Like A Shot
‘Norris!’
‘Yes sir?’
‘What are you doing on Saturday?’
‘Nothing in particular sir.’
‘Yes you are. You’re in the school team for the District Sports; it’s at
Bromsgrove. Be here at nine o’ clock, I’ll take you.’
‘In which event sir?’
‘Er … discus … and shot of course.’
‘Right oh sir.’
He glared; my expression obviously came within his definition of
‘familiarity.’
Saturday arrived, and I stood at the bus stop
with my bag.
‘Do you have to go on a Saturday now Ralph?’
‘No Mrs Wyre, I’m in the school
team for the District Sports.’
‘That sounds grand!’
I nodded, smiled, and stood back to let her get on the bus.
‘Good luck!’ she shouted, as I climbed the stairs.
At ten minutes past four in the
afternoon, I was awaiting the 137 to return home, when our neighbour waddled
towards me. She was festooned with shopping bags; her husband’s old haversack
over her right shoulder.
About the author
Having spent the best part of thirty five years
writing reports on such subjects as ‘Provision of Caravan Sites for Travellers’
and ’Aspects of Pest Control in the Urban Environment’, Roger Noons began even
more creative writing in 2006, when he completed a screenplay for a friend who
is an amateur film maker. After the film was made, he wrote further scripts and
having become addicted, began to pen short stories and poems. He occasionally
produces memoirs and other non-fiction. He has begun to perform his poems, and
has just published ’An A to Z by RLN’, an anthology of 26 short stories. He
intends by the end of the year to have followed that up with a novella.
Like A Shot
Roger Noons
A large glass of Limeade
‘Norris!’
‘Yes sir?’
‘What are you doing on Saturday?’
‘Nothing in particular sir.’
‘Yes you are. You’re in the school team for the District Sports; it’s at
Bromsgrove. Be here at nine o’ clock, I’ll take you.’
‘In which event sir?’
‘Er … discus … and shot of course.’
‘Right oh sir.’
He glared; my expression obviously came within his definition of
‘familiarity.’
Saturday arrived, and I stood at the bus stop
with my bag.
‘Do you have to go on a Saturday now Ralph?’
‘No Mrs Wyre, I’m in the school
team for the District Sports.’
‘That sounds grand!’
I nodded, smiled, and stood back to let her get on the bus.
‘Good luck!’ she shouted, as I climbed the stairs.
At ten minutes past four in the
afternoon, I was awaiting the 137 to return home, when our neighbour waddled
towards me. She was festooned with shopping bags; her husband’s old haversack
over her right shoulder.
‘Hello young ’un,’ she grinned.
‘You’re loaded down Mrs Wyre, let me help you.’
‘Been to the market, haven’t I; stocked up with clothes and things for
our holiday. We’re off to Weston next Saturday.’
While I was considering a response, she leaned towards me. ‘How did you
get on then?’
‘Fourth,’ I answered, ‘in the discus.’
‘That sounds good, out of how many?’
‘Fourteen schools, I think.’
‘Very good!’
‘I came second in the shot putt.’
‘Is that where they throw them canon ball things?’
‘Yes,’ I smiled.
‘You want to watch you don’t drop it on your foot!’
The bus stopped with a squeal of
brakes. I stayed back, then followed her along the lower deck, limping.
About the author
Having spent the best part of thirty five years
writing reports on such subjects as ‘Provision of Caravan Sites for Travellers’
and ’Aspects of Pest Control in the Urban Environment’, Roger Noons began even
more creative writing in 2006, when he completed a screenplay for a friend who
is an amateur film maker. After the film was made, he wrote further scripts and
having become addicted, began to pen short stories and poems. He occasionally
produces memoirs and other non-fiction. He has begun to perform his poems, and
has just published ’An A to Z by RLN’, an anthology of 26 short stories. He
intends by the end of the year to have followed that up with a novella.
He is a member of two Writers Groups and tries his
hardest to write something every day. As well as CafeLit, he has had credits in
West Midlands newspapers, The Daily Telegraph, Paragraph Planet, Raw Edge and a
number of Anthologies.
Roger is a regular contributor to the CafeLit site
and a couple of his stories have been selected for the Best of CafeLit 2012.
