Introduction
This collection is a collection of seventy stories, each 280 words. They were inspired by the first picture seen on my Twitter feed on a given day.
60. The Man in the Suit
He seems trustworthy, the man in the suit. He is in his early fifties, perhaps. His hair is grey and his eyes look sincere. His skin is wrinkled. He could be a headmaster, a GP or somebody’s dad. They can all look the same. I’ve heard him use some common sense before but now he is being questioned. We've all trusted grey-haired men with clear blue eyes and they've let us down.
Now he's saying free trade everywhere is not such a good thing though others are saying it creates economic growth and helps to end child poverty. We need the growth and child poverty must end, though what we mean by it isn't all that clear.
Twenty-eight countries, closely situated to each other, trade freely at the moment. Our wines and cheeses, our fruit and vegetables, our butter and milk are not taxed and don't travel far. Do you remember when the Mediterranean crop failed for a few weeks and we had to import peppers and tomatoes form other continents? The price trebled. Some of it was tax, yes, but much of it was transport costs. We want that? Really?
And this group of twenty-eight countries has great trade deals with other nations and continents. They're probably better than we can negotiate ourselves.
Can you hear the roar of the jet taking off? Do you know how much damage each flight makes? Can you see the smog hanging over most big towns?
In the capital a man is arrested for arguing that we are about to become extinct. Some men, like the one in the suit, shout vile words at an angry but sincere young woman who demands change.
About the author
Gill James is published by The Red Telephone, Butterfly and Chapeltown. She edits CafeLit and writes for the online community news magazine: Talking About My Generation. She teaches Creative Writing and has an MA in Writing for Children and PhD in Creative and Critical Writing.
http://www.gilljameswriter.com
https://www.amazon.co.uk/-/e/B001KMQRKE
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