Here’s a cheery little story for Bonfire Night. Hope you enjoy it!
Penny For The Guy
‘Hooligans, that’s what they are,’ he said, tugging the curtains closed and turning up the volume on the telly. Samson woke, and barked twice before settling again. ‘Every damn year, crash bang wallop. I’ll be glad when it’s over.’
She felt the drizzle on her upturned face as she stood on the hill with Sue and Eddie, bundled in woollies and clutching a slab of parkin. The fireworks would only start if they were still and silent; she shushed the others’ whispers. Perhaps the fireworks are wet, or my watch is wrong. The scream of the first rocket carried her with it.
David grumbled when she took the boys to the big display in the park. ‘Dancing round a bonfire like savages. You’ll all catch your deaths.’ He slammed the door as they trudged down the path. She tagged along until they complained that she was embarrassing them.
The children who lived on the estate knew better than to trick or treat at their house, or ask for a penny for the guy. She sneaked out to put a bowl of sweets by the front gate.
When David asked where his green corduroys and his old work shirts had got to, she told him that she had taken them to the charity shop. ‘Charity begins at home,’ he snapped, lighting his pipe. She closed her eyes and saw him burning in parks and gardens all over town.
If you enjoyed this story, it and many others are available in my flash-fiction collection, Bitesize. It’s £2.99 on Amazon, or a free gift for subscribers to my fortnightly newsletter. So if you fancy stories for free, head on over!
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The featured image is fireworks by Epic Fireworks, and it is shared by permission of Creative Commons license 2.0.
Liz Hedgecock 