Sheryl's Last Stand

ica

e Sheryl'

las two great and

n such a ble

nk

l who helped me stan

r all your encouragement, support a

rs group but always believed, encouraged, and

n

over :- libzyyy fr

a t

es another opens,

nother slams in your f

'that door' was alwa

he met

PTE

ds of his eyes fill with wat

u are like a ewe at tupping time.' He moved behind her and pressed his

man whose fingers came near her body. She watched as he fumbled his way i

rk. 'I like someone with a bit of meat on them, something to grab hold of. The problem w

like a horse,

e he stumbled over to Sheryl and handed it to her. S

ng when she sees it, ' he cont

o stop, but he carried on

not in a wheelchair and certainly not the way she drives it.' Sheryl said nothing

ing smooth, ' he said, stagge

e direction of the mirror above it. It was the sort of mirror best a

e whispered, and dusted it with his sleeve. 'Full bodied, curvaceous and well end

*

d the bar of the Argyll Hotel. Shifty the barman was playing,

he spot, don't she?' Shifty

inued to sway until sh

as you, I could hear

nd standing beside him was the reflection of Imogene. Sh

gene, ' said Martin

stmas. Sheryl took a long draw from her cigarette and stubbed it out. Dolly Parton had finished and so had her

to be a dad

*

th the sort of hangover that makes sleep impossi

en flashed o

d Beatrice. 'It

kno

ha

her temples. '

Beatrice continued, a

hoping it, along with the rest of what was in her stomach would s

l, you

ndering where else she could be

ERY

and she groaned. She let out a huge belch, attempted

ght and began hunting aroun

chance of a

onto her bac

sion with the remote and rewou

y towards the kitchen, the only warm room in the house. Sam sprang off the bed and began ch

waiting for her stomach to catch up with the morning's movement. Nothing mattered, she thought. Noth

ld get away with, circled the ring. They wore Lycra so tight that the only one (in the audienc

t in heaven, if on

nto the bedroom.

t. The chair hit the wrestler's back and he fell on to his stomach with his limbs stretched out like a starfis

aid Beatrice, noting her d

of tea would be tempting

d far too long.' She tapped her daughter's knee, trying to appear positiv

' Sheryl ventured. 'And he

nd pulling down one at a time, tenderly wiping the dust from the labels as he read each one out. 'I remember his 65th birthday, ' said Beatrice. 'We almos

said Sheryl. 'I even helped him to bed. No, my mistake wa

you met

id you 'ga

that song that you constan

ong, ' mutt

wallowed h

lit was temporary, then I met....' She jumpe

' said Beatrice as she turned up the wrestl

PTE

ring what sort of sick person came up with the idea when she noticed Lindsey, her younger sister, standing

te, ' yelled Beatrice, w

had the same metabolism as Beatrice, a rich amiable husband and an easygoing son. Her main problem in life was what to wear to golf, and how to keep her clea

g a bit

mber a morning when y

ood puke, ' ad

Mum's had carers, ' said Lindsey

life's crap, ' said a waitress, appearing fr

t the waitress, who looked lik

othing better to d

g enough to "pull" even in a slightl

ole Rugby again?

hang ar

one but your mum t

ers,

f, ' said Beatrice 'is to get pisse

T get pis

ess, scratching herself. 'Frances was just in; sh

he next table. Edna spent every morning in the café wit

continued the waitress, acknowledging

do to him?' la