Wednesday

I have read a lot recently on lowering cholesterol and its importance. I have also seen that ministers in the UK seem to be considering giving everone over a certain age a statin daily. OK you might think, but then statins are not necessarily the totally good guy that they may appear to be. As a diabetic I have been given statins to reduce my cholesterol and of course have regular blood tests to check how things are going. One thing that has become apparant is that my triglicerides are not where they should be and also of slight concern is that my liver function is VERY slightly deteriorating. This lead me to do some research, and it appears that statins may be the culprit. I have decided that I will try and reverse the liver deterioration and improve the triglicerides naturally.


Research indicates that the First way how to lower cholesterol naturally is through Therapeutic Lifestyle Changes (TLC) - exercise and food. However depending on your circumstances Lifestyle changes are sometimes difficult to make.
Exercise and Lose Weight. Everyone knows by now that the keys to good cardiovascular health are exercise and maintaining your ideal weight. Just a few minutes per day should increase your level of high-density lipoproteins (HDL or "good" cholesterol). Just 10 minutes of exercise first thing in the morning can increase your metabolic rate for the rest of the day. Consumption of water so that you are fully hydrated can increase your metabolic rate 24 hours per day. However I have chronic pain and am relatively sedentary and I cannot really change that part of my lifestyle.
Watch your diet and food.
Fitting in the recommended 5 servings of fruits and vegetables (2 of one group and 3 of the other) helps take the place of some of the more processed snacks. Fruits and vegetables are mostly fat free. Maintain a diet that is made of 2/3 of vegetables and fruits and 1/3 of other foods, but I already do that and so I cannot really improve the food side of my diet either..
Latest research suggest that cholesterol lowering foods such as avocados, almonds, olive oil, soy beans, garlic, shiitake mushrooms, chili peppers, oat bran, beans (kidney, pintos, black, navy, etc.), onions, fatty fish, and flax seed play a crucial role in lowering LDL and sometimes raising HDL levels. They are all in my diet (except chili - yeuk!)
Stop Smoking - did that in 1993.
Ok, so I need a second way to lower cholestrerol

Nutritional Supplements.
There are clinically proven supplements on how to lower cholesterol naturally by 10 to 20 percent; there is solid proof and science backing up the claims on how to lower cholesterol naturally through supplements.

Policosanol.Policosanol has been subject to numerous clinical trials, which have reportedly proven its effectiveness on how to lower cholesterol naturally.
Policosanol works by helping the liver control its production and breakdown of cholesterol. Clinical studies show that policosanol is as effective as prescription drugs on how to loweri cholesterol naturally, without side effects.
For example, in a study of 53 diabetic patients, policosanol lowered total cholesterol by 14.2 percent, LDL (bad) cholesterol 20.4 percent and even raised the levels of HDL (good) cholesterol by 7.5 percent. SO I have ordered some policosanol.
Gugulipid or guggul-lipid.
Guggulipid is an ancient herb from India. Over recent years many clinical trials have proven its efficacy on how to lower cholesterol naturally and also it is one of the few substances that can effectively lower triglycerides.
In fact, these trials have shown this herb to be more effective in lowering cholesterol than the modern statin drugs, but with no side effects. Statin drugs do not lower triglycerides as I have found out from personal experience. SO I have ordered some gugulipids.
Fish Oil Supplements.
A lot has been written about the cholesterol lowering effects of omega 3 fatty acids and fish oil. However, is it really true that they lower cholesterol!? I found out that fish oil supplements do not prevent heart disease and lower cholesterol. Just eat fish twice a week is the better option. Click Here for more. So, no fish oil supplements for me.

Garlic Cholesterol.
In a large study of 220 patients, the garlic group took 800 milligrams of a powdered garlic for four months. This group experienced a 12 percent drop in cholesterol and a 17 percent drop in triglycerides. The placebo group had little change. So I shall add more garlic to my diet.
Flax Seed and Cholesterol.
Flaxseed is a whole grain that can be found in health food stores and some supermarkets.
In one study by Bahram Arjmandi, Ph.D., of Oklahoma State University, supplements of ground flax seed were given to 38 women with extremely high cholesterol levels were given bread and muffins containing 38 g of either sunflower or flaxseed four times daily.
After six weeks, flaxseed result on how to lower cholesterol naturally was: total cholesterol was reduced by 6.9 percent and LDL (bad) cholesterol by 14.7 percent.
Red Yeast Rice.
Red yeast rice has profound effects to lower cholesterol naturally.
A double-blind, placebo-controlled study was published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. It demonstrates that "red yeast rice significantly reduces total cholesterol, LDL cholesterol and total triacylglycerol concentrations compared with placebo and provides a new, novel, food-based approach to lowering cholesterol in the general population." SO Red yeast rice for me also.


We shall have to see what the effects are, I expect that my mid year blood tests will show improved triglicerides, lower bad cholesterol and hopefully less liver deterioration. Time will tell. If there is no improvement then I shall simply stop the supplements. If there is a dramatic improvement I may stop the statins for six months and then see the state of my cholesterol.

Monday

Well now, that is interesting. I was rummaging around the internet (as you do), and came across a test to find out what type of brain I have. It seems I have a male type brain (do not be surprised, apparantly brain type does not always follow sex type). If you are interested in your own, I have reproduced the test below. Print it out, don't cheat and see what type you are:


The Empathy Quotient (EQ)The Empathy Quotient is intended to measure how easily you pick up on other people's feelings and how strongly you are affected by other people's feelings. Please read each of the 60 following statements very carefully and rate how strongly you agree or disagree with them by circling your answer. There are no right or wrong answers, or trick questions.
How to take the test 1. Print out this page and circle your answers. 2. Work out your EQ score using the points system explained at the bottom of this page.
1. I can easily tell if someone else wants to enter a conversation.
strongly agree
slightly agree
slightly disagree
strongly disagree
2. I prefer animals to humans.
strongly agree
slightly agree
slightly disagree
strongly disagree
3. I try to keep up with the current trends and fashions.
strongly agree
slightly agree
slightly disagree
strongly disagree
4. I find it difficult to explain to others things that I understand easily, when they don't understand it first time.
strongly agree
slightly agree
slightly disagree
strongly disagree
5. I dream most nights.
strongly agree
slightly agree
slightly disagree
strongly disagree
6. I really enjoy caring for other people.
strongly agree
slightly agree
slightly disagree
strongly disagree
7. I try to solve my own problems rather than discussing them with others.
strongly agree
slightly agree
slightly disagree
strongly disagree
8. I find it hard to know what to do in a social situation.
strongly agree
slightly agree
slightly disagree
strongly disagree
9. I am at my best first thing in the morning.
strongly agree
slightly agree
slightly disagree
strongly disagree
10. People often tell me that I went too far in driving my point home in a discussion.
strongly agree
slightly agree
slightly disagree
strongly disagree
11. It doesn't bother me too much if I am late meeting a friend.
strongly agree
slightly agree
slightly disagree
strongly disagree
12. Friendships and relationships are just too difficult, so I tend not to bother with them.
strongly agree
slightly agree
slightly disagree
strongly disagree
13. I would never break a law, no matter how minor.
strongly agree
slightly agree
slightly disagree
strongly disagree
14. I often find it difficult to judge if something is rude or polite.
strongly agree
slightly agree
slightly disagree
strongly disagree
15. In a conversation, I tend to focus on my own thoughts rather than on what my listener might be thinking.
strongly agree
slightly agree
slightly disagree
strongly disagree
16. I prefer practical jokes to verbal humour.
strongly agree
slightly agree
slightly disagree
strongly disagree
17. I live life for today rather than the future.
strongly agree
slightly agree
slightly disagree
strongly disagree
18. When I was a child, I enjoyed cutting up worms to see what would happen.
strongly agree
slightly agree
slightly disagree
strongly disagree
19. I can pick up quickly if someone says one thing but means another.
strongly agree
slightly agree
slightly disagree
strongly disagree
20. I tend to have very strong opinions about morality.
strongly agree
slightly agree
slightly disagree
strongly disagree
21. It is hard for me to see why some things upset people so much.
strongly agree
slightly agree
slightly disagree
strongly disagree
22. I find it easy to put myself in somebody else's shoes.
strongly agree
slightly agree
slightly disagree
strongly disagree
23. I think that good manners are the most important thing a parent can teach their child.
strongly agree
slightly agree
slightly disagree
strongly disagree
24. I like to do things on the spur of the moment.
strongly agree
slightly agree
slightly disagree
strongly disagree
25. I am good at predicting how someone will feel.
strongly agree
slightly agree
slightly disagree
strongly disagree
26. I am quick to spot when someone in a group is feeling awkward or uncomfortable.
strongly agree
slightly agree
slightly disagree
strongly disagree
27. If I say something that someone else is offended by, I think that that's their problem, not mine.
strongly agree
slightly agree
slightly disagree
strongly disagree
28. If anyone asked me if I liked their haircut, I would reply truthfully, even if I didn't like it.
strongly agree
slightly agree
slightly disagree
strongly disagree
29. I can't always see why someone should have felt offended by a remark.
strongly agree
slightly agree
slightly disagree
strongly disagree
30. People often tell me that I am very unpredictable.
strongly agree
slightly agree
slightly disagree
strongly disagree
31. I enjoy being the centre of attention at any social gathering.
strongly agree
slightly agree
slightly disagree
strongly disagree
32. Seeing people cry doesn't really upset me.
strongly agree
slightly agree
slightly disagree
strongly disagree
33. I enjoy having discussions about politics.
strongly agree
slightly agree
slightly disagree
strongly disagree
34. I am very blunt, which some people take to be rudeness, even though this is unintentional.
strongly agree
slightly agree
slightly disagree
strongly disagree
35. I don?tend to find social situations confusing.
strongly agree
slightly agree
slightly disagree
strongly disagree
36. Other people tell me I am good at understanding how they are feeling and what they are thinking.
strongly agree
slightly agree
slightly disagree
strongly disagree
37. When I talk to people, I tend to talk about their experiences rather than my own.
strongly agree
slightly agree
slightly disagree
strongly disagree
38. It upsets me to see an animal in pain.
strongly agree
slightly agree
slightly disagree
strongly disagree
39. I am able to make decisions without being influenced by people's feelings.
strongly agree
slightly agree
slightly disagree
strongly disagree
40. I can't relax until I have done everything I had planned to do that day.
strongly agree
slightly agree
slightly disagree
strongly disagree
41. I can easily tell if someone else is interested or bored with what I am saying.
strongly agree
slightly agree
slightly disagree
strongly disagree
42. I get upset if I see people suffering on news programmes.
strongly agree
slightly agree
slightly disagree
strongly disagree
43. Friends usually talk to me about their problems as they say that I am very understanding.
strongly agree
slightly agree
slightly disagree
strongly disagree
44. I can sense if I am intruding, even if the other person doesn't tell me.
strongly agree
slightly agree
slightly disagree
strongly disagree
45. I often start new hobbies but quickly become bored with them and move on to something else.
strongly agree
slightly agree
slightly disagree
strongly disagree
46. People sometimes tell me that I have gone too far with teasing.
strongly agree
slightly agree
slightly disagree
strongly disagree
47. I would be too nervous to go on a big rollercoaster.
strongly agree
slightly agree
slightly disagree
strongly disagree
48. Other people often say that I am insensitive, though I don?always see why.
strongly agree
slightly agree
slightly disagree
strongly disagree
49. If I see a stranger in a group, I think that it is up to them to make an effort to join in.
strongly agree
slightly agree
slightly disagree
strongly disagree
50. I usually stay emotionally detached when watching a film.
strongly agree
slightly agree
slightly disagree
strongly disagree
51. I like to be very organised in day to day life and often make lists of the chores I have to do.
strongly agree
slightly agree
slightly disagree
strongly disagree
52. I can tune into how someone else feels rapidly and intuitively.
strongly agree
slightly agree
slightly disagree
strongly disagree
53. I don't like to take risks.
strongly agree
slightly agree
slightly disagree
strongly disagree
54. I can easily work out what another person might want to talk about.
strongly agree
slightly agree
slightly disagree
strongly disagree
55. I can tell if someone is masking their true emotion.
strongly agree
slightly agree
slightly disagree
strongly disagree
56. Before making a decision I always weigh up the pros and cons.
strongly agree
slightly agree
slightly disagree
strongly disagree
57. I don't consciously work out the rules of social situations.
strongly agree
slightly agree
slightly disagree
strongly disagree
58. I am good at predicting what someone will do.
strongly agree
slightly agree
slightly disagree
strongly disagree
59. I tend to get emotionally involved with a friend's problems.
strongly agree
slightly agree
slightly disagree
strongly disagree
60. I can usually appreciate the other person's viewpoint, even if I don't agree with it.
strongly agree
slightly agree
slightly disagree
strongly disagree
How to work out your EQ scoreScore two points for each of the following items if you answered 'definitely agree' or one point if you answered 'slightly agree': 1, 6, 19, 22, 25, 26, 35, 36, 37, 38, 41, 42, 43, 44, 52, 54, 55, 57, 58, 59, 60.
Score two points for each of the following items if you answered 'definitely disagree' or one point if you answered 'slightly disagree': 4, 8, 10, 11, 12, 14, 15,18, 21, 27, 28, 29, 32, 34, 39, 46, 48, 49, 50
All other questions are not scored.
What your score meansOn average, most women score about 47 and most men about 42. Most people with Asperger Syndrome or high-functioning autism score about 20.
0-32 = You have a lower than average ability for understanding how other people feel and responding appropriately.
33-52 = You have an average ability for understanding how other people feel and responding appropriately. You know how to treat people with care and sensitivity.
53-63 = You have an above average ability for understanding how other people feel and responding appropriately. You know how to treat people with care and sensitivity.
64-80 = You have a very high ability for understanding how other people feel and responding appropriately. You know how to treat people with care and sensitivity.


The Systemizing Quotient (SQ)The Systemizing Quotient gives a score based on how interested you assess yourself to be in each of the following forms of systemizing. Systemizing is the drive to analyse and explore a system, to extract underlying rules that govern the behaviour of a system; and the drive to construct systems. Please read each of the following 60 statements very carefully and rate how strongly you agree or disagree with them by circling your answer. There are no right or wrong answers, or trick questions.
How to take the test1. Print out this page and circle your answers. 2. Work out your SQ score using the points system explained at the bottom of this page.
1. When I listen to a piece of music, I always notice the way it's structured.
strongly agree
slightly agree
slightly disagree
strongly disagree
2. I adhere to common superstitions.
strongly agree
slightly agree
slightly disagree
strongly disagree
3. I often make resolutions, but find it hard to stick to them.
strongly agree
slightly agree
slightly disagree
strongly disagree
4. I prefer to read non-fiction than fiction.
strongly agree
slightly agree
slightly disagree
strongly disagree
5. If I were buying a car, I would want to obtain specific information about its engine capacity.
strongly agree
slightly agree
slightly disagree
strongly disagree
6. When I look at a painting, I do not usually think about the technique involved in making it.
strongly agree
slightly agree
slightly disagree
strongly disagree
7. If there was a problem with the electrical wiring in my home, I'd be able to fix it myself.
strongly agree
slightly agree
slightly disagree
strongly disagree
8. When I have a dream, I find it difficult to remember precise details about the dream the next day.
strongly agree
slightly agree
slightly disagree
strongly disagree
9. When I watch a film, I prefer to be with a group of friends, rather than alone.
strongly agree
slightly agree
slightly disagree
strongly disagree
10. I am interested in learning about different religions.
strongly agree
slightly agree
slightly disagree
strongly disagree
11. I rarely read articles or webpages about new technology.
strongly agree
slightly agree
slightly disagree
strongly disagree
12. I do not enjoy games that involve a high degree of strategy.
strongly agree
slightly agree
slightly disagree
strongly disagree
13. I am fascinated by how machines work.
strongly agree
slightly agree
slightly disagree
strongly disagree
14. I make it a point of listening to the news each morning.
strongly agree
slightly agree
slightly disagree
strongly disagree
15. In maths, I am intrigued by the rules and patterns governing numbers.
strongly agree
slightly agree
slightly disagree
strongly disagree
16. I am bad about keeping in touch with old friends.
strongly agree
slightly agree
slightly disagree
strongly disagree
17. When I am relating a story, I often leave out details and just give the gist of what happened.
strongly agree
slightly agree
slightly disagree
strongly disagree
18. I find it difficult to understand instruction manuals for putting appliances together.
strongly agree
slightly agree
slightly disagree
strongly disagree
19. When I look at an animal, I like to know the precise species it belongs to.
strongly agree
slightly agree
slightly disagree
strongly disagree
20. If I were buying a computer, I would want to know exact details about its hard drive capacity and processor speed.
strongly agree
slightly agree
slightly disagree
strongly disagree
21. I enjoy participating in sport.
strongly agree
slightly agree
slightly disagree
strongly disagree
22. I try to avoid doing household chores if I can.
strongly agree
slightly agree
slightly disagree
strongly disagree
23. When I cook, I do not think about exactly how different methods and ingredients contribute to the final product.
strongly agree
slightly agree
slightly disagree
strongly disagree
24. I find it difficult to read and understand maps.
strongly agree
slightly agree
slightly disagree
strongly disagree
25. If I had a collection (e.g. CDs, coins, stamps), it would be highly organised.
strongly agree
slightly agree
slightly disagree
strongly disagree
26. When I look at a piece of furniture, I do not notice the details of how it was constructed.
strongly agree
slightly agree
slightly disagree
strongly disagree
27. The idea of engaging in "risk-taking" activities appeals to me.
strongly agree
slightly agree
slightly disagree
strongly disagree
28. When I learn about historical events, I do not focus on exact dates.
strongly agree
slightly agree
slightly disagree
strongly disagree
29. When I read the newspaper, I am drawn to tables of information, such as football league scores or stock market indices.
strongly agree
slightly agree
slightly disagree
strongly disagree
30. When I learn a language, I become intrigued by its grammatical rules.
strongly agree
slightly agree
slightly disagree
strongly disagree
31. I find it difficult to learn my way around a new city.
strongly agree
slightly agree
slightly disagree
strongly disagree
32. I do not tend to watch science documentaries on television or read articles about science and nature.
strongly agree
slightly agree
slightly disagree
strongly disagree
33. If I were buying a stereo, I would want to know about its precise technical features.
strongly agree
slightly agree
slightly disagree
strongly disagree
34. I find it easy to grasp exactly how odds work in betting.
strongly agree
slightly agree
slightly disagree
strongly disagree
35. I am not very meticulous when I carry out D.I.Y.
strongly agree
slightly agree
slightly disagree
strongly disagree
36. I find it easy to carry on a conversation with someone I've just met.
strongly agree
slightly agree
slightly disagree
strongly disagree
37. When I look at a building, I am curious about the precise way it was constructed.
strongly agree
slightly agree
slightly disagree
strongly disagree
38. When an election is being held, I am not interested in the results for each constituency.
strongly agree
slightly agree
slightly disagree
strongly disagree
39. When I lend someone money, I expect them to pay me back exactly what they owe me.
strongly agree
slightly agree
slightly disagree
strongly disagree
40. I find it difficult to understand information the bank sends me on different investment and saving systems.
strongly agree
slightly agree
slightly disagree
strongly disagree
41. When travelling by train, I often wonder exactly how the rail networks are coordinated.
strongly agree
slightly agree
slightly disagree
strongly disagree
42. When I buy a new appliance, I do not read the instruction manual very thoroughly.
strongly agree
slightly agree
slightly disagree
strongly disagree
43. If I were buying a camera, I would not look carefully into the quality of the lens.
strongly agree
slightly agree
slightly disagree
strongly disagree
44. When I read something, I always notice whether it is grammatically correct.
strongly agree
slightly agree
slightly disagree
strongly disagree
45. When I hear the weather forecast, I am not very interested in the meteorological patterns.
strongly agree
slightly agree
slightly disagree
strongly disagree
46. I often wonder what it would be like to be someone else.
strongly agree
slightly agree
slightly disagree
strongly disagree
47. I find it difficult to do two things at once.
strongly agree
slightly agree
slightly disagree
strongly disagree
48. When I look at a mountain, I think about how precisely it was formed.
strongly agree
slightly agree
slightly disagree
strongly disagree
49. I can easily visualise how the motorways in my region link up.
strongly agree
slightly agree
slightly disagree
strongly disagree
50. When I'm in a restaurant, I often have a hard time deciding what to order.
strongly agree
slightly agree
slightly disagree
strongly disagree
51. When I'm in a plane, I do not think about the aerodynamics.
strongly agree
slightly agree
slightly disagree
strongly disagree
52. I often forget the precise details of conversations I've had.
strongly agree
slightly agree
slightly disagree
strongly disagree
53. When I am walking in the country, I am curious about how the various kinds of trees differ.
strongly agree
slightly agree
slightly disagree
strongly disagree
54. After meeting someone just once or twice, I find it difficult to remember precisely what they look like.
strongly agree
slightly agree
slightly disagree
strongly disagree
55. I am interested in knowing the path a river takes from its source to the sea.
strongly agree
slightly agree
slightly disagree
strongly disagree
56. I do not read legal documents very carefully.
strongly agree
slightly agree
slightly disagree
strongly disagree
57. I am not interested in understanding how wireless communication works.
strongly agree
slightly agree
slightly disagree
strongly disagree
58. I am curious about life on other planets.
strongly agree
slightly agree
slightly disagree
strongly disagree
59. When I travel, I like to learn specific details about the culture of the place I am visiting.
strongly agree
slightly agree
slightly disagree
strongly disagree
60. I do not care to know the names of the plants I see.
strongly agree
slightly agree
slightly disagree
strongly disagree
How to work out your SQ scoreScore two points for each of the following items if you answered 'definitely agree' or one point if you answered 'slightly agree': 1, 4, 5, 7, 13, 15, 19, 20, 25, 29, 30, 33, 34, 37, 41, 44, 48, 49, 53, 55.
Score two points for each of the following items if you answered 'definitely disagree' or one point if you answered 'slightly disagree': 6, 11, 12, 18, 23, 24, 26, 28, 31, 32, 35, 38, 40, 42, 43, 45, 51, 56, 57, 60.
All other questions are not scored.
What your score meansOn average women score about 24 and men score about 30.
0-19 = You have a lower than average ability for analysing and exploring a system.
20-39 = You have an average ability for analysing and exploring a system.
40-50 = You have an above average ability for analysing and exploring a system.
51-80 = You have a very high ability for analysing and exploring a system. Three times as many people with Asperger Syndrome score in this range, compared to typical men, and almost no women score this high.

What type of brain do you have?According to Baron-Cohen's theory, a person (whether male or female) has a particular 'brain type'. There are three common brain types: the female brain, the male brain and the balanced brain.
You can see where you fit by plotting your SQ score on the horizontal axis and your EQ score on the vertical axis on the graph below.
For some individuals, empathising is stronger than systemising. This is called the female brain, or a brain of type E.
For other individuals, systemising is stronger than empathising. This is called the male brain, or a brain of type S.
Yet other individuals are equally strong in their systemising and empathising. This is called the 'balanced brain', or a brain of type B.
The balanced brain would fit on the diagonal in the top right of the graph - this is where both EQ and SQ are equally strong.
The extreme female brain (which would be at the top left of the graph) has yet to be discovered according to Baron-Cohen. The extreme male brain (bottom right of the graph) may be a manifestation of autism.
A key feature of the theory is that your sex cannot tell you which type of brain you have. Not all men have the male brain, and not all women have the female brain. The central claim of this new theory is only that on average, more males than females have a brain of type S, and more females than males have a brain of type E.

Saturday

It is back to the medical theme today. As regular followers know I am on a variety of medications for various things covering two chronic conditions. (Chronic means long lasting or no cure. People us it when they actually mean Acute, which means severe, short lived and curable. I know which is which). I have diabetes mellitis which is chronic and severe lower back pain which is also chronic.

Now my view is that Diabetes can kill me, and a painful back won't. So as I am fed up of all the tablets I am taking, I decided to stop taking the daily pain regime tablets for my lower back. That regime is a combination of Gabapentin and Venlafaxine. I stopped on Tuesday. Still taking all my diabetes meds of course.

Around midday on friday I suddenly (suddenly like I mean NO WARNING) I had a really bad head cold. Overnight friday it developed into full blown man flu. Of course, being diabetic, I cannot take anything for it, I just have to tough it out.

I happened to mention this to an online friend and she kind of told me off and told me to go and look up withdrawal. So I did, again. (I had already and thought I knew what to expect, just some mild dizziness) And what I found was that 2-3 days after stopping venlafaxine, I could expect to get severe flu symptoms, that would last 2 - 3 weeks, and would not be completely cleared for 2 - 3 months. WHAT!!!!!!

Guess what? 2.5 days after stopping the venlafaxine i developed severe flu like symptoms. I can't be having that, and the dizziness. So back on the venlafaxine.

My lesson learned? Listen to my Doctor!!!!!

And thanks VM to my internet friend, she know who she is.

Thursday

MERRY CHRISTMAS EVERYONEhttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H6YbLZf8i5I

IT's CHRISTMAS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Here is something to read, it is a part from a current part work book:


Sally looked at the instructions on the box. They seemed quite simple and straightforward really. ‘Put in flow. Wait one minute. Read indication.’ Well here goes nothing. She should have had her period last week. It hadn’t arrived, just as it had stayed away last month. Steve had of course carried on blissfully unaware and not noticing of their extra weeks of lovemaking, bringing both pleasure and tenderness to the close of each day. Last night, and indeed this Saturday morning, had been no exception and Steve lay gently snoring in a post coital sleep. Sally examined the results of both their nightly loving and the subsequently required test, a tear forming in the corner of her eye before dropping, splashing on her thigh as she sat down, using the toilet as a convenient seat.
In his dream, Steve began to drown, the water was just never stopping, it was coming incessantly, and he struggled to keep his airways clear. Gasping and panting for breath he fought his way to the surface of the lake that he had suddenly found himself in the midst of, and as he broke through to the light and opened his eyes, he looked up to see Sally, her eyes streaming and tears falling upon him.
He reached up and put his arm around her, snuggling his face into her neck as he spoke gently into her ear. “Sal, what is it love?”

“Just hug me for a minute.”
He pulled her to him and caressed the back of her head, his fingers gently raking through her hair like a broad toothed comb, his nose nuzzling at the nape of her neck. He slightly increased the strength of his hug, trying to understand what could possibly be wrong. He took a deep breath, savouring the aroma and scent that was wife. “Sal, love, what is it?”
Sally pulled herself away from Steve and took his hands in hers. She pulled one pair of their hands to her face and wiped away the tears from her eye with the back of a hand still holding his. She sniffed and took a gulp of air, steadying herself before she moved. Sally leant forward and kissed Steve tenderly on the lips, the contact lingering, their lips sliding across each, their hands squeezing, each giving and taking of reassurance from the other. “Steve darling, we’re pregnant again.”
Steve hushed her with his lips, crushing her as he hugged and hugged her for all his worth, his arms unable to circle her fully as their fingers were still engaged. “When?” He asked as the tears fell from his eyes.
“When what darling, when did we make the baby or when will it be with us, which ‘When’ darling, which ‘When’?”
“Which when, what when, every when, Sal, every when!” Steve laughed as his tears fell; they were pregnant once more; his joy was a match for Sally’s, his total love for her as great as hers was for him. His delight and adoration could not be expressed in mere words. His eyes sparkled and his lips kissed, his arms hugged and his fingers squeezed, “every when, Sal, every when.”

Sally was pottering around in the kitchen, stirring the pot of oats and cycling bread from the bread bin to the grill, to the board then to be buttered as toast. The kettle had boiled and the tea was brewing in the pot under its knitted Jamaican style cosy. “Breakfast” she called loudly through the open kitchen door, before putting the bowls and small plates around the kitchen table. She was not exactly overwhelmed by the rush of starving pythons in response to her call’ and so she tutted and called again. Steve could be heard moving around upstairs; ‘well at least Steve is on his way, as to the twins, television probably’ she thought.
“Steve love,” she called upstairs, “telly off, twins down please.” There were times when having a television in the twins bedroom was a boon, it meant more peace and quiet for her, but at times like this, it was an absolute nightmare. It was always ‘their programme,’ the one they had been waiting forever to see. Getting them down for weekend breakfasts was becoming a battle and she was determined that a battle it may be, a war it would not become.
The warring warriors grumbled into the kitchen, Dawn and Eve twittering on about what they were missing and how they did not want porridge and just generally acting seven, which was good because that is exactly how old they were. The weekday mornings were an early ritual of getting daddy up; they found that jumping on his tummy and head worked best; helping mummy make breakfast and then waving daddy goodbye before getting ready for school. They still enjoyed that routine and laughed most mornings. As the week progressed however, they became more and more tired, and getting them out of bed on a Saturday was, well it was just a bit of a test!
“Oh girls, I don’t know what you’re going to do.” Sally said to them, “I really don’t.”
“Do when mummy?” Eve replied from somewhere within a spoonful of rapidly cooling oats.
“When every when comes along Evie darling, when every when comes along.” Sally responded, smiling across at Steve as she spoke.
“Oh mummy sometimes you are so silly.”

“Phew my love. I thought that the twins would never go to sleep. Considering how tired and irritable they were this morning, they really perked up by this evening.”
“Steve babe, it is just about to get somewhat worse.”
“Oh Lordy, I almost forgot. You mean MS?”
“Absolutely. Morning sickness.”
“Yes and I am going to be at work all day, and you’ve got to handle the twins. Look, there should be some extra money coming in now that the car computer is being licensed. And I do have a few other ideas about a small laptop that can interface directly with the car and phone. If I could just get that idea working, I may be able to license the idea and get an advance.”
Sally lay back in the armchair, a cushion supporting her back, and looked across at Steve, her blue eyes glistening with pride as her husband filled her gaze. “We have enough money to live on my love.”
“I was thinking of perhaps an Au Pair or something.”
Sally gave Steve her sternest look as she spoke. “I see. Okay. I’m up the whatsits and you want to bring another woman into my house to do all the things that I should, as mother and wife, be doing?”
Steve laughed, “Well, you know, if you’re going to be out of commission and all that, I might need a standby.”
Sally couldn’t help it, but a tear fell from the corner of her left eye. Unfortunately it was followed by a second, and then a third. And then her right eye joined in, and the trickle became a torrent. Sally gulped, sniffed, cried, and shook.
Steve leapt of his chair and almost flew across the room to the side of his wife. His hands waving and flapping as he went. “Sal, I was only joking babe, I was joking.”
“I know my love, I know, but I just couldn’t help it. It must be hormones.”
“Hormones are what got us into this position.”
“Yes, and it’s hormones that’ll see us through.
“That and a lusty Au Pair”
A finger quickly straightened and aimed for his ribs, scoring a direct hit. “Ouch.”

“They do have blokes as Au Pairs you know.”
“Do you honestly think that I will be able to concentrate at work with a hormonal wife alone in the house with a tussle haired male Au Pair?”
“He might not be tussle haired; he might have a crew cut.”
“He would still be a he though wouldn’t he?”
“Do you honestly think that I will be able to concentrate on giving birth with a frustrated husband at home with a lusty female Au Pair?”
“One all.”
“Quite. So, no Au Pair then?”
“No Au Pair then.”
Steve sat on the floor, his head resting on Sally’s knees, his hands on her thighs, fingers gently strumming. “This carpet may look good, but it’s not the most comfortable Sal, not by any means.”

Steve held on the arm of the sofa and using it as leverage he stood up. He was standing for approximately three seconds before he welcomed the carpet to his face one more.
Sally suppressed a giggle. “I told you not to sit twisted up on the floor like that. I said you would regret it. Now you have. Been sitting on our leg have we?”
“The fact that I have lost all feeling in my leg; and hence the ability of my leg to support my light but surprisingly muscular frame; is completely irrelevant. Maybe Sally, my love, maybe I should not have sat upon the floor, but I did as I felt that you needed some comfort, and that is why I am now here a puddle in a heap at your feet. I know that we could have sat and cuddled on the settee, but we didn’t. I don’t regret for a moment sitting there and hugging you. I would do it again and again and again if needed.”
“I know, but that is not why I love you.”
“I don’t care why you love, I just care that you do.”
“That is exactly why I love you, because you are a wonderfully loving and giving man. What more could a woman hope for?”
Steve lay on his back on the carpet and looked up at the ceiling determined not to show the pain as the blood flowed once more through his leg, acute pins and needles the price of the flow. There was small a hairline crack that snaked across the ceiling looking like a frozen image of lightning, as it zigged and zagged its way from the light fitting in the centre to the coving at the edge. “Hm, looks like the ceiling is showing a few signs of age.”
Sally looked up, trying to work out what his eyes were focussing on, and failed. “In what way?”
“There’s a crack that goes from the light to the edge. It’s not huge; it’s probably just a drying out thing, nothing to worry about.”
“It’s all that bouncing around on the bed that you do.”
“Should I stop?”
“You might want to be a bit gentler for a few months; you know let the ceiling recover?”
“Ah, right. Any other reason perhaps?”
“None that spring to mind.”
“Right.”
“Right”

Steve looked at his watch. “Well all the supermarkets are shut; as it’s a Saturday they shut at ten. I might find something at a garage though.” Sat on the bed, he pulled his socks on, not noticing that the patterned Disney sock, a Christmas present from the twins, on his left foot was inside out.
“I just need it. Cravings.”
“Are you sure?” He slipped his feet through the leg holes of his boxers and pulled them to his knees before standing and completing the job of wearing them.
“Yes.”
“And we definitely haven’t got any in the cupboard?” He pulled on his trousers.
“Good grief no, of course not, why on earth would I buy it?”
“Er, why am I about to go out scouring 24 hour garages?” The shirt was still partly buttoned from when he had taken it off and so he pulled it over his head as if it were a shirt.
“That is completely different.”
“Of course, how stupid am I?” He took his inside out shirt back off, turned it the right way around and put it back on.
“Not at all. But you might want to learn to unbutton your shirt properly when you take it off next time”
“Good answer. I’ll see you later then.” He picked his wallet up and put it in his back pocket, ensuring that the zipper was across the pocket.
“Yes, but be careful.”
“Oh believe me, I will. Right then, see you shortly.”
“Yes.”
Steve turned and opened the bedroom door and began to step through when Sally’s voice called him back.
“You’ve forgotten something.”
“Sorry,” he said as he returned and leaning over the bed he gave Sally a kiss on her lips. “Once more, see you soon.”
“Indeed.”
Steve again walked through the door, this time quietly closing it behind him, and then padded down the stairs. He sat on the bottom step and put his trainers on, before standing and unlocking the front door.”
He sat in the car for a few moments before starting the engine. Sighing deeply he selected reverse and pulled off the drive. He knew exactly where he would go were it necessary. There was a recently refurbished garage with an all night convenience store on the ring road not far from the postal sorting office. If they did not do it, then he would be in trouble. He only hoped that her cravings would be between Monday morning opening and Saturday Evening closing for the main twenty-four hour opening supermarkets. He drove up to the junction, swept wide and turned around, going down the road and pulled back on the drive, locked the car and went back in.
Lesson one was to ensure that there was a coat available with the shoes, tonight could have been cold, and summer was not here yet. Back up to the bedroom and quietly opened the door, mostly in an effort not to wake the twins. Sally lay on her back, eyes shut and breathing the deep slow breaths of a sleeper. Steve undid a few buttons and pulled the shirt off, ignoring the earlier advice from Sally. Wallet out of the trousers, and then soon the rest of his clothes were added to the pile at the end of the bed. He slipped in beside his wife, feeling pangs of disappointment that she had just failed to stay awake.
“So, how was it?” She had indeed been awake, and had only been practicing deep breathing and relaxation techniques.
“Fine, I got everything that you need. Do you want it now, only I can go and prepare it if you like.
“No, I have everything I need right here,” Sally said as her arm encircled his waist. “Next time it may be the real thing, and not just a dry run. What exactly did you imagine that you were going to get?”
“Now that would be telling, who knows what your craving will be. It might be Jelly.”
“Fair enough. Now that is enough dry runs for one evening. There is something else that you need to do now.” Sally reared up slightly and rolled onto him, kissing his lips and taking her weight on her elbows. “Reach over and turn the light off lover, it is shining right into my eyes.”


Steve lay upon his side, his free hand over Sally as he kissed her softly, his fingers gently tracing ‘I Love You’ on her back, his thoughts full of how beautiful Sally was and how much he really wanted to make love with her. Sally kissed back her desires in tune with her husband, her need as strong, she moved her hand down the bed seeking to encourage and guide him. There was a thump as the door flew open, the shared moment was gone, and the two interrupted lovers rolled apart.
“Mummy!” Screamed Dawn as she landed on the bed closely pursued by Evie, although landing on the bed wasn’t entirely accurate. The air whooshed from Steve’s lungs and a tear formed in his eye as a knee, or it may have been a foot, landed with the full force of a flying seven year old into his crotch; the quilt providing very little cushioning or protection.
“Careful now darlings, mind daddy,” Sally admonished, “now, what is it?”
Dawn was jumping up and down as Evie was trying to wiggle her way into the bed between Sally & Steve.
“Mommeeee, “Dawn continued, “Today, you promised we could do it today, you promised.” Each word timed to coincide with a down stroke of the bouncing.
“Yes mummy we want to do it today and you promised that we could.” Evie added having finally squeezed down the bed with only a small button nose and forehead visible. “Ow Dawn you’re bouncing on my legs,” she finished.
Steve had finally managed to recover his composure from the assault and looked down the bed at Dawn. “Promised you could do what Dawn?”
“Smooth the clothes daddy, mummy said we could do the smoothing today.”
Steve looked at Sally with an enquiring eyebrow and received a mouthed ‘ironing’ in response. “Okay girls I see. Right well before anyone does any smoothing there are teeth to be cleaned hands to be washed, and clothes to put on, and that means yesterdays clothes in the washing box. When you are all cleaned, you can watch TV until breakfast. Then we can think about smoothing. Now scoot”
“Oh daddy,” came an agonised response from beneath the quilt as Evie continued her squirming down to the foot of the bed. “We can do our own breakfast now daddy.”
“And what do you do for breakfast that you can do it yourself then Evie?”
“Mummy showed us and we did it on Friday” Dawn bounced.
“Yes daddy, yesterday mummy showed us, crispies and toast with jam and juice. I do the crispies and Dawn does the toast.” Evie explained as her legs appeared from the bottom of the quilt. There was a swish followed by a small bump as gravity delivered the younger twin from the bed to the bedroom floor. Evie’s head popped up grinning, “So can we do breakfast before we get dressed daddy, please, and then we can do smoothing?”
Sally looked down at the twins and smiled. “Yes okay, now wait one minute,” she called as the twins ran off to do breakfast as she uttered the ‘yes’.
“Just come right back here a minute, I haven’t finished talking.” Sally stopped and waited until both sets of eyes had peaked back through the bedroom door. “Right, now remember, you turn the switch off on the wall before you take the toast out of the toaster, and remember the toast will be hot, so leave it a moment or two before you try and take it. And you use the special round knife to spread the butter, not one of the sharp ones. And everything that comes out of a cupboard or the fridge goes back before you eat breakfast. Now is that all clear girls?”
“Yes mummy chorused the departing twins.”
Steve looked across at Sally and blew her a kiss before the inevitable question left his lips. “Bit young aren’t they for all this?”
“Oh Steve, goodness no, It is about time that they started to fledge, the nest will need more room soon don’t forget.”
“Oh I know, but toasters, and then irons, I mean, God, they are only seven.”
“Steve, my dear sweet man, they may only be seven, but they are incredibly bright; that must come from you; and they are getting bored with the stuff on TV. They need to develop and grow, and doing a few of the basic stuff will really empower and make them feel important. It may help offset any potential jealousy when new baby comes along. And any way, I shall only let them iron the really important stuff, like tea towels and socks.”
“But you don’t iron socks for goodness sake do you?”
“They don’t know that and they are going to be taught the really important stuff. Well as far as they are concerned that is, so make sure you reinforce that message. Now then, I saw a tear in your eye earlier, why don’t you just shut the bedroom door and let me make you all better.”

The sky was grey and silver in colour, clouds obscuring any evidence of the sun. The weather people had said that it would be dry, and so that made it a perfect day for waxing the car. Roger put the bucket of warm soapy water down by the car and got to work. Being black, the car showed a need for washing more than a lighter colour. It looked stunning in Roger’s view when it was cleaned and waxed, but frankly awful when it needed a wash. The waxing gave him as good a workout as he got from the gym, with the added bonus of a protected car body. Hearing a noise from further up the road, he saw Sunita and Sandesh, the couple who had rented Geraldine’s Mews, preparing to go out in their Honda. Catching his eye Sunita waved at him as she stooped to get into the car and Roger waved his soggy sponge in reply.
Sandesh did something in town, Roger did not actually know what, just that he left every morning around seven thirty dressed in a suit and returned every evening at around six. Roger had seen him at the bus stop on a few occasions and had assumed that if he was working in town, the man probably found the bus easier than a car. Sunita was a teacher at a secondary school in Cheltenham and she usually took their car. Roger had not had much chance to talk to them, they had exchanged names and pleasantries shortly after they moved in, and when Roger had explained that he was an accountant, Sunita had said how she loved arithmetic and mathematics, and that she taught it in Cheltenham.
“Oh how few children seem to enjoy the pleasure of numbers,” she had sighed, “but never mind, one day I hope that another Ramanujan will turn up in my class.”
Sandesh had commented something about how he doubted a mathematical genius would be discovered in a secondary school, and Roger had been irritated by the man and his demeaning of his wife in front of a relative stranger. He had smiled a private smile at Sunita, slightly raised his eyebrows, and surreptitiously shaken his head unbeknown by the critical husband. At that moment, an invisible bond seemed born.
From that day to this Sunita had waved and smiled on every occasion that she had seen him, but only rarely had they spoken. With her accent belying her ethnicity, Roger found her voice captivating and felt that he heard it too infrequently. Today was another typical encounter, simply a wave and a smile from afar. Shaking his head, Roger began to dry the now clean BMW, leathering and wringing until every drop of water was banished and his car was gleaming once more.
Roger felt the need for a caffeine fix before the waxing. He went into the house a put a fresh pod in the coffee maker and pressed the button. After a few moments, he took his coffee and sat in the open doorway savouring the coffee. He loved the simplicity of the pods and particularly enjoyed the frothy topping it gave. Apart from the masterpieces that Geraldine occasionally had made for him, he ranked it as possibly the most enjoyable coffee he had ever had. As he sat, cradling his coffee, his mind was wandering and for a brief moment, he wondered what it would be like to teach youngsters. ‘Probably a nightmare, there is no discipline these days,’ he mused.
“Hello.”
Startled by the unexpected greeting he almost spilled his coffee as he stood to respond. “Hi, I thought you went out.”
Sunita laughed, “Well yes, and now I have come back. And here you are being in the land of the dreams and you did not even notice me.”
Roger was caught up with her infectious response and found himself laughing too. “Ah well I was just imagining what it must be like to be a teacher. I think I was just concluding that it would be quite tough.”
“Now that is being interesting Roger, yes interesting, that you should be thinking of teaching shortly after I waved at you. Yes that is being very interesting indeed.”
Roger was a little unsure at the connection that she had seen, and thought a change of direction was required. “Well now, would you like a cup of coffee or perhaps tea, although I’m not very good at tea? Or would that delay you from something with your husband?”
Sunita dipped her head a little and half closed her eyes, looking at Roger through her long dark lashes. “My husband, oh I don’t think that actually is an issue. No, husband is not the issue here. And yes I would love a cup of coffee.” Sunita tipped her head back up and looked firmly into Roger’s eyes, “Yes Roger a coffee would be lovely.”


“Right then girls, let’s do the smoothing. Now go to the ironing pile and bring me the tea towels and socks. They are the most important, and you must learn to do them first. Now off you go.” As the girls trooped off to rummage through the clean linen pile and retrieve the tea towels and socks, Sally put the ironing board onto a low height setting and plugged the iron in, setting it to a medium heat setting. The twins returned with an armful each of tea towels and underwear, socks alone it seemed were just not going to be important enough.
“Now then girls, first things first. Sort the clothes out into types, tea towels, socks, oh and I see you have bought some of your panties too.” Sally watched as the girls sorted the clothes into three piles and called through to Steve, “Steve lover, do you want to join laundry 101?”
“No you’re fine, I am enrolled on Advanced Post Breakfast Kitchen Cleaning,” came the reply from the kitchen.
“Daddy is doing the washing up mummy, and anyway we don’t want him to do the smoothing with us. Me and Evie decided that this would be our job, not Daddies,” declared Dawn.
“Oh right silly me. Right then. Dawn, you pick up a tea towel, Evie you pick up a pair of panties. Now look inside for a small label with pictures on. Got it?”
The tea towel that Dawn picked up had a good label, but the panties Evie picked up had no label. “Right girls, now then, this is what sometimes happens, but don’t worry, as you do more you will get to know what to do, but today I am going to show you how the clothes can help you. Evie darling, see if you can find a pair with a good label inside, there’s a love.”
Evie dropped her first selected panties and looked for another pair but with a better label. “Yippee, here are some mummy, these are daddies pants and they have the special hole in the front, and they have a great big label with pictures on.”
Sally continued now that they were all prepared. “Right girls, look at the pictures and see if you can see what that looks a little bit like the shape of the iron, you know the smoother. There may be some dots inside it.”
“Mummy, mummy I’ve got one and it has three dots inside it,” squealed Evie.
“And so has mine Evie, mine has three too,” added Dawn.
“Right then girls, now then we are all ready.”


“Sugar, milk?” Roger asked as he loaded a fresh pod into the machine.
“A little milk please, but no sugar thank you. Oh goodness that coffee is having a wonderful aroma.”
“I know Sunita, and you just wait until you taste it.” Roger added a little milk and stirred the foaming cup before passing it across, and then put his own cup under the machine for a freshener. “Let’s go and sit in the lounge.” Roger led the way through and proffered a seat. “I love the way you do your hair, the plaits are so shiny.”
Sunita laughed, her white teeth gleaming and contrasting with the red of her lipstick, “Oh Roger, it is just being hair. Now you are playing with me.”
“Not at all, I was just telling it the way I see it. Your hair looks fabulous.” He sat on the sofa facing Sunita and continued, “actually so do you. I guess I shouldn’t say that to a married woman.”
Sunita took a long lingering sip of her coffee, small flecks of coffee foam gathered on her top lip as she took the rim from her lips, and then put the coffee cup down on the small table to her side. There was a mildly lascivious lick of her lips to wipe away the vestiges of the coffee and then Sunita looked directly at Roger with her lips parted and small windows of light reflecting from her eyes. Sunita put her hands up, took her braid of hair, and pulled at the band tying the end. As her hair came free Sunita smiled at Roger and then began teasing her fingers through the plaits, releasing her hair to cascade over her shoulders. Sunita stood and shook her head, dipping forward and then flipping her head back, the hair whipping across her to fall more naturally. Sunita ran the fingers of both hands backwards through her hair, leaning her head back and closing her eyes as her fingers combined behind her. Her arms stretched behind her tightened her clothes to her chest accentuating her feminine form. Sunita stood with eyes closed, hair tumbling loose, and chest extended was an image that Roger was quite unable to ignore. He added his cup to the table next to hers and prepared to stand, quite sure that his destiny was about to change, but stopped rising as Sunita spoke, her voice rich in tones yet quiet in volume.
“No Roger, I think that what you said would not be being appropriate for a married woman.” Sunita leant down to Roger, her now free hair cascading forward and lips pursed, she placed a kiss on his forehead, neatly skipping back and avoiding his hands as they sought to hold her.
“Now Roger, you must behave. Especially as you in fact left your front door open, free for anyone to just come in and see you. I am wondering how a married woman would react to your advances. No Roger, shush,” Sunita put her finger to her lips in the universal quietening sign as Roger had been about to speak.
“No Roger. Thank you for the coffee. It, and the following moments, were being unforgettable.” Sunita took his left hand and turned it palm upwards, dropping the band from her braid into his grasp and then closing his fingers. “Perhaps you could be looking after this for me, as I do not seem to be needing it just now.” Sunita again quietened Roger with a raised finger and then turned towards the open door. At the threshold Sunita turned and spoke before she left leaving Roger bemused. “You are very smooth Roger, very smooth indeed.”


“Is there any more?”
“No, I don’t think so.”
“Will you be alright then?”
“Well, yes, you didn’t have to come back after taking the twins to school you know. That was help enough.”
“I know I didn’t have to, but it was important that I did. Just in case you needed me.”
“It was just a bit of morning sickness really, but thank you anyway. Now mister, you really need to go to work, we cannot afford for you to be out of work. You have contracts to chase and people to see and projects to manage.”
“I know. But if you are ill they mean nothing.”
“Darling, if I am ill, they mean everything, you need to keep on top of work. If I am ill, I will need you to concentrate on me or the twins when you are here, and not be half concentrating on something back at the office. Okay?”
“Yes dear.”
“Right, so, I will pick the twins up from school unless I phone or text you otherwise. Don’t keep phoning to see if I’m okay, because I will be unless you hear from me. And I won’t be best pleased with you if I have just dozed of for a nap, and you phone me to see if I’m okay. Okay?”
“Yes dear.”
“Right, off you go then.”
“Yes dear, one thing first though.”
“What?”
“Kissy”
“Oh Steve I’m all sicky.”
“Just kiss me woman and I can be on my way.” Steve leant forward and pulled her to him, his lips pressing to hers, his hands pushing her to him as they embraced. “I will see you later. Fried eggs for tea?” he said as he ran from her flying hand.
“Very funny. Now go to work.”
“Yes dear.”

Roger reversed the car the few metres from the garage and stopped on his drive. Unlike some neighbours not too far away, he did not have a remote door closer. He turned off the engine, got out, closed, and locked the garage door. As he turned to return to the car, a small flash of white caught his attention from the corner of his eye. Tucked behind the down pipe for the rain guttering was what looked like a folded piece of paper. He walked across for a closer examination and pulled the paper from its fixing. It was indeed a piece of paper, folded in half and then in half again. Roger opened it out to examine it and look for a message.
Inside the folds of the paper was a small lock of black glossy hair, stuck to the paper with small strips of transparent sticky tape. The affixed hair was shaped to be a letter S and below it was a mobile phone number. Roger smiled and carefully refolded the paper, and gave the folded paper a deep draught, seeing if he could take in her perfume. His senses were able to detect only the faintest hint of spices as he filled his lungs. Kissing the paper, he slipped it into his inside jacket pocket and turned to the car. As he sat once more behind the wheel, he added the newly proffered number to his phone directory with the initial S to denote it.
He then keyed in a message, ‘Having no Locket, it’s in my Pocket, the one close to my heart’ and sent it to the newly added phone number. That would both confirm that he had found the message and also give a number that he could be contacted on. Roger leant back into his chair, did up his seatbelt, and started the car engine, now ready to continue the day with a newfound purpose and a slight sense of trepidation as he wondered what kind of path he had stumbled down.

“I feel fabulous.”
“So you should.”
“Well I do. I think that you should come home at lunchtime.”
“Why?”
“Because Mr Gibson, your wife is feeling very fine and fabulous and wants her husband home for lunch.”
“I suppose I could take an early lunch.”
“I’m waiting.”
“I suppose I could…Oh hang on darling, let me just transfer to different phone.” There were a few clicks and muffled tones in Sally’s ear, and then Steve’s voice came back on. “Right dear, where was I?”
“You said that you supposed that you could take an early lunch.”
“Oh did I dear? Right then.” Sally could hear all manner of noises in the background as Steve spoke. There were whooshes, clunks and bangs, and what sounded like cars and lorries or buses. She knew that the workshops that Steve had were large, but there certainly was not room in them for moving vehicles. They must have installed a TV in the office she decided, before her musings were interrupted by her husband speaking once more. “Well let me see, how early do you want to have lunch?”
“Lunch is it that you want now? Well let me see, it will take me all of about twenty five seconds to get lunch ready, so anytime after really.”
“Oh right, and I was just wondering what you might have in mind for lunch?”
“You will just have to wait and see.” Sally chuckled as she spoke, thinking perhaps that she could tie two pieces of bread to herself, one at the front, one on her back, and offer him a ‘Sal Sandwich. Her mind turned to other somewhat more lascivious options that she could offer for lunch.
“Actually Steve I had originally though of offering you a special sandwich, but now I’m thinking that perhaps you ought to chew on a carrot, or perhaps some courgette. Hands free of course.”
“I might need a bit of mayonnaise or perhaps salad cream for a courgette, Sal.”
Sally smiled as her mind played imaginary scenes of Steve eating his courgette as she layback, feeling every mouthful as he ate.
“Oh yes Steve, I think that you could be right. Mayonnaise would be perfect, and I know we have a jar in the fridge. So, all it really needs is you and your hungry mouth.” Sally paused, having heard a noise at the front. “Hang on Steve, there may be someone coming to the door, and I’m not dressed for the front door, let me go and get a robe on.”
“Wait Sal,” Steve said as he used his key to open the front door. “No need for that, lunchtime,” and he walked in, took Sally in his arms, and kissed her gently around her nose and lips. His hands no longer needing to hold his mobile phone, had free rein over his naked wife’s body, a situation he took full advantage of as he caressed her with his hands; and his lips no longer engaged in speaking were free also, allowing him to passionately deliver kisses to the parted lips of her mouth.
“Tease, you could have said you were on your way, I could have got lunch ready.”
“I have everything I could possibly want,” he murmured between kisses, “the most beautiful woman in the world, naked and in my arms. What more could anyone want?”
“Well in that case, lunch is served. Would you like it with or without mayonnaise?”
“With.”


The phone beeped in his pocket and announced the arrival of a text message. Roger retrieved the phone and flipped it open. ‘Glad close to heart. Hair needs brushing. XxX S’. A broad grin spread across his face as he read the message. He stopped and thought a moment and then keyed and sent his response. ‘Have Brush Available xXx R’


The phone beeped once more. Roger pulled the phone from his pocket, and with most of his attention on his driving, he flipped it open and quickly scanned the message. ‘C U at 7 for fix XxX S’

Towelling his hair dry Roger checked the room for errant clothes that may have escaped muster and then opened the window to freshen the air. Roger hung the damp towel over the radiator and stepped into his boxer shorts. A pair of Khaki coloured chinos and an orange brown tee shirt followed. It was five to seven. Traffic had been heavier than usual this evening following an accident on the motorway causing traffic to be diverted through Gloucester and the surrounds, and Roger ended up getting back to the mews a little later than usual.
He was also delayed having stopped off at a small Indian Convenience store on his way and had spoken with the owner and bought a few ingredients. With the preparation instructions running through his mind as he drove the past few miles home, he had given no thought to eating despite the hunger pangs in his stomach. He had not had time to prepare food, and had seen only to washing and grooming himself to ensure presentability. There had also been a need to prepare some of the ingredients for his surprise.
There was a knock at the door as seven struck. ‘Right on time’ Roger thought as he descended the stairs and opened the door. “Hello Sunita. Gosh, you look fabulous, I have to say, now come on in.”
“Thank you Roger, thank you for the invitation and the compliment, although I am not being sure about the compliment. This is just an old Cholis and Saree that I wear about the house.” Which of course it absolutely was not; it was in actuality a carefully combined creation that Sunita had put together especially for this occasion. The Cholis was a blouse in light turquoise silk with gold embroidery at the neckline, which was shaped like the top of a heart. Around her waist and pleated over her shoulder was a matching Saree also in a blue silk. The Saree had heavily sculptured blue brocade edged with gold braid. Tumbling down and framing her face was Sunita’s long black hair. The effect had taken her a while to achieve, but Sunita was very pleased with the look and hoped that it performed as expected. She had chosen to wear the Saree in the more revealing style, rather than the full drape, and following a tip from her mother years ago, Sunita ensured that her neck was exposed. ‘You must be aware Suni that the neck is the sexiest part of a woman’ she had said. The Cholis completed the outfit and ensured that modesty was maintained and would not be at risk; Sunita felt that it enhanced her shape and allure. Glossy red lipstick completed her presentation.
“Would you like a drink Sunita? I can offer you tea, coffee or various alcohols, and of course cola, water and so on. I am not sure what you like, but I am sure that I can rustle up something that fits the bill. On the other hand, you could have a lassi.”
Sunita clapped her hands. “Oh how clever of you. Yes that would be absolutely lovely. I cannot wait to taste your lassi. Please lead on.”
Roger beckoned her to follow and went into the kitchen. He pulled the blender away from the wall and removed the top. From the fridge he took his two jugs of prepared contents, having decanted and thrown away the containers. In his view you never impressed anyone by opening a can. Into the blender he poured plain yoghurt and mashed mango. Roger opened the fridge once more and from the freezer section he took a bag of clear ice. Tapping the bag on the work surface to break apart the cubes, he put his hand into the bag and retrieved a few cubes of ice and added them to the blender. Two sizeable helpings of honey and then the lid went on and the switch turned on.
Sunita laughed at the cacophony as the ice was crushed and blended with the fruit and yoghurt, and loosely put her hands to her ears. “Oh my goodness, that is so loud, I had not realised before how much noise the machine can make.” Sunita spoke loudly to be heard, looking directly at Roger as she spoke, allowing her lips to be read as she spoke.
Roger smiled and raised a finger, waived it in a circle, mouthed a countdown from three, and at ‘one’, turned off the blender. Silence hit the room with a post apocalyptic shockwave. “Wow, that was loud. When you just whip something up for yourself you don’t tend to notice. Okay, next time I’ll crush the ice first.”
Roger took two glasses from the cupboard, filling each with the mix from the blender. He then took a small jar of cherries and spearing one with a cocktail stick, he balanced it across the glass rim to complete the drink. “A Gloucester Lassi for you Sunita, enjoy,” Roger said as he passed the glass across. Picking up his own Lassi he led the way through to the lounge.
Sunita swirled her cherry around in the Lassi and then put it to her mouth, sucking the cherry past her glossy lips, it shot off her cocktail stick with an almost perceptible ‘pop’. Sunita closed her eyes and leant back in the sofa and smiled, releasing a satisfied sigh. “Well Roger, I do not know for how long you have been making a Lassi, but I think that you are being a naughty man for keeping such a secret.”
“Sunita, I can but try. I just do my best. I am glad that you like it. How was your day Sunita?”
“It was being very busy, but there was a text message on my phone that bought me great cheer and cleverly the text then managed to slow the day down so that the evening seemed to be taking forever to arrive. That is being most strange. But now the evening is here, and so am I, and look, my hair is in great need of attention. You can see that it is indeed being in such a mess. I seem to have forgotten to secure my braids, and it has all fallen out. What ever shall I be doing Roger, what ever shall I be doing?”
Smiling, Roger produced a brand new hairbrush. Wrapped around the handle was the hair band Sunita had previously pressed into his hand. “I have the solution.”


“So Sandesh is out again.”
“Yes. He is busy with Institute of Asian Workers. He will not be back until late when he will expect that I shall have prepared him wonderful food. However, he will not eat it as he will have eaten at the institution. ”
“I see. Is it that your food is not to his taste and so he would rather eat out?”
“I do not know. No one has ever complained at my food. I have today being preparing a selection of special five rivers samosa and he is not being here to try them. Tomorrow they will not be being so fresh. Perhaps he is being preferring food from his panastri, his strumpet.”
“He has a woman somewhere?”
“Yes I think so although I do not be knowing for sure; he is a man, he will be having those needs. I know that lately he is being out so much and is being in so little. I know what I am seeing when I am cleaning his clothes, signs of his ‘panastri’.”
“I think that he is a foolish man.”
“You do not know Sandesh, he is not being foolish. He will ensure that he is seen properly at the Institution. He will be being seen to be not with easy woman.”
Sunita obviously found the issue distressful and her ethnic culture escaped through, occasionally overpowering her surface of Britishness. It was when she was like this that Roger found her at her most captivating. It was a difficult situation, and Roger wished he could see her facial expressions, rather than simply hear her voice down a telephone.
“Nita, I meant foolish because his not taking what is on offer at home. You are a beautiful woman Nita, and believe me, I know where I would be if I lived with you, and it would not be in a Trade Institute, or in the arms of a loose woman.”
“You do not know everything Roger. He cannot be with me like that. You are too kind to me Roger, it would indeed be being nice if you were here, yes, but that is not being the case.”
“Nita, I do not think that I have ever tasted a five rivers samosa. Shall I perhaps come round, would you like, perhaps, a brush of your hair again? Is it in need of neighbourly attention?”
“I am not sure Roger, would I be safe from your mind of a rogue? What would the neighbours think?”
“Well firstly let me just say that I know what ‘no’ means, and secondly absolutely not, and finally, as a neighbour why not ask me my opinion when I get to you?”
“My door is unlocked.”


“I forbid it.”
“You cannot, and you are a fine one to talk with your secret meetings with a panastri. What would your fine friends say at the institute, of a man who seeks lust in the arms of a worthless woman? Tell me that, or should I ask them myself?”
“You cannot. You know that they will not talk to a woman of such matters. And they would see no disgrace in my seeing a woman in discretion, and she is no panastri.”
“Pyar is it? It is Love? No I don’t think so. You just see this woman and have your release, it sickens me. You have the nerve to talk to me of my friendship and yet you lie down with this panastri, this whore.”
There was a sudden movement, so quick to arrive, so unexpected that she had no time to defend her self. His hand struck her cheek with such force that she wheeled and fell to the floor, stunned and unsure. As her senses reeled and her vision cleared she looked and saw Sandesh reaching down to her, fury in his eyes, anger oozing. He reached down and grabbed her hair, pulling her up to him, spittle flying as he spoke.
“You stupid woman. I can do what I want and see who I want, I cannot bring shame on my house for doing what nature intended a man to do. This is clearly something that you have forgotten.” Sandesh pulled her almost to her feet, pulling on her hair, straining their very roots, her neck taught as her legs splayed out behind her. His free hand swung again, striking hard on her face once more, this time his nail leaving a red wheal on her nose. “You are stupid and it is you that brings shame on me with your brazen seeing of a man, a man of no character who covets the body of a neighbour, who seeks satisfaction in lust. And yet you shout at me, you should look in the mirror, there you will see the harlot, the whore, and not in my bed.” As he spit out the words he slapped her face one final time and let go of her hair.
Sunita fell, and as her head found the cold tiles of the floor her consciousness and memories drifted away into a sea of inky darkness.

Sally lay naked on the bed, a mountain range of pillows being used to provide strategic support, the shiny globes of her bottom upwards, the dimple in her back providing an excellent storage opportunity for the massage cream. Steve scooped three fingers worth from the pot with his left hand, and using fingers from his right, he scraped the cream off, letting it drop and splatter into the dimple on the small of her back.
“Whoa, Steve, that was cold. Baby’ll sneeze if you do that again.”
“Sorry. Cold cream does tend to be cold. Should I perhaps use embrocation my dear?”
“Er, no. So Edward is finally going to get rid of that big old Vauxhall?”
Steve spread the cream around her back and shoulders, his hands sliding and spreading across every available inch of her skin. He adjusted himself so that he was kneeling between her knees, and with both hands, started from her lower spine area and began to massage in the cream.
As his hands moved up her spine and across her shoulders his body leant forward, his stomach contacting with her bottom. “Yes, strange thing to phone me up and describe as news. He has always gone on about Vauxhalls because of something to do with his job, and where the cars used to be made, but why he would suddenly want to change, I have no idea.”
“He was happy about our news then?”
“Yes, and infuriatingly he seems determined to take you out for the celebratory drink, whilst I stay at home and baby-sit.”
“Well my darling, he’s not daft now is he, he probably has me down as taxi driver.”
“How did you guess?”
“Because, my love, I know Edward’s sense of humour. I am also aware of his ability to wind you up without you realising it. He would no more actually take me out than I would go without you.”
“He is actually quite fond of you, you do know that don’t you?”
“Well yes, as I am of him. Anyway he is totally besotted, and I mean totally, with Geraldine. I don’t think in all the time that we have known him have I ever seen him with a woman, in the ‘with’ sense.”
Steve dipped his right hand into the cream once more, and still massaging with his left, he slowly added drops of cream to Sally’s back. Sally’s back had now absorbed a lot of the cream and was now fully loaded. Steve’s hands, now fully creamed, slid easily over her skin. He slowly took his hands down each side of her back, over the mounds of her buttocks, combining them once more in the crease of her legs. Slowly and seductively he repeated the movements, being rewarded with small purring sounds as he moved down her back. There was quite a coating of massage cream on his stomach too, building up as he came into contact with her lower back on each upward stroke of his hands. His hands slid from between her legs, up the valley of her bottom, and followed the path up her vertebrae to her shoulders. His hands slowly slid around her neck, gently stroking the lobes of her ears, his stomach closely contacting Sally’s back.
“Hug me honey, I need a big cuddle,” Sally requested. She responded to his finger contact by pushing her bottom up into Steve and mewled as he gently nuzzled between her shoulders.
“Hhm, Steve, that feels so good,” Sally murmured, “I think I want to turn over.”


Roger was whistling tunelessly to the radio as he drove down the mews to home. Sunita’s front door was ajar and the car was not on the drive. ‘Strange’ Roger thought.
He pulled up onto his drive, hurried from the car and locked it and walked towards Sunita and Sandesh’ house. He continued his whistling as he approached, not quite sure what he would do if there were indeed burglars, or simply if, for the first time, they had decided to put the car in the garage.
“Hello, Sunita, Sandesh, guys, are you around?” He called as he approached the door. There was no reply. He pushed gently at the door, opening it more, able then to see in to the hallway. One look and he pushed at the door and rushed in. Sunita lay on the floor, her hair splayed out fanlike behind her. There was blood about her nose, and her face seemed puffy and swollen.
He touched his fingers to her neck to try and find a pulse. It always looked so easy on television, the reality was different, and he could not feel one. He put his ear to her nose and could feel the slight tickle as her breath swayed his hair. She was alive at least. He knew enough not to touch her, he did not know what injuries she may have, and in case it was a crime scene, he did not go further into the house. He pulled his mobile from his pocket and dialled 999. “Ambulance and police please. My neighbour appears to have been attacked in her home and is unconscious in the hallway and bleeding.”

“No Roger I shall not press charges.”
“He could have killed you, there is no excuse for violence.”
“I provoked him.”
“No, how can you defend him beating you unconscious?”
“I fell and hit my head. He is my keeper.”
“For goodness sake Nita, this is Britain, we do not have slaves and keepers any more.”
“You do not understand. When I was a child it was arranged that I would marry a wealthy man when I became a woman. When I first bled, I was told that now I was a woman and I would soon meet my husband. A few days later when it was finished and I was no longer unclean, I was taken to meet him. We went into a room above a shop and a man came into the room”
Sunita paused and looked around, her eyes darting here and here, but never at Roger. She chewed a little at her bottom lip and then continued.
“He was older than my father and he was fat. He came up to me and touched my face, he turned me around by my shoulders and he squeezed my bottom. I was terrified, I had no idea what was going on. My mother had told me that I was to meet my husband, I could not understand what this horrible fat man wanted. I wondered where my husband was. The fat man spoke to my mother telling everyone to leave, he wished to talk alone with his bride.”
“Oh my God. I had heard that such practices still existed, but did not expect to come so close to it.”
“You must understand that this is being our culture and that for many people it is working very well. Many times a woman will be happy and all is being well. Sometimes, as in other cultures, the process does not work so well.”
“It is difficult for me to imagine what it must be like to have your partner selected for you, with little regard for your own wishes.”
“That is where you are wrong, it is being your parents who have so much more experience in the world, who know you who are best suited to finding a partner for you. At that age you do not know really what your own wishes are.” Sunita stopped talking and Roger realised that tears were rolling down her cheeks. He took his cotton handkerchief from his pocket and leant across and wiped away her tears.
“I am sorry, you are right, I do not expect I can grasp a millennia or more of culture in a few seconds on a sofa. My apologies, I did not mean to upset you Nita, I am sorry.” Roger leant across and with his apology, he took Sunita’s hand in his and squeezed gently.
Sunita smiled a little and turned to look at Roger as she spoke again. “It is not that, you did not upset me. Let me tell you this, I have not spoken of this for a long time.” Sunita paused and as Roger was about to speak, she put a finger to his lips.
“Hush, now listen to me. I was alone in this room with the fat man having suddenly realised that he was to be my husband. I was wearing a fine Salwar Kameez of white chiffon. That is like a long dress top over pyjama trousers. He turned me around again and put his hand on my chest feeling where I was developing. He pulled my Salwar up and his hand was on the bare skin of my chest. He then pushed his hand down past the waistband of my trousers. I was terrified, I knew nothing really of sex, I was only twelve, and had only been told a few days before that I bled because I was now a woman and could have babies and be married to a man. You must remember I knew nothing of the physical differences between boys and girls and had absolutely no idea at all about sex.”
“Oh my God, this is something I have never heard of.” Roger had been able to keep quiet no longer. He was appalled at what he was hearing. He went as if to say more, but again Sunita silenced him with a ‘hush’
“He undid the cord of my trousers and let them fall to the floor. He made me bend and touch my toes. I could see him standing behind me, and felt him pull my dress up and lay it on my back. I was naked to his gaze and felt ashamed that he could see my bottom. I did not then realise then what he was really looking at.” Sunita stopped talking and when Roger looked from her fingers, where he had held his focus, to her face, he could see the tears in her eyes. Sunita was chewing at her lips, almost as if to stop herself from speaking, holding back the untold horrors.
She squeezed his hand and then pulled it to her face. She kissed his fingers, bending them as she did so, her tears failing as light rain as her long hair cascaded, hiding his hand and her tears. “I’m sorry” she whispered, “Give me a moment.”
Roger slid a little along the sofa and put his free arm around her shoulder, hugging her to him. At his touch she momentarily flinched, and then relaxed into his hold, tension seeming to fall from her as he held her.

Steve looked at the mobile, a missed call from Edward and a missed call from Sally. No question of priority. “Hello Darling hows you doing?”
“Oh Steve, I am absolutely fine. Have you spoken to Edward?”
“No Sal, I have a missed call from him, but there was one from you too, and I of course phoned you first. What’s up, are you okay is all I’m concerned about right now.”
There was a momentary silence and then Sally spoke. “I’m fine, don’t you worry about me. But Geraldine isn’t. I don’t have any details, Anne phoned, but she, Geraldine I mean, is in The Royal.”
“Hells teeth, okay, I’ll try and get Edward and see what I can find out. As soon as I know anything I’ll let you know, and you let me know if you hear anything, okay?”
“Yes of course. Just a thought, do you have the number of anyone at Edwards work, they may know something if you can’t track down Edward?”
“Yes, kind of. I shouldn’t have it, but I do have the secretary’s number. But that really is an emergency number and I shouldn’t have it. I’ll try and find Edward first. Talk later lover, bye.” With a couple of blown kisses each way the connection was closed.
Speed dial three. Voicemail. “Teddy, Steve, phone me. I’m on the way to find you.” Steve left the message and started the car. A quick look over the shoulder and he was heading towards the Golden Valley bypass and towards the hospital in Gloucester. His plan was to simply drive around the car park to see if he could see Edwards Vauxhall, at least that would tell him if Edward was there or not. Meanwhile he kept the phone clear in case of incoming calls, whether from Sally or Edward.

“I did not understand why he had undone his trousers and let them fall. Then I felt him, well, he tried to, well anyway, then I did not know what he was trying to do and cried out. My mother came rushing into the room and saw me bending over with my dress around my shoulders, my trousers on the floor, and showing everything to a naked man standing behind me.”
Roger slightly increased the pressure of the hug, and squeezed a little harder with his hand. He did not yet know the endpoint, but sensed that he was part of something, an exorcism perhaps, a cleansing of demons. Now was not the time for him to utter words.
Sunita squeezed back to his hand, slightly moved deeper into his cuddle and then continued. “My mother was like a banshee. She slapped me and told me to get dressed and then she slapped and slapped the man who was to be my husband. Back and forth her hand went whilst I got myself dressed properly, and he just stood there taking the slaps until my mother stopped and stood sobbing. He then pulled up his clothes and covered himself and with anger I had never seen before, and not since until Sandesh got mad last week, he spoke to my mother.
“Your daughter is a whore prostituting herself to me. She is sullied and no one will touch her. I will not have you or your daughter in my house or my family, and when I have finished spreading the word, no one else will either. Your family is disgraced. Now get out of my house.”
I had no idea then what he was talking about, but to this day I have remembered his words. As we went down the stairs and through the shop I tried to tell my mother what had happened, but she would not listen.”
Sunita paused a little and then wiped tears from her eyes and sniffled into a tissue before continuing. “Only on the bus did my mother tell me to say exactly what had happened and I tried to tell her everything, but I did not know some of the words.
We went and saw the Elders and my mother explained what had happened, and I was called to tell them what the man had said and done. I then left the room whilst the Elders spoke to my mother. When she came out of the room my mother was in tears. By my own admission I had been gazed upon by a man, I was soiled. No other man would ever want me. I had a choice to either marry the fat man who had caused all this, or forever live outside the community. It was not possible to marry, and so I have lived all my life since in the care of my family, and now I live with my brother who forgets and sometimes goes to places that he should not.”
Roger turned and kissed he forehead and squeezed her hand again. “It does not excuse your brothers’ violence.”
“I know, but I cannot punish him Roger. I have never told anyone what happened to me, I have never spoken of it from that day to this. You are the only person that I have felt that I could talk to since that day. My family became my whole life; I would hurry home from school, and later from college and University. I did not socialise, I believed myself a sinner at first. I though that I had done something to destroy my family, something that I had done to make my husband to be behaving the way he did. Later as I went through college and began to take notice of the world, I realised one day that it had not been my fault. I had a childhood but lost my youth I think. It matters not, I think I then chose school teacher as a profession so that I could subconsciously protect children from harm, harm in the way that I had received.”
“What has changed you, why now?”
“I met you and I stopped being a recluse and remembered that I had done no wrong and that I had a life to celebrate, not one to hide away. I met you and you made me smile. I met you and you did not try anything other than to be friendly. I noticed that I feel strangely good when I am being thinking about you. I have spent twenty years and more just living from day to day, trying to not be being noticed, trying to avoid men, but having to live with and look after my brother who seems unwilling to commit to a woman because of a cultural imposition to care for an unfortunate sister. I am not bitter, I was just unlucky that the man arranged to be my husband was a vile man, a beast. It seems that too many men like him exist and pray on children. I actually thank my Gods that my future was not with him, that I had years of solitude, rather than years of abuse. Now I have met you and I wonder about the bits of life that I have never experienced, I wonder about the joys of laughing with a man, of teasing and being teased, of simply doing things with someone, and yes, I have wondered of other things about which I know nothing, men and women things.”
Sunita paused and looked him deeply in the eyes, the white contrasting sharply to the dark brown of her iris merging almost imperceptibly into the black of her pupil. There was a bright white reflection from the window in her eyes giving an impression of deeply buried diamond flashing. “Now that I have told you, the first person I have told, how you are being reacting will shape my future”
“I don’t know what to say. I have never heard anything like it. I truly have never met a woman as beautiful or pure as you. I so, so want to do the thing that is right and keep you out of that horrible cage that you have been in, but I do not know how. How do you want me to react?”
“I cannot be telling you how to react; you must do it naturally and honestly. You got me out of the cage; it will be being the need of both of us that will be keeping me from returning.”
“I am now feeling the years of your fear, and I am scared that my haste and desire for you will ruin things. I am a bit clumsy where women are concerned, especially a beautiful woman such as my neighbour.”
“I am scared too.” They both stopped at the sound of a car door closing. There was pause and then the sound of a key in the door. Roger went to pull away, but Sunita held him tight. “Don’t let him hurt me Roger,” she whispered.
Sandesh walked into the room, stopped, and stared. He looked at the face of his sister, battered at his hands, a face being cradled not by family, but by another man. He looked into the eyes of the man and saw recognition, not of the man, for he knew who it was, but recognition of his crime. “I am sorry Suni. Please forgive me, whatever happened; whatever came over me will never happen again.”


What to do? That was the question. He had been beguiled and captivated and found himself lost in thoughts of her. He had initially feared that he was about to tempt a woman to an affair, or be pulled into one if it were of her making. However, that fear had been small and in truth he had welcomed every opportunity to see her or speak to her. Little ordinarily inconsequential moments between them became milestones in his day. Then he discovered that her husband is actually not her husband but her keeper and protector, but that in fact he needed to protect her himself from her protector. Abused as a child and shunned by a community for no fault of her own, she was now in the prime of her life yet with fewer experiences of men than a teenager. He felt like a man skating on thin ice with Sunita as a prize to be won, yet trapped on the ice. He wanted to win that prize without breaking the ice and drowning them both in the icy waters of cultural politics.
He needed advice, of that he was certain, and he knew where to get it. There was only one logical person, Edward. However Edward had not been around for a few days. Roger was not sure whether he was ‘away’ on a trip, or they had just somehow missed each other. He tried again, voicemail again. “Hi Edward, Roger. Something has cropped up, and I could do with some help. If you have got a minute can you phone? Cheers mate.”

Roger could not say that he was friendly towards Sandesh. Then he was not cold or angry either. He understood the pressures a little more, and was perhaps a little forgiving. He had begun to spend time along the mews at their house, and had developed a game with Sunita trying to track down obscure conundrums and puzzles. Some of the conundrums annoyed Sandesh, and it was those that Roger especially liked. He had found an old Punjabi conundrum whilst researching on the internet and had walked round to leave it with Sandesh to relay to Sunita.
“Okay Sandesh, here is an easy one for you to pass on to Nita. It is an old puzzle from the Punjab.
‘A fathers dieing instructions are that his seventeen beasts are to be split up between his three sons. He says that half the beasts are to go to the eldest son, a third of the beasts are to go to the middle son and a ninth of the beasts are to go to the youngest son’
“I shall write it down. I am certain otherwise to get it wrong which would then not make a good conundrum. Please would you like to have a cup of tea?”
Roger nodded an agreement and followed Sandesh in to the house and through to the kitchen. “So Sandesh, tell me, man to man, this woman that you are seeing furtively, why so secretive, what was it about her that made you so angry?”
“You try my friendship asking such a question Roger.”
“She must mean something to you, and yet you hide her away. You let your sister think the worst, yet fly into a rage when she challenges you. Something is not right and I am trying to understand more.”
The kettle boiled and Sandesh turned the gas hob off and took the whistle spout off. “It is good job that I am a man of peace and not violence. Yes I have let myself slip once and that will be to my eternal shame, I was supposed to look after and protect my sister, not be the one to hurt her.” Sandesh opened the teapot and added some of the boiling water to heat the pot, and then Sandesh opened the wall cupboard and bought out a bag of green Ayurvedic Indian tea. He swirled the hot water around the pot and then tipped it away. Unsealing the bag, Sandesh carefully measured three flat spoons of tea into the pot and then measured in three cups of water from the kettle. He stirred the pot and then closed the lid, leaving the pot to stand on the hob where the kettle had boiled.
“Let me be telling you Roger, her name is Anannya and she is from a most exotic place. She comes from Birmingham.” Sandesh laughed out loud at his poor attempt at humour, the gusto was such that Roger was compelled to join in. “Anannya is a beautiful woman whose husband has deserted her for another, but who has refused to release her from the marriage and cannot be found. It is believed he has fled to Mumbai but no one is sure. He has been gone for three years now, and all Anannya has is her shop which is still in both names.”
Sandesh put two china cups on saucers and poured a cup full of tea for each. He added a small amount of milk, and offered a little honey for sweetness, which Roger gratefully accepted. Sandesh slid the cup across to Roger, before taking his own, and leaning back against the sink and taking a sip. Roger picked up the cup, and took a sip, allowing the flavour to flow across his tongue. The taste was different to tea that he was used to, a definite hint of cardamom and an overtone of cinnamon. It was quite sweet too, next time he would try without the honey.
“This is incredible tasting tea, wherever do you get it?”
“A friend of mine is being importing it, and I am getting it from him. It is indeed incredible, yes?”
“So why hide her away, and why all the deception”
“Because I did not want to be being the excuse for Anannya’s husband to divorce her and steal all her assets, assets that she has developed since he ran off.”
“San, I am no expert on these matters, but can she just not go to court and petition for divorce on grounds of his desertion? Once that is in place, I would expect that she can see whom she wants. You guys can then gradually become more open about your relationship.”
“I don’t think that the Elders would approve, but I will talk with her.” Sandesh paused and then, putting his teacup down, he looked directly at Roger and spoke. “I also have a duty to look after my sister. I did not know where anything would lead with Anannya, but if it were to be somewhere, it would have been complicated. Memories are long, and Sunita was disgraced through a powerful man. I could not add her troubles to Anannya’s. Sunita can not be left, there is only me to protect her you see.”
Roger walked towards Sandesh and put his cup on the draining board next to Sandesh’s empty one. He then walked back to the breakfast bar and leaned back, his elbows supporting him as he looked back at Sandesh. “This is way out of my league Sandesh, when you start talking of Elders, my mind immediately goes to mud bricks and old men with long beards laying down laws and guidance. To me Sunita was done a deep wrong by not only the man that abused her, but also the elders who did not help her. You are in England now; we have our own laws and ways. You have the fortune, perhaps, to pick where you want to be, in a community with tribal values going back thousands of years that are seemingly inappropriate in Britain today, or to simply embrace the mores and cultures of where you live.”
He paused, as Sandesh looked at him as if ready to but in. “No Sandesh, let me finish. I am not telling you, I am only explaining how I see it. I do not have your ethnic roots, but then my ethnic roots have not excommunicated me. Sunita was emotionally and sexually abused by a pillar of your community at age eleven or twelve. She was blamed for that by your mores and customs. Not her fault but she is the one that is suffering. You are suffering because you cannot do the normal things because you need to care for your sister, and her supposed disgrace affects your relationships.”
Sandesh shook his head and looked to the ceiling, swallowed and then looked back at Roger. “You do not just choose to be part of a community, you do not just choose which laws or rules you are going to adopt. I am a person that was born in England, yes, but an Indian person I am because by my culture that is who I am. We follow the laws of Great Britain, but our culture with which we are all bound goes back thousands of years and is a part of who we are as British Indians. What Sunita did wrong was to be seen naked by a man who would not be her husband. It is irrelevant that she was not willing, it is even irrelevant whether anything physical took place or not. What is relevant is that she was naked before a man. You speak as an Englishman in England, not as a foreigner in another land. Most people treat me as Indian because of my skin and my clothes. They do not care that I was born here, to many people I am not an Englishman, but I am a foreigner.”
Roger stopped him with a raised hand. “You are right, okay; yes I am as guilty of that thinking of you as Indian, but so what? If your parents or whoever had more embraced Britain when they moved here, then there would not be this cultural divide.”
“My friend you are just being very English. This is not cultural divide, it is cultural diversity. Why should people abandon heritage and culture simply because they move to another land? They should not. It is not a simple issue that can be solved over a cup of tea.”
“Perhaps, perhaps not, but let us agree on one thing yes? Your sister is someone well worth looking after, despite what your Elders may decree.”
“Of that we can agree Roger, yes of that we are agreed, but let me just correct you. The Elders did not decree that my sister should not be looked after it. No that is being far from the truth. They decreed that Suni’s family must look after her, as no husband would ever be found for her. By the way the puzzle with the beasts is easy if you come from my culture, from yours it is difficult.”
“Why so?”
“Oh I am not going to be telling you the answer, you will have to puzzle it out for yourself, let that be my conundrum for you. Of course I expect that you will need help from Sunita to see what is so obvious.” Sandesh laughed loudly as he followed Roger to shut and secure the door as he left.

Roger lay slumped on the settee. It had been a hard day and he was sure that the accounts that he was preparing were not a true and accurate reflection, but he could not find what was being hidden, if anything. He had also had an uncomfortable meeting with a new client who was simply a very rude man. Roger could not really afford to turn away business, but this was one man he would cheerfully turn away, but he should not, not from a sensibility position. He was looking forward to an evening with Sunita. She had a DVD of one of the less intrinsically Indian Bollywood love story movies that they were to watch together. “It is such a fun film Roger, it cannot help but lighten your mood. It was also recorded totally in English, so you should be having no difficulty in understanding what they are saying.”
“Well that’s easy for you to say, I am not so familiar with the accent. I struggle with accents in England never mind one’s from abroad.” He had laughed and then added, “shall we be surreal and have nice English bland food to go with your spicy Indian movie?”
“No Roger we shall not. I shall make some poppadoms and ginger chutney, and perhaps some extra spicy samosas. We shall enjoy our food along with the film. It will raise our temperature and set our hearts racing.
Roger had smiled knowing that where Sunita was concerned, he did not need spicy food to set his pulse racing.

The tape measure read fifty nine inches. “Boy you’re sure big. That’s nearly as huge as you got with the twins. You’re nearly as round as you are up.”
“And I see that you are as delicate and subtle as ever. I must sit down, and will you stop looking at me please” Sally waddled to the edge of the bed and sat down, using both arms to help cushion the landing. This had been the weekly tape measure session, a hangover from their earlier pregnancy with the twins. The twins were at school, and Steve had taken a long weekend from work to give himself a day at home with Sally. It was quite difficult to get quality time at home without the twins or friends interrupting, and so Steve took alternate Mondays as a day from work. It ate into the annual leave allowance, but then they were somewhat unlikely to be taking a fortnights holiday this year, and so it was the best use of his time.
“Sorry, I don’t want to stop looking at you. You are my wife and you are beautiful, and quite honestly I suggest that when a man stops looking at his wife when she is naked is a time to start worrying.”
“Big bloody whale, that’s what I feel like, and I don’t want you looking at me like this. Thin, svelte, alluring and sexy, okay you can look at me then; but I am not that right now. When I feel like this, it’s not a warm feeling, I feel more like a block of spam than a beautiful person.”
“This is something I find so strange. Here you are my wife, my life partner, my lover, my chosen one; however, you want to think of it; and the pregnancy is a natural and desired result of that. If anything the fact of your pregnancy makes you more beautiful.” Steve went to the cupboard at the end of the bedroom and took out the jar of Aloe Vera soothing body cream. He climbed on the bed and sat behind Sally and scooped a few fingers worth onto his hand, rubbing the cream through his palms to warm it and soften the initial ‘cold cream’ edge.
Steve dropped a hand onto each of Sally’s shoulders and then started a slow circulatory motion, the hands sliding down her back to her waist before regrouping and heading up to the shoulders, massaging her neck before going over the top to cream the valley formed in her chest, returning to her shoulders to restart the cycle. “Is this nice?”
“Hhm, you know it’s not bad, but it does not take it away from the fact that I am bloody huge.” Sally spread her arms slightly giving her a little more stability, allowing her to push back into Steve’s hands as he massaged. Steve’s hands were taking a predictable route of shoulders, back, shoulders and boobs. He always needed direction to massage her bump, almost as if he were afraid. “Steve, let me lie down, you can give Junior a massage too.” She shuffled her self further up the bed mattress and lay down, pulling a pillow from the pile to rest under her head. “Ah, that’s better Steve, that’s better. Kiss me first, and then say hello to the bump.”

“Sally I have to say that you look bigger than ever. Lordy I reckon you must be having quads. Bigger than ever Sal.”
Sally looked across at Anne and laughed. “Anne it is funny how people perceive pregnant women as being huge. I am five foot round and over five foot tall, but look rounder than I am tall. I was actually bigger than this with the twins. But I am nothing like as uncomfortable as I was with the twins that is for sure. I know it was more or less eight years ago, but believe me I have not forgotten how it felt.”
“Oh Sally I believe you. I know that people have pain memories.”
“Oh Anne, no I don’t mean pain. I love being pregnant, it is so wonderful, and the hormones do wonders for the love life, believe me, wow. No, it is not a memory of pain, I just simply can remember how I felt being pregnant, you know, how full I felt, the kicks as the twins played inside me and so on. Yes there were times then, and now in fact, when I felt uncomfortable, but no, it is not as uncomfortable now as with the twins.”
“But it is uncomfortable?”
“Yes.”
“Right.” Anne was rather glad that she wasn’t pregnant, and was not really fussed if she never was. She had been very involved in Debbie’s growing up, right from an early age through to the current teenage traumas, and could honestly and cheerfully admit that she was glad when Debbie went home. There was always a calmness in the air when Debbie left, not because of Debbie having behaved badly, no, it never mattered how Debbie had acted. She was just a frenetic influence to the atmosphere. Sally’s twins were the same, and in fact Anne had noticed that every house that had children in had a busy air about it. There was never any soothing and calming moments, and Anne needed those moments. Children of her own would mean that she could never have them, not without temporarily giving the children away, and that was something that she would not want to do if she had children. No, it seemed children were not for her. “Right then Sally, I think that I can help. Would you like a nice massage and rub?”
“You know Anne, I don’t think that I ever have had a massage from a professional. Steve has given me plenty of massages, and they have, well, you know, always… Well you know, hormones and the like, I get turned on when Steve does it, and so I have never taken the opportunities for a professional massage as I am not sure how I would react and I wouldn’t want to get all, well you know, hot and flustered and embarrassed in front of a stranger.”
“Well okay Sally, don’t you worry. Firstly I am not a stranger, secondly, my intentions, unlike your husband, are not to get into your pants, okay? Therefore I shall be concentrating on relaxing and tension easing, and not eroticism. So, will my portable table be a bit too hard for you, would you prefer to lie on your bed?”
“The portable will probably be a bit hard, so the bed I think.”
“Good, now don’t take this the wrong way, but do take your pants off, it’ll make life easier.”
“I thought you didn’t want to get into my pants,” Sally laughed.”
“Oh God, no, wearing someone else’s warm undies, eurgh!”

“Anne , you look absolutely stunning, what can I say?”
“You just said it, what more can a girl ask for but recognition and compliments?”
“Go on through, Geraldine is in the conservatory.” Edward followed Anne and George through to join Geraldine. “Right, Ger, are you okay for a drink, and what can I get you Anne, George?”
“Mine’s still okay lover thanks.”
“White Wine please.”
“Oh, a diet tonic I think.”
“Right, oh hang on, there’s the door. I’ll just let who ever it is in, and then I’ll do drinks. Back in a mo.” Edward went to the door and opened it to reveal Roger and Sunita, and just pulling up in the drive were Sally and Steve. “Come on in guys, go through, Sunita you look every bit as beautiful as Roger suggested you would. I am so pleased to finally meet you. Go on through and meet the gang.”
Sunita blushed a deep crimson as Roger lead her through to the increasing gathering in the conservatory.
“Hi everyone, everyone meet Sunita. Oh Geraldine, wow, you look fabulous tonight.” Roger walked across and kissed Geraldine cheek to cheek, Sunita stood in the doorway and looked at the small group. Geraldine was wearing an oriental style silk kimono in red with a gold dragon that curled around her body and perfectly complemented her short hair. To her left were a couple that she assumed were Anne and George, she wearing a white dress that finished at the knees, mid length blonde hair with red spikes. A bit young for her Sunita felt, but what the heck. And George, well what could she say. Open necked short sleeve flowery shirt – a sure sign of a man in crisis. She felt a tap on her shoulder and turned to see a very pregnant woman smiling at her.
“Oh you are beautiful. You absolutely must be Sunita. Hi I am Sally and a bit. The bit will hopefully be leaving here as she arrived, but you never can tell with these things. And that great hulk talking with Edward over there is Steve. He is the man responsible for my condition.” Sally put her arm through Sunita’s and led her into the conservatory, circulating around the others. “Oh my, I think I have to keep you away from all the men, what can I do to protect you and where have you been and why have we never met you before? Roger has been so naughty hiding you away.” Sally clapped her hands. “Everyone, everyone, please come and welcome Sunita, whilst I go and beat up Roger for hiding this lovely friend from us.”
Steve walked in, tray in hand, “everyone, Edward is seeing to the caterers. Now, who had the slim line tonic?” Steve passed the drink around to George and when most people had drinks he was faced with a rather dry couple. “My lord and who is this raven haired beauty we have amongst us?”
“My name is Sunita, you are with Sally, and so you must be being Steve, yes?”
“For you I will be whoever you want me to be. Ouch!” Sally punched him in the arm and put her own arm around Sunita, cuddling her close.
“Steve stop flirting. Sunita will be overwhelmed, she already has Roger pampering to her every whim, and if I know Roger a few more besides. Now go and get this poor woman a drink.”
Steve smiled and pecked at Sally’s cheek before asking, “Sunita, what delights can I get you?”
“Oh, just some iced water please.”
“Okay, no problem. Roger?” Steve called across the room to Roger who was deep in conversation with George. Roger turned and mouthed ‘beer’ back. “Right ladies, I shall go and fetch liquids, don’t go away, I wish to monopolise the two most beautiful women in this room.”
“Sally he is a charmer indeed.” Sunita laughed. Roger had been right and she was comfortable and at ease and felt as if she had immediately been accepted into the group. “I don’t really want to go, I shall not be knowing anyone, it will be terrible. Also, as well you know for why, I am not being good with people.” Sunita had said when Roger had asked him to accompany them to Edwards little soiree.
“It is just four couples, it is not formal, they are my friends and I really want you to meet them. They are all nice people. Edward works for the Government doing mysterious stuff, he is a spy, but no one is supposed to know, but we all do. Geraldine is his fiancé and is recovering from a nasty cancer, so her hair is short. Sally is very pregnant and is married to Steve, I guess that Geraldine’s niece will baby-sit so that they can come. And then there is Anne and George. Anne is a reflexologist and physiotherapist and is seeing George. George is a bit of a spiv and is something in business. They are all nice people and have pestered me to bring you, all except Geraldine who I don’t think knows about the shindig yet.” Roger had followed with a kiss containing more passion than any previously delivered. “Suni, you are so, so very beautiful. Please let me present you to my friends; for if ever you leave me for someone else, only then my friends will understand my deep despair”
Sunita was snapped back to the present by Edward returning to the room.
“Now then everyone, no expense has been spared. I promised you all something different, and I shall now deliver. You all came expecting a diner party, and I thank you all for coming and helping Geraldine and I have a fun evening. Well this is a party, and there is diner, but this is just not a diner party. No, in light of a need for a bit of fun, we have take-a-ways! The caterers have gone and left the food on the side. There are polystyrene disposable plates, plastic cutlery, and a roll of kitchen roll on the side in the kitchen. There is Pizza, fish, chips and curry and rice. That caters for everyone, come and grab some whilst it’s hot.”
There was a lot of laughter as people trooped into the kitchen and proceeded to pile plates with mixtures of most things. “Roger, is it always like this? I thought that there would be a sit down meal, you know a diner party.”
“Suni, that is it. That is what we all expected, and so Edward just did something different. It is fun is it not, and are they not a great bunch of people?”
“Well yes, they seem to be. I have not spoken to George yet, but yes they seem to be nice. But I am confused about the take away, is it aimed at me? Am I not worthy yet for a proper diner party?”
Roger put his plate of food on the hot tub lid and took Sunita’s food from her, putting it at the side of his. Hands free for both of them, he held Sunita’s hands and kissed her gently at her earlobe and whispered. “No my love, no-one here would even think such things. All that Edward has done is arrange for some local take-a-ways to be delivered. There are no deep or hidden meanings, just a desire to ensure that there would be something that everyone will like.”
“Oh get a room you two!”
“George!”
“Roger!”
“George?”
“Sunita?”
George took Sunita’s left hand, peeling Roger’s fingers away as he did so, and planted a perfect small kiss in the centre of the back as her fingers curled around his. “Sunita, you look lovely and you make this old rascal of yours look half decent too. I was delighted when I found that you would be here, Roger has said, well actually he has said not very much because he wants to keep you all to him self. I was so sure that you must have been a figment of his imagination, but no, I find you, Cleopatra re-incarnate.”
“Bloody hell George.”
“Roger you have kept this woman locked away and hidden, I have friends in sharp suits who would find that strange.”
“George you are being too kind, but your own lady, Anne, she is being very beautiful too. You do not need to pay your attentions on me.” Sunita felt a strength inside. Roger had such good friends and she suddenly felt a part of something. For so long she felt shunned by her own community and hidden away by her family. She had never felt a sense of belonging, and now within just a few minutes she felt so different. She had been accepted purely for who she was, and not rejected for what someone had done to her. “George, please do not be going away, but excuse me a minute please.
Sunita turned to Roger and kissed him deeply and passionately and then moved her head slightly to whisper into his ear. “Thank you. You are right, they are wonderful, forgive me this one thing.” Roger smiled and watched as Sunita turned to George. “Antony, my mate, you are being resurrected with me, I have been being lost these eons without you,” and threw her arms around George. “Protect and be saving me my Lord Antony.”
“Bravo” Anne called from across the room, and there were general laughs and whoops as Anne walked across to the entwined pair.
“George, put that woman down!”
“Sorry babes.”
“Sunita, I have to say that was the best response to incorrigible flirting that I have ever seen; I salute you.”
“Anne, I do not know what came over me, but I just suddenly felt so alive, everyone is being so nice to me.”
“Sunita, no, I think you will find that everyone is just being themselves and you just seem to fit right in. Now I am going to drag Antony away and teach him some history. Eat your take-a-ways guys before they get too cold.” Anne took George by the hand and pulled him away. As they went, George turned to Sunita and waved a little with his free hand.
“Blooming heck Sunita. I thought you were shy,” Roger laughed.
“No darling, I was repressed but you have freed me.”
Roger’s breath caught in his throat as he realised what she had called him. “Suni I think that you are the most amazing person that I have ever met and we have to explore this new you together.”
“Together? Oh I hope so darling, I really am being hoping so, yes.”

“Wowee. It kicked.”
“Yes and my bladder is the football, help me up, I have to go.” Sally rolled to the edge of the bed, her legs going over the side as Steve helped push her upright. His beautiful mobile mountain of motherhood, femininity and womanhood waddled to the ensuite, sat astride the toilet bowel and dribbled. “Steve”
“Yes darling”
“This really feels odd.”
“In what way?”
“Well, I know there is still two weeks to go, but.” Sally stopped, a contraction taking her breath and ability to talk away. Her left hand hugged her swollen stomach, her right hand flat against the wall to steady her.
“Too much excitement after the cheese rolling yesterday. Mind you it was really something else wasn’t it, don’t you think? Gosh, it really was thrilling, I was on such a high when we got back. And boy, I was so pleased that the twins were worn out by running around in the fresh air and went to sleep early. If my manly performance last night was anything to go by, I think I should always run down a hill before I make love to my wife.”
“Oh don’t joke Steve, I don’t want this baby to come yet. Oh.”
“Another contraction?” Steve was quite concerned, their date really was a couple of weeks away. All manner of wild ideas flew into his head, none of them good and none with a happy ending. He grabbed a towel and threw it across to the bed. “Come on love, just lie on the bed, I’ve got a towel in case, and let’s just see if some quiet rest can ease things a little.”
Some quiet rest completely failed to ease things a little. The frequency and pain increased.
“Huh huh huh huh.” Sally was panting quite quickly now, the contractions were quite close. “Oh God Steve, I’m not ready for this. I think we need to get to the hospital.”
“Hang on love I’m just phoning Anne to see if she can come and look after the twins, hang on, it’s ringing. Hi, Anne?” Steve spoke quietly but quickly into the phone and explained the situation, and asked Anne if you could just come and mind the twins. They had already arranged for Sally’s mother to come down, but that wasn’t until the due date, still two weeks away. Anne was on the way.
Steve then phoned maternity at the hospital and explained that they were on the way, a little earlier than planned. He shouted to Sally that he was going to get the car warmed up and ready whilst they waited for Anne. He quickly looked into the lounge. Evie and Dawn were glued to the television and didn’t even glance at their father rushing in and around. Their cartoon family on the box was all consuming at this moment in time.
“Steve.” Sally called, a quiet urgency in her voice. “Forget the car. There’s no time.” This was it she knew. Baby was coming and there was going to be no getting to the hospital. “Steve, help me.”
Steve ran back down stairs to ensure that the front door was open for Anne to get in, turning the heating thermostat up on his way back. The house was far from cold, but logically to his mind it would be cold for baby. He remembered how hot maternity was at the hospital, he needed the house to warm up quickly. He grabbed the bowl from the sink, in case anything ‘messy’ needed to be put somewhere, and rushed back up to Sally.
“How is it going babe?” Stupid question.
“Huh huh huh huh,” she replied on her knees and elbows on the floor.
Steve rushed out to the landing and opened the airing cupboard door and grabbed a pile of towels and went back into the bedroom. Sally looked at him and shook her head.
“Huh huh no huh not the huh u good cotton, get the old beach huh huh towels.” Not able to speak much through the pains and contractions had not diminished her capacity to think. ‘Men can be so useless. Why get the best towels out? Only a man would do that. Huh huh.’ Sally realised that she was contracting in her thoughts too. “Oh God Steve.” With a very load scream from Sally, baby’s head appeared.
Steve rushed forward and put his hands out as if to catch. He wasn’t too sure what would happen next, but he was damn well going to make sure that he didn’t drop anything that could be caught. Sally was panting a little now. The big push and possibly the biggest pain was over. “Oh wow Sal, baby is on its way.” The baby’s head was out. It was an incredible sight, their baby poking its head from between Sally’s legs. Steve suddenly became concerned, having remembered about the cord and tried to see if the cord was visible, scared that if it was it may cause complications.
“You don’t bloody say. My God you will pay for this. Oh.” A second spasm and suddenly Steve’s hands were full of baby. Baby was still attached to Sally, the cord disappearing between her legs back inside her. “Steve for God’s sake, tell me, what is it, is it okay?” Sally was looking down past her dangling distended breasts and between her legs. All she could see was a mushroom coloured bag of tiny arms and legs cocooned in Steve’s enormous hands.
“Hello anyone home, it’s only me. What time do the twins have tea and go to bed, hello?” Anne’s voice called from downstairs. Neither Sally nor Steve had heard her arrive.
Steve called down “Anne, dial 999 for an ambulance please, the phone is right there in the hall.”

The air exploded from Anne’s lungs as she was simultaneously assaulted by four legs, four arms, two torsos and two heads, all aged seven. The twins saw no reason why they should not wake Auntie Anne in the same way as daddy. After all, she was in daddy’s bed, they were hungry, and it would be time for school soon.
“Come on Auntie it is time to get up come on, come on, come on” said Dawn, or it may have been Evie, as she bounced up and down on the lump in the bed that was Anne. “We want toast, we want toast,” the girls chanted as the synchronised attack continued.
Anne eventually managed to garner enough breath to greet the day and the twins. First she opened one eye, squinting still against the early morning light, and then with the other eye still screwed tightly shut she fixed one of the twins in her gaze.
“Toast is it?” she said in a fit of laughter to the rambunctious pair of soldiers. Her arms momentarily both free from the weight of the twins, Anne forced them up and captured the noisy combatants in a trap of duvet cover and adult limbs. Twisting her body, she manoeuvred and got herself above the twins, her weight now able to assist in control. “Toast, right then. So whilst you two miscreants go and wash yourselves and brush your teeth, I will pop down and start breakfast. I want gleaming skin and clean pants before you come down. But if you take too long, then I shall have eaten all the toast, now scoot.” Anne released her prisoners to a fit of giggles as they rolled off the bed and out of her clutches and then chattered all the way to the bathroom.
Anne heard the tap running and called out that they should not have the water too hot, and then lay back on the bed and caught her breath. ‘Goodness, they are so full of energy,’ she thought and then wondered how things were going at the hospital. Anne’s thoughts turned to George and wondered what he was up to right now, wondered whether he was disappointed about the cancelled plans for yesterday evening; firstly, Debbie had turned up, and then Steve had phoned. Sometimes it was so difficult for people who lived alone to find time to be alone with someone. Shaking her head, she sat up and started the day.

“Hello darling, how are you feeling?” He had sat for ages, just looking and watching and waiting for the sleep to leave her, wincing at the occasional noise lest it disturb her before she was ready to awaken of her own account.
“Um, did they catch the driver?” Came a groggy response”
His hand slipped into hers, his fingers slightly curling around hers the pressure only slight, but reassuring. “What driver my love?”
“The driver of the tank that ran over me, that's who. Zooks, but I do ache. Where is she?”
Steve ran his fingers lightly over Sally’s brow before indicating in the direction of the Perspex box at the side of the bed. “She is just here my love, sleeping soundly.”
Sally turned her head and looked to the side where the clear incubator cot stood with its precious contents, a new baby girl, their new baby girl. Sally squeezed back at the hand in hers and looked across at Steve. “Wow daddy .”
“Yes mummy. Wow, all perfectly formed. Obviously taking after her mother”
“Silly man. I wonder how the twins are doing.” Sally tried to imagine what could be going on at home. Anne was not the most maternal of people, and the twins were not the most docile of children. It would make for an interesting encounter. Sally’s eyes focused once more on their new daughter, laid a few feet away, a nappy around her and a monitoring wire attached to her finger. She was absolutely beautiful and she was all theirs. Beautiful and Perfect. She turned to Steve. “Did you get any sleep?”
“No, not really, I didn’t want to. I just spent all my time looking at you or baby.” Steve suspected that he had dozed off at one point, but he was not exactly sure, and a momentary doze did not count as sleep anyway. “And now that you have woken up, I certainly don’t intend to go to sleep now. Goodness.”
“Well I don’t want a half asleep man driving me and baby home. Why don’t you go and sit in that armchair and see if you can’t catch forty?” There was a big soft comfortable armchair in the corner of the wardroom that was probably there for the explicit purpose of dozing or sleeping in. “Steve I’m serious, we cannot afford for you to be inattentive due to lack of sleep. You had a bit of a traumatic day yesterday, actually that is a point, is a male midwife a ‘midhusband’ I wonder?”
“I don’t think so, I think midwife actually means with the wife, so a midhusband would be with the husband. Anyway, you know, that was a bit scary?” Steve replied ignoring the sleep instructions from his wife and remembering his moment of yesterday. “I tell you what Sal, that was catch of the day, I reckon, when she popped out like that. But I am very glad that the ambulance crew were quick to arrive, I’m not too sure that I would have known what to do next.”
“Good thinking about the bowl too. I always knew that I had to marry a good and clever man, yesterday may have just sealed the confirmation that I had done so. Not every dad gets to deliver his own children these days, I am very proud of you.” Sally laid back again, tiredness edging away, but the vestiges of exhaustion still there under the surface. She needed to be careful for a few days until she was properly back on her feet. Sally hoped that her mother would be down later that day and she could help out at home until, well until they all got fed up of each other and Mother went back to her own home. Mother going back home would be in about three days if previous visits were anything to go by. She turned to Steve to ask him to pass her baby, but saved her breath. He had his head on the bed and a soft snore escaped his lips. He had fallen asleep where he was. Sally turned slightly, trying for her part not to disturb Steve, and to ensure that Baby was always in her view.

Anne arrived back at the cottage absolutely worn out. Sally’s mother had arrived very much earlier than expected. The twins had enjoyed washing themselves, each other, the bathroom, and also Anne. Soaked through and through Anne had gone to answer the door’s knock expecting perhaps a postman. Opening the door with the security chain on, she had been greeted with a firm instruction to ‘open the door and let me in’. To open the door did mean removing the chain, and to remove the chain did of course mean shutting the door first. Anne did briefly consider leaving it shut and running up to the twins and playing hide and seek. However, it was only a brief thought. Anne removed the chain and reopened the door to let Sally’s mother enter. Anne was being inspected and obviously failed muster.
“It is obviously not a moment too soon for me to be here. You presumably are the friend who lent a hand?” Sally’s mother had enquired before continuing loudly over Anne’s shoulders. “Twins, darlings, Grandma is here come and give me a big kiss.”
Dawn and Eve had come running down the stairs still soaking wet from their wash, and with suds and kisses had gleefully greeted their Grandmother. Anne had felt herself shrinking into the wall as her brief tenure as stand-in mother and guardian was abruptly terminated.
“G’anma, have you met our friend Anne, she is great, we did some lovely drawings last night and she has played with us all the time, she is great. Is she going to look after you too G’anma?” Asked Dawn, as Evie took a look at Dawn and squealed.
“Dawnie’s nudie, Dawnie’s nudie”
Dawn looked down and realised that she was still naked from washing and went running upstairs, hotly pursued by a pants clad Evie, leaving Anne wet and bemused facing an unsmiling grandmother. “Well,” Anne started as her composure returned, “you must be Sally’s mum, hello, I am Anne, and we were just having a morning wash, so I am sorry if the girls were not quite properly attired for your arrival.
“Quite. I am Audrey, pleased to meet you. Now I am here, you can get back to your own life, and I am sorry if the early arrival caused you any problems. But, as I say, I am here now, and so I can carry on and look after the twins.”
Anne was unsure if the early arrival jibe referred to Audrey or the new baby. Either way, she had been dismissed. “Oh all right then Audrey; I will leave you to it if you like. It was no trouble at all for me being with the girls, and Sally and Steve know that they can call on me at any time and I will do what I can to help. I will just go and finish getting the girls ready and then they are all yours. I will be out from under you hair in a few moments and you can have breakfast with the girls.” Leaving no room for a response, Anne turned and went back upstairs to the bathroom. She was determined that she would hand over two dry, dressed and beautifully smelling grand daughters to Audrey. She could only guess how it would be presented to Sally by Audrey. Anne did not really mind too much. Her conscience would be clear.


“Do the muscles really still ache so much Roger?”
“You had better believe it Suni. Who would have thought that running down a hill would do so much damage. Perhaps I ought to see whether Geraldine and Edward will let me soak in their hot tub.”
“Let me think about that. Edward at work. Me at work. You semi naked in a hot steamy tub with a beautiful redheaded woman.”
“Okay. I understand. I know, I will give Anne a ring and see if she can come and give me a therapeutic massage.”
“Let me think about that. George at work. Me at work, you semi naked on a bed with a beautiful blonde rubbing oil into your muscles.”
“Alright already. What shall I do?”
“Well you could take a warm bath. You could then go and wrap yourself in your big fluffy gown and you could wait.”
“Wait for what?”
“For your neighbour to get home from work.”
“So when will Sandesh be home and what can he do for me?”
“Silly man. I did not mean him, but if that is what you would prefer, and then I shall be phoning him and telling him to hurry back to you.”
“What I would prefer is, me lying naked on my bed, and then my beautiful neighbourly woman comes and surrounds me, kisses and hugs me, and finally tempts me with eastern promise.”
“I bet you would. You know how I feel about that.”
“Same as me, want but won’t.”
“Yet.”
“I know. I am not pressuring you.”
I know that is why I am beginning to understand what a special person that you are being.

Sally took a bite of tomato and licked her lips lasciviously as she looked at Steve. Steve smiled back, a raise of his bedroom eyebrows as he looked up towards the ceiling.. ‘Later’ mouthed Sally, ‘perhaps.’
“Daddy!” came an exasperated cry from the lounge.
“What’s the matter sweetie?” replied Steve, his eyes never wavering from his wife as he spoke.
“Geraldine has been sick.” called Evie.
“And it so gross,” added Dawn. “It’s all white and stinky.”
“I’ll go; you carry on here and give that tomato what for, but save some of your lip action for me.” Steve winked as he took the kitchen roll and baby wipes though to the front room. “Oh baby Geraldine what have you done?” Sally heard Steve ask as she sucked more seeds from the flesh of the tomato.
Sally stood and took the plates across to the sink and stacked them ready for washing. She was tender and sore still from the birth and things now took her a little longer than before. Fortunately Dawn and Evie were absolute treasures and loved helping, especially minding baby Geraldine as she lay in her cradle or rocker. That gave Sally valuable time to do odd little things, such as clearing the table, and begin to get her strength and self-esteem back.
Sally so loved flirting with Steve, he was so good at flirting right back. They both knew it was too soon for anything more than flirtations, she neither actually felt like ‘it’, nor was healed enough, but the love they shared leant naturally to flirtatious banter. Steve did as much as he could with the girls and around the house when he was at home, but both Sally and Steve realised that Steve could not work all day, and then come home and spend another eight hours catching up with the housework and looking after the four girls in his life. Sally knew she had to try and pick up the pace before Steve cracked. The banter just helped him keep going. By the time bedtime came around the most that they could muster was an exhausted cuddle, followed by waking with dead arms or stiff necks from falling asleep as they lay.
Then of course baby Geraldine would demand to be fed. Girly would not raise a loud cry; it was much more of an apologetic whimper. Sally usually got to the nursery and started to deal with the wet nappy and the feed before either the crying became too loud and intrusive, and Steve fully woke up. Sally felt that at least she could do the night feed.
Steve would usually do the early morning feed, and then together they would do breakfast, Steve dropping the girls off at school on his way to the labs. Sally’s day was usually spent washing up and clearing away the breakfast things and making the beds. That took her, most days, until lunchtime. After she had fed and settled girly, Sally would usually just lie on the sofa with a book. ‘Auntie’ Anne and ‘Auntie’ Geraldine often popped round in the afternoon.
It was admittedly nice to see them, but it did take away Sally’s one relaxing time, she could not just sit and snooze on the sofa with guests in the house. Girly would just sleep through, with both aunts commenting on what a wonderful and quiet baby she was. ‘Yeah, right!’ Sally would not complain though. At least the interruptions had ceased now that Anne was away, and with Geraldine soon to follow, Sally expected at least one week of piece and quiet.

“So where is this mystery tour to?”
“Well it wouldn’t be a mystery if I told you, but now we are travelling, I could tell you perhaps.”
“Well it is odd because I can see that there is being a loaf of bread on the back seat, but I see no other sign of a picnic, so perhaps you forgot it when you did your shopping? Apart from that, all I know is that we are heading to Bristol but not on the motorway.”
Roger had picked Sunita up that morning after arranging a day ‘Doing Something Different – I Promise.’ The Bewick Swans had started to arrive at the Wetland Trust, and they were a beautiful site. A morning amongst the fowl at the wetlands of Slimbridge with a lunch to follow in The Tudor Arms he hoped would qualify as different. They were now travelling along the A38 south of Gloucester heading to do just that.
“Well what do you think a loaf of bread might be used for? Go on take some guesses, I’ll tell you when you are right.
“Okay, let me see.” Sunita looked once more at the loaf and then started musing aloud.
“A mean picnic perhaps, no? Okay well it is being cheap bread, and I have never seen you use that before so I think perhaps not for us to eat, yes?”
Roger nodded, “You are getting warmer.”
“Warmer, what is that?” Sunita asked a puzzled look upon her face
Roger chuckled as he began to explain. “Sorry Suni, it’s a game we played as a child, I forgot myself and just assumed everyone played it. Someone picks something, it doesn’t matter what it is, and then everyone has to guess. The picker is only allowed to say warm or cold, or hot or freezing. The nearer the guess gets to the right answer, the warmer it is. So you were going towards the right answer, and so I said you were getting warmer.”
A warm rich laugh escaped from Sunita and she nodded her head and her fingers. “Okay, I see now, so let me be thinking. Mind you I have been seeing the brown road sign with a picture on, so I think that we are going to feed some ducks. Ha ha, I am being right, yes?”
“Bravo Suni, bravo. Well at least partly. It is ducks and more, and then lunch in a nice olde worlde pub with a good selection of non meat options, and then, well to be honest I did not plan beyond then.”
“Let us be seeing how the morning goes. After we have been having lunch, who knows, but my hair may have been reckless and need to be admonished, oh yes, we shall have to be seeing.”


Debbie no longer hurt, and at least the cold had gone away now. Nothing mattered anymore really, a sort of warmth seemed to be wrapping itself round her body and she thought that a nice sleep would help. When she had woken up she knew that everything would be fine. If only the phone would stop ringing and let her sleep, but it wouldn’t stop, and the ringing bought back the pain, and the pain bought back the cold. If only she had been able to sleep, everything would have been alright.


“I think Geraldine’s nappy needs changing.”
“Your point being?”
“No point being made darling, just an observation. I guess that I better go and supervise otherwise Dawnie will have it all up her arms and Evie down her legs. I love that they help but not the help that they give.” Steve got up from the sofa and picked baby Geraldine up from the bouncing cradle and headed off upstairs, calling the twins as he went.
“Girls, Geraldine’s done a smelly, who wants to help with operation cleanup?” He hadn’t finished speaking before the girls were scampering across the landing into the nursery chanting ‘Girly done a pooey’ as they went. As he entered the nursery, Dawn was laying out the changing mat on the floor, and Eve had the baby powder in her hand.
“Well done girls. Now we need two things first and what are they?” He asked. Steve was quite pleased at how the girls had taken to the new baby, perhaps it was because they were twins and had been bought up with the concept of sharing, perhaps it was just a novelty and heaven help them all if it wore off.
“Number one is the bucket daddy, I’ll get it,” Dawn shouted as she hurtled off in the general direction of the bathroom, the home of the nappy bucket.
“Dawn always forgets that daddy, she is so silly sometimes. Number one most important is baby.”
Steve could hardly fault that logic. Was Eve destined to be an engineer he wondered? “That is true Evie darling, but what else do we need?”
“Powder daddy for powdering Geraldine’s bum.”
“Evie used the bum word, Evie used the bum word, bottom, bottom, bottom.” Dawn had returned both hands around the nappy bucket which Steve quickly retrieved before she spilled it and its contents everywhere.
“Yes Dawn, she did. Now then Evie what else do we need? We have the changing mat, the bucket and the powder and of course baby, so what else?” Steve turned to Dawn and made a shush with his finger; he felt it important to spread attention equally amongst the twins.
“Daddy.”
“Yes Evie”
“We need to put Geraldine on the mat and take her clothes off so that they don’t get covered in poo and then we need to take off her nappy and then we wash her botty.”
“Yes darling and what are we missing to enable us to do that?”
“Well the wipes of course daddy . You know that. You should have them because that is your job.”
Okay, so no faulty logic there either. “Yes you are right Evie. But we also need the dirty pot to put all the wipes in so that I can flush them down the toilet, and we also need a clean nappy and a nappy liner and the soothing balm for her bottom. Now you girls go and get those missing things and I will start undressing Baby Geraldine.”


“Their bills are all totally unique, and so as well as ringing the birds, they also record the marking. That way they can identify a Bewick through a telescope or binoculars. They live most of the year in Siberia, and then spend their winters here.”
“That is so special. How do you be knowing all these things? You are such a clever man.”
Roger laughed and putting hands gently on Sunita’s shoulders, her turned her round and pointed as he continued speaking. “Bewick Swans also mate for life and if they lose a partner can enter a severe depression.”
She shook her head as she mouthed the words that he read on the information poster in the main swan lake hide. “Oh how could I have missed that? I am being so unobservant and here you are bringing me here to see things.”
Roger took Sunita’s hand and led her from the Hide and onto the path that meandered around the lesser pools and pens. Only now he opened the bag of bread and gave Sunita three pieces. “Many of the birds are probably tame enough to be fed by hand. You just need a gentle motion so as not to scare them. They stooped and crouched for a few moments feeding a small group of White Snow geese, and then Roger spotted something from the corner of his eye. “Don’t make a sudden move, but I think you ought to stand up now.”
Approaching them from one of the pools was a Mute swan that had spotted them and seemingly had intentions on some of the handouts. A swan is beautiful and seems only relatively large when on water, and on water is how most people see a swan. When you are crouching down, a swan out of water marching across to you can look quite intimidating.
Sunita and Roger stood and faced the swan. Roger took two pieces of bread from the packet, handing one to Sunita, tearing the other into four pieces. He held one piece out towards the advancing swan, trying to ensure that his fingers would be away from the snapping bill. The swan stopped a few feet away and dipped its head from side to side and then darted forward for the bread. The sudden movement caused Roger to sway back, and the swan missed. Sunita stood forward and held her arm out, a crust edged piece of bread pointing straight out from her hand. The swan’s neck slowly gyrated towards her, snakelike in its motion, and this time, with Sunita standing firm, the swan took its prize. Its head tipped back to swallow the bread, Roger could see the true size of the Swan.
“It is amazing Sunita, this swan is taller than you when it holds its neck up, and I have to say that as beautiful as the swan is,” pausing to take his turn at feeding the swan, “as beautiful as it is, it pales into shadow compared to your grace and beauty.”
“Oh Roger how can you compare me to one of most beautiful animals in all of creation, for the symbol of love comes from the heart shaped necks of two swans courting?”
“Because, Sunita, they were merely the inspirations for nature from which was cast its most perfect creation, you. You are surely the most beautiful creature yet to walk this Earth, and the sight of this beautiful swan only serves to confirm this view.”
They stood silently for a few moments feeding the tall and beautiful swan as it stood swaying on its dark webbed feet, balancing with its long neck and orange billed head waving from side to side as it took the bread, seeming in turns, first from Sunita, and then from Roger. The swan seemed to tire of holding its weight out of water, stood still, swivelling only its head to look first at Sunita, and then at Roger before dipping its head in what seemed a nod of approval, and then turning to waddle back to the small lake and relieve its limbs.
Sunita looked at Roger, and he looked at her. There could be no words, they both knew that something rather special had transpired.

“Edward is due back about now isn’t he?”
“Yeah, I think it is today, but it might be yesterday. Not sure.”
“Lucky man.”
“A week lazing in the sun and then back to cold England for a cushy office job.”
“Yes and a beautiful girlfriend who he adores and who adores him.”
“I adore you.”
“And I adore you too.”
“So we have established that we are lucky too.”
“Yes.”
“So, I think it might be an idea to get the twins up to bed early, although solving world hunger may be easier, and then how about an evening in front of the TV with a DVD from the store?”
“We haven’t seen the latest Star Wars.”
“True. Right so I’ll go to Blockbusters and hire it. Best if I don’t take the girls, you know that they’ll get all hyper, so I’ll kind of just sneak off. Will you put the chicken in the oven, and I will do the veggies when I get back?”
“Yes okay, in fact I’ll get the girls to help. How long should I put it on for?”
“Two hours at 160.”
“Okay, right you slip off now, and I’ll call the girls in a few minutes. Will you be okay to take Geraldine?”
“Oh yes.” Steve picked Geraldine up from her bouncing cradle and sniffed her bottom, “Still clean. See you later,” and checking his wallet was in his back pocket, he slipped out the front door to collect the rental DVD.
Sally stood and went to the kitchen. She took the chicken from the fridge where it had been sitting awaiting preparation and put it on their large grooved chopping board.
“Girls, come and help mummy with the chicken.” She called from the bottom of the stairs, tutting and picking up her coat which seemed to have slipped off the newel. “Come on girls, hurry,” she called as there had been little response to her first call. It rankled a little that whenever Steve called them to help, no matter what the job, they were there in seconds, but when she asked, the response was never quite so enthusiastic. This was taking daddy’s Girl syndrome just a little far for her liking.
“Hello mummy.” Chorused the twins as they stood in the door way. “We were watching daddy’s Star Gate Thingy programme. I am going to go through to the stars and fight the bad worm people when I get older,” said Dawn.
“Yes,” added Eve, “and I am going too and we will save the world from the worm people. What did you call us for?”
Sally was not exactly delighted at the twins watching some of the science fiction that she and Steve so loved. It was difficult explaining that none of it was real, that it was just stories. The twins understood that it was stories, but could not grasp that the subject matter was also fictional. There were actually no aliens with worms in their stomachs that flew around in Pyramids. The twins firmly believed that all the other worlds and aliens actually existed, just as clearly as they understood that the TV programmes just told stories about them, but based on real actual aliens.
“Well darling. I thought that you girls could help mummy with the chicken that we are going to have for tea.”
“Where’s daddy?” Asked Dawn
“And where’s baby?” Added Eve.
“Daddy has just popped out in the car and took baby with him for a little ride. He won’t be long, and he will be back in time for you to help him with the rest of the tea if you like. Evie if you look in the fridge there may be some jelly, we can have jelly and ice-cream for afters if you like”
“Daddy should have taken us, it’s not fair, and yes we can have jelly, ‘cus there is a bowl of jelly in the fridge.” Evie responded as she slammed the fridge shut.
‘Temper temper’ Sally thought but wisely did not say. “Okay girls we need to make some stuffing. Evie if you get the bread, we need about four pieces. Dawnie, can you find me a nice onion from the rack, and I will get some butter from the fridge. It’s time to blitz, and you can each take it in turns with the machine.”

“Yours or mine?”
“Mine, I must be repaying your kindness.”
“No Suni, you do not need to be repaying me anything. It was me taking you out for a treat, and why should a man not do that?”
“Because this is not being right between people who are just being people who are being people who are being knowing each other.”
“Suni, I don’t think I can get my head around all the people in that sentence. Look, I like you, actually I more than like you, I thought you knew that. I thought that we were more than people who knew each other?”
Sunita smiled a little and looked through the car windscreen. She knew a lot of things, one of which was that Roger needed a little help in some things. Yes he had not had her sheltered and protected upbringing and knew many more things of the world than she did, but there were some things that were perhaps instinctive between a man and a woman. And that was were she out scored his worldly knowledge. She spoke again.
“Roger, we are at the end of our road. My house is first. Please stop there and come inside.”
“Okay Suni.” Roger had been concerned at her silence. The day had gone so well. The moment with the swan seemed to lift the whole morning and it felt as if the sun shone through the small gap in the clouds just for them. The past few months they had gotten closer and closer, he thought. Had he thought wrong? Had he overstepped a mark today and taken this to a level that Sunita could not yet go to? He pulled up on her drive and turned of the engine, quickly getting out so as to open her door.
“Come inside, I have to thank you properly, and do not be being arguing with me, now shush and come in. Do not be forgetting to lock your car.”
Sunita turned the key and unlocked the front door, and hurried to the alarm panel to deactivate the security system. She then turned and walked back past Roger and shut and locked the latch on the front door. She walked back past a bemused Roger into the kitchen and unplugged the telephone from the wall socket. “Your mobile please.” She instructed.
Roger took his mobile phone from his inside pocket and passed it over.
“No, I am not wanting it, I am just wanting that you turn it off.”
Roger pressed the off button and the Blackberry screen went dark. “Off as requested.”
“Right. Now Mr Roger Hamilton there is something that you are needing to understand. Close your eyes.”
Bemused and unable to follow the way the day was going, he did as requested and closed his eyes. That was her cue. Sunita moved quietly towards him and pressed her breast to his chest and her lips to his. ‘If he is not understanding that, there is being no hope for him,’ she thought.
Roger kissed back.
‘He is being understanding.’

Sunita wrapped a small scarf around Roger’s eyes.
“It is being important. I must teach you to use your inner and outer senses. I am taking away one sense, for most people it is their most important one and the one they use all the time. This is being letting the other senses going lazy.”
“I thought that we used all our senses all the time, I am sure that I do.”
“This is not being so. When someone talks, you look at their lips and read their words as well as hear. That makes your hearing lazy. You look at food and expect the taste from the colour and what you see before you, that makes your taste and smell lazy. Do you see what I am being saying?”
“Yes, okay, so how are we going to do this?”
“Oh this is being simple. You are going to have a normal evening in with me. We will eat and drink and watch the TV perhaps, but you will need to use all your remaining senses as you cannot see. Tell me now what you hear.”
Sunita stood and unbuttoned the three buttons holding her top together. She then slowly unwound it from her body, folding it as she went. She put her folded top onto the settee cushion next to Roger.
“What did you hear?”
“Okay, I heard you stand up and stand before me. Then I heard material rustling and then I thought I felt something next to me.”
“Okay you are being not bad. Try this.”
Sunita then undid her Saree waist band. She took the material end and lifted Rogers hand.
“Hold this,” she said putting the material in his hand.
“Feels real silky.”
“That is because it is, now being quiet and listen.”
Sunita unrolled her self from the Saree by rotating herself before Roger, keeping the material taught as she went. She rotated three times and then was left holding her Saree, all but one piece that was in Roger’s hand. She stood before Roger wearing only her small vest and slip. She took the material from Roger and stood folding it before him. When it was folded she placed it over Roger’s outstretched arm.
“Now, what were you being sensing?”
“I don’t know about sensing, but my imagination is going mad.”
“No Roger, please be being true. Do not be imagining, I am wanting you to be using the senses not the dreams. Now tell me what you sensed, and you may relax your arm onto your lap, but please do not be dropping what is in your hand.”
“Okay, let me see. The material I held feels like the material of your clothes, it is silky and light to the touch. I am sure that you were turning around before me. I had the scent of you wafting lightly towards me. I could hear material rustling.”
“You are being quite good, but you need much training. I am not thinking you will be taking your blindfold off yet. Okay, now be lifting the material to your chin, not beyond, and inhale deeply though your mouth, you must then tell me what you can taste.”
Roger relaxed into the chair and lifted the material to where he thought his chin was. Now he was not straining every sense to determine what has happening, now he had only to use his tongue. He opened his moth, exhaled and then inhaled deeply and slowly, his tongue moving to try and get the maximum input.
“Okay, right, I think Suni. I think that I can taste a spice or spiciness, but I am not sure what. It is so faint a taste, it is almost not there.”
“We are going to have to be working on that. It is not being clever only being able to taste the spice in the food, you must be being able to taste the food underneath.”
Roger could see the sense in that, but he was sure that he had Sunita’s clothes in has hand, she spoke as if he had a food cloth. He was sure that she had not switched whatever he had been holding for something else.
“Okay Roger, now be lifting the material to your nose and be taking deep inhale through nose.”
Roger put his concentration to trying to listen to Sunita as she moved, He was almost sure he heard the swish of material, so, she perhaps was not undressed as he had imagined. He bought the material up closely to his nose and inhaled deeply and slowly, savouring the aromas.
“Oh Suni, this is you. I can smell your perfumes, both the sweet perfume from a bottle that you wear, and the sweeter more beautiful perfume that is you.”
Sunita laughed, and took the material from him. She lifted her vest to expose her midriff and stood before Roger. She took Rogers left hand and placed it, finger flat, just next to her navel.
“Now Roger, what do you feel?”
Roger flexed his fingers lightly but was admonished by Sunita.
“No Roger, you must not move your hand, you must be detecting what you can with the fingers and the pressure you use.”
Roger tried again, lifting his fingers and slowly pushing back to what felt like skin. He thought that he detected a very slight down and a great softness to the skin. He could not feel any bone structure, and there was, perhaps, an elasticity to the skin. He could not work out where such skin could be.
“Okay Roger, what can you be telling me?”
“Sunita it feels as if I am touching the container to heaven, the pleasures within I can feel burst to be released, yet paradise keeps them contained.”
“Oh Roger,” she laughed. “Okay take your hand away so that your are not touching anymore.” Sunita took Rogers palm and instructed him again.
“Okay, I will be being touching the palm of your hand on something. You must be keeping your fingers pulled back and tell me what you feel with your palm.”
Sunita took his palm and pushed it against the jewel secured in her navel. “Now tell me.”
Roger was confounded. He was sure that he felt the same downy skin, but now there was something hard and cool in the centre. Was she playing games? Was he feeling perhaps furniture, and this was a button? No, he had an idea.
“Oh Suni, that is so special.”
Sunita smiled and stepped back. She put her hand to her head and slowly pulled the combs from her hair. As each one became free she gently ran their teeth over Rogers knuckles. He began to say something, but she hushed him.
“No Roger, listen, feel.”
When she had removed the last of her combs, she began to unbraid her hair until it all fell loose about her shoulders. She lent forward and slowly ran her hair over Rogers fingers allowing it to cascade and fall across his hand and fingers. When it had all passed, she lent her head do that her hair rested once more against his hand. This time she lifted her head, the hair rising up against him should be a different sensation.
“Roger, now tell me what you feel?”
“Suni, I felt the gossamer wings on an angel as she flew by, pausing and resting, before talking flight once more.”
Sunita laughed and leaning forward she brushed her tongue against his lips and then the tip of his nose. She saw his lips pucker and his nose wrinkle. She lifted her slip so that she could sit astride his lap and she kissed him fully upon his lips.
Rogers hand slipped around her back and slipped up under her vest and his lips kissed back. He needed no sight to see what was in her mind.

The school had closed at lunchtime, a fault with the heating system the Headmaster had explained. Sunita had returned home to the Mews after a little bonus shopping trip at the Mall on the outskirts of Cheltenham. She saw that Rogers car was on his drive, he was home too. She sent him a text before she got out of her car and entered her Mews house. ‘Teacher home early let out to play.’
As she put her various pieces of shopping around and about, where she hoped she would need them, a reply came back.
‘Pupil needing extra lessons free in 30 min’
That gave her the time that she needed. After Sundays play of sense and touch, things had very nearly gone to the natural and final conclusion, but not quite. There had been a great deal of touching of naked skin, and some very sensual and erotic moments too, but the conclusion had been passionate cuddling and not sex. Sunita had not been ready as to take the final step, although she felt sad that she had caused arousal, but without quite giving him the end a man should have, she believed that Roger understood.
Today was another day, and time, perhaps, for another step. She went to her bedroom and stood on the bed. She could just reach the ceiling. She tapped the ceiling around the centre of her bed until she could detect where the joist was. She scraped a small X with her nail so that she would find the spot. She took a small screwdriver that she had bought with her, and standing on the bed once more, she pushed the screwdriver up through the X, making a small hole. She got back off the bed and putting the screwdriver down, she took a hook with a threaded end, a little larger than the hole that she had made. She stood on the bed once more and started screwing the hook into the hole. At first, through the plaster, was quite easy, but when she found the wood of the joist it became quite hard. Sunita would go forward very slowly for half to one turns and then back for perhaps half as much. Slowly she managed to get the thread completely into the ceiling and the hook secure.
Off the bed once more, she went to the spare room and took her Dyson, and removed the few bits of dust, plaster and wood that had fallen onto her bed. Satisfied she took the muslin bundle, climbed once more onto her bed, and hooked the eye sewn into the bundle to the hook affixed to the ceiling. On her bedroom floor once more, she arranged the muslin drapes around her bed. Perfect, it was exactly the effect that she wanted.
She pulled to the muslin and satin drapes that covered her window and then took a detailed look around her room. Although it was still daylight, the nights drew in and daytime was short. Today was quite cloudy, so the light was flat and grey. Sunita turned a small up lighter that she had in the corner to on, and a soft purple glow erased the flat grey from before. On the drawer unit she had two small Jasmine scented candles and ‘Scents of India’ perfume stick. She took a match and struck the match, and lit the perfume stick and two candles. She blew out the match and placed it on the tray beneath the stick for later disposal.
Sunita ran down stairs and to fetch her prepared shopping. She bought a small bowl upstairs that had a selection of chopped fruits, all around half thumb sized, and with a small amount of juice in the bottom of the bowl. If Roger were not too long, they fruit would not dry out. On a plate she had some shavings of fresh Coconut, and a small pilau of rice. She took these upstairs to her room and placed them on a small table to the side of the bed. She pulled the muslin screen back from the bed, to the far side when viewed from the door. All was ready now but her.
Sunita went through to her ensuite and showered quickly, not washing her hair, managing to keep it dry and away from the water. Dried and scented, she carefully wound a light saree around her self, but then decided against it. Instead she removed it, took a silk robe, and wore that instead.
The door knocked. She was ready, just in time, but she was ready. She went down the stairs and looked through the security viewer. She partly opened the door.
“Hello Roger. Please close your eyes and step in.”
Roger complied, carefully lifting his feet, he did want stumble at this stage. As he stepped in and forward, he heard the door shut and then locked. He also felt the sash going around his eyes and being tied behind him. The next sensation was Sunita’s lips as they pressed against his.
“Hello Roger, I am being so pleased that you could come around to play. Work is slack?”
“Sunita, no man could resist the fingers of an Angel when commanded such. Work must take second position to a keeper of Heaven.”
“Oh Roger, you are still being so smooth, but do not be stopping, I love the words that you speak. Now today we have a special lesson in touch. I trust that you are wearing some undershorts, and so, as I do not wish to be getting your clothes messy, I will be asking you take off your shirt and your trousers. Modesty is important for I must not gaze on a naked man, as you know, so please tell me now if your undershorts are being most suitable.”
“Er yes Suni,’ he was wearing his American longer style silk boxers that he had got from Indonesia, and so he felt that if he could control himself, Sunita would not be compromised.
“This is being most excellent. Now please be opening your mouth, I shall be putting something in, you can then close and I will be taking you up to the bathroom, here you can take off all but your undershorts. Is this being to your agreement?”
Roger nodded his agreement and opened his mouth as instructed. Sunita took a small cooked mollusc from the stair, coated with fine spicy flour, and placed it in his mouth.
“You must not chew, now please be following me. I shall guide you to the stairs; you must climb thirteen to the top.”

After divesting him of most of his clothes, she rotated him a few times on the landing to add to his level of disorientation. Sunita then lead Roger to the bedroom and stood him next to the bed.
“Now Roger, just behind you is a cushioned platform. Put your hands down to feel the edge and then sit.”
Roger bent his knees a little until his arms encountered, what to him felt just like a bed, and then sat.
“Okay Roger, now be moving to the centre of the platform. Do you be having the treat in your mouth still?”
Roger inched back until he felt the far edge of the platform. He swivelled a little and folded his legs up by his side. He nodded a yes in answer to her question.”
“That is very good Roger. Now swallow it without chewing or biting. It will not hurt you and is not to big to swallow.” Sunita went to the bowl of fruits beside the bed and selected a cherry.
“Now lean forward and open your mouth I am going to put something in your mouth. I want you to squash it with your tongue and your mouth, you must not be being using teeths.” As Roger leant forward, Sunita stretched forward and carefully dropped the cherry into his mouth, gently running her fingers across his lips after she had done so. “And no licking your lips.”
As Roger pushed with his tongue, he felt the object in his mouth squash and a strong flavour hit his mouth.
“Now Roger, tell me, what scent can you smell in the room.”
Roger had to admire her. He knew that she was going to ask him to identify what was in his mouth and had prepared himself for that. Her question about scent had completely taken him by surprise. He tried to ignore the sweet strong flavour in his mouth that he was sure was cherry, and concentrated on the scent.
“Now Roger,” she had moved to a different side of the room, playing games with his ears, “You had much time between swallowing the first item and receiving the second. In that time, your senses should have taken in your surroundings. Tell me Roger what can you smell?”
“Suni, I think that there is a sweet flowery smell, perhaps Jasmine, but when I move my lips near to my nose, I can smell cherry. I also detect a slight smokiness. I also can smell, I think perhaps cumin and cinnamon.”
Next Sunita took a piece of prepared honey coated Guava fruit, into which she had inserted some sour Puppi fruit. He would have the sweetness of the Guava, but soon would follow the very sour Puppi.
“Okay you can swallow the last fruit now. Okay, now open again as I have a new object.” She put the dual fruit combination in his mouth and commanded “Close your mouth and now be holding the object between the roof of your mouth and your tongue. But do not squeeze too much.”
Roger could feel the sweetness of what ever was in his mouth, but could not identify it. It was very sweet, whatever it was, perhaps honey he thought.
“Okay, now without chewing you may suck, gently at first, and then hard.”
Roger arched his tongue and gently sucked at the object. At first there was the intense sweetness, and then suddenly from nowhere came a sourness that seemed to immediately dry his mouth. His lips puckered and his nose and eyes screwed.
“Now swallow anything left in your mouth.”
Roger struggled to swallow; his mouth had dried and seemed to reject the sourness of the last object. He attempted to swallow two times before, on the third, a little lubrication appeared and he was able to swallow. He doubted his ability to talk however.
“Do not move, do not reach out.”
Sunita coated her lips with honey from the dish and knelt on the bed before Roger. Slowly she inched forward until he was within reach. She kissed him softly on his lips, transferring the honey from her to him. Once she parted his lips with her tongue, but only once.
She inched off the bed and as quietly as possible, she moved around the bed until she was behind him. She took the muslin canopy and unfurled it around the bed. When Roger was completely cocooned, she parted the canopy slightly and put a small cup of lassi before him.
She bent down and picked up very small bell on a cord. She pulled so that the bell rang once, and then quietly moved to the foot of the bed, her voice in a different place again.
“Before you is a drink. Be careful how you are finding it, otherwise you will wet the platform.”
Roger carefully put both hands flat on the bed beside him, and slowly moved them to before him. Inch by inch he moved each hand forward until he encountered something hard. He rotated his hand and continued moving forward until he could grasp the cup and bring it to his mouth to drink.
“Now Roger what was being the first thing I put into your mouth after you sat in this room?”


“Okay Roger, now you can hear me. I am in front of you, touch me.”
Sunita stood just away from the bed as she spoke, the muslin shroud between them. Roger leant forward and felt nothing.
“Yes Roger, here I am being right in front of you,” she said speaking softly.”
Roger again leant in the direction of the voice, this time further. His fingertips encountered the muslin but not Sunita. At first, he pulled his fingers back, and then, hesitantly he put his fingers out once more to touch what he had encountered. This was strange as what ever it was had surely not been there before. He felt up and down and along, it seemed to go in every direction.
‘Mosquito Net’ sprang to his mind.
“I’m just here.”
As his fingers walked along the material, he found the gap. It was overlapped, but it was the key. He tried to pretend he had not seen it and kept searching.
“Sunita, it would be more even if you were blind folded too.”
“How do you know I am not?” Her voice came from his left as he faced the gap.
“I cannot know.”
“Ah but you can.” From behind him now.
“I know not how I can tell if you are blindfolded.” To his left again. He got ready; as she spoke next time, he would make his move.
“It is all in movement.” As she spoke his hands darted forward, through the gap, found, and grasped her.
He had her by an arm, not a firm grip, he did not want to hurt, that was not the nature of the game, a grip loose enough that she could pull free should she wish.
She did not pull free. He slipped his hand down her arm until he held her hand. Her grip interlaced his fingers and tightened. Perhaps they now approached the end game.
Still holding her hand he pulled her towards him and though the gap. Sunita climbed through and knelt before him, leaning forward to kiss his lips. He went to kiss back and she pulled away.
“No, there is being one last question. What colour do you sense?”
Roger was completely taken by surprise, colour? His eyes were shut and behind a blindfold. He assumed the room was dimly lit, because even if he tried to see, he couldn’t. He relaxed once more and tried to let his mind free. He tried to imagine the room that he was in, he imagined that he was on a bed, he put the mosquito net in place, and he imagined Sunita before him. He tried to look at this image as if it were real and tried to put a colour to the background of his image. He swayed by what he knew to be favourite colours her hers, Gold and Purple.
“A lilac colour I think”
His reward was a kiss that did not seem to stop. As she pressed her lips to his, their bodies also combined, and Roger realised that even though he was wearing only one item, it was one more than Sunita. His hand gravitated to her waist and then upwards to hold and cup her breast.
Sunita let out a gasp and pulled Roger close to her.
“I have waited for this moment for so long.” Roger whispered.
“So have I been being waiting.”
“I can see you with my fingers.” Roger said as his hands outlined her body.
“Only the man who is to be being my husband can be being seeing me like this”
“Well in that case, I accept, wife to be, I thank you for teaching me to see. And now I think that you had better lie down as I am going to kiss you all over.”
“Everywhere?”
“Absolutely everywhere.”
As Roger started kissing the soft skin of her breast, Sunita slowly undid the blindfold around his eyes, and a purple glow seeped between his eyelids.