nature of the killing people won't be interested in taking the house on.'

'What the hell did she do?' Jason said.

'She killed a woman and her two children,' he replied.