Romance

As Tom lay trapped in thin grasses in the deepest part of the moat he wondered at the waters that had once occupied the region. It was dry now and the soil beneath him showed not even a hint of the recent dew.

Above him Penelope stood looking down, she was silent. Tom looked up at the scudding clouds and then at the girl above him in her fine yewlow dress. He then pulled a small piece of carved wood from his coat pocket and held it up.

“What be that” asked Penelope as she took an interest in the boy again.

“It is a carving, I found it over by them rocks” the boy replied

“Well I think thee stupid stealing pieces of wood and then becoming trapped in this here ditch”

“I slipped and you know that to be so” the boy said becoming slightly irritated with the girl who was no longer looking at him and looking at the distant downs which he knew to be there although he could only see the clouds and the sky from his vantage.

“Come join me in the huge ditch” the boy said after remaining silent for quite a while

“I will not, I prefer to look down at you than be with you”

“I can see thee undergarments from where I lay, if you come down I will not be able to see them

“You should not be as wicked to say that Tom Garner. Be thee a gentleman and close thy eyes. I shall tell yer father and ee will take a belt to you”

“I will not”

“Then I shall leave you trapped in this here ditch and when you die the crows will peck out your eyes”

“I do not need thee to help me” the boy said confidently standing up. Even at his fullest height the moat seemed deeper and the girl more distant.

“Then I shall leave thee and walk to the downs and you will be sorry for embarrassing me and I will tell nowun and let that be a promise”

The girl disappeared from view and for all his confidence the boy felt frightened. He sat down in the grass regretting his bravado.

Unknown to him the girl was sitting just out of view playing at the torn hem of her yewlow dress. The boy had embarrassed her but deep down she had enjoyed the teasing. He had treated her as woman and no-one ever did that. It was always Penny Pull, Penny Pull from the grocers shop. The grocer’s daughter in her pretty dresses.

Yet she remained still she wanted the boy to cry and apologise to her. The hem of her dress came away in her hand and she resolved to mend it when she got back to the cottage.

An hour passed and the girl was beginning to get worried. Perhaps the boy had tried to climb the ditch and had fallen and broken his neck and was lying dead in the grass. But even though she cared for his welfare she would not look over the edge of the moat.

Suddenly a dark object hit her on the shoulder. It startled her but caused little pain and bounced harmlessly into the long grass

“I have a gift for thee” the boy shouted from within the moat

The girl smiled

“And I have a gift for thee”

“What be the gift Penny Pull? “

“Your escape yer silly wun”

“There is no escape, I have explored and I be truly trapped”

“Look at the far Elder tree. Next ter that be a secret path which my father showed to me when I were younger”

The boy looked at the tree. There was no path but he was trapped and anything was worth a try. He had walked almost a hundred yards when he spotted the path hidden in the gorse.

Carefully he climbed the steep path until he managed to pull himself over the ridge of the moat. The girl was laughing at him

“Bet thee were scared and shit thee pants” The girl said in a vulgar tome

“I were not, I knew that that the path was there all the time”

“Liar”

“I will tell all that I saw your white undergarments if you say I was scared”

“They will think you are making it up and taking dirty” the girl said in a confident tone

Both Tom and Penelope had exhausted their argument and sat silently in the grass. The breeze had increased and the grasses around them were dancing rapidly

“You have torn yer dress” the boy said suddenly looking at the hem that the girl has torn.

“It is always torn and I always mend it when I git home. My mother’s none the wiser. I be talented with a needle and cotton”

Neither the boy nor girl said anything further looking at the distant downs where storm clouds were beginning to build.

“I think that we should be going to our homes Tom as there be a big storm over there” The girl said getting to her feet and brushing the grass from her yewlow dress.

The boy did not immediately rise to his feet but when he did he walked towards the long grass where he knew that the carving had landed. He found it in two pieces it has shattered on impact. He picked up one piece and showed it to the girl

“This wood be rotten, I do not know why I picked it up in the first place” he said throwing one half of the carving into the deep moat

“Would thee hurry up Tom or we will both be soaked when the storm comes”

“The storm be miles away” the boy said walking towards the girl

“You know too many things Tom Garner and they are not always right”

In the distance there was a loud clap of thunder and the downs were lit up for an instant by a bright flash. The wind had freshened considerably.

Although hidden in the long grass the carving lay again in one piece near the stone where the boy had originally found it.

 

 

Jackdaws  

Two jackdaws sat in the sun on the thatched barn roof. It was a hot dusty day and they looked at the visitors taking refreshment below.

“I see that the manor it closed today” the higher bird said to the other

“It is always the same on Tuesdays” the other replied

Both birds looked at the clouds above and in an instant flew upwards. Far below them a coach full of Swedish tourists pulled into the car park

They were due to take an organised tour of the manor and take a cream tea afterwards. The two jackdaws were unaware of this fact.

 

Flood  

Nina and Norah sat on the benches outside of the inn waiting for their bus that would take them to their hotel where refreshment awaited them. Both women had been walking all day and were looking forward to a good bath and a generous tea.

A passing motorist had informed them that their bus was running late because of a violent storm in Devizes which puzzled the women as the sky at Avebury was clear in all directions. Not one cloud shadows the area.

Boy Peters had also been exploring the area but had come from the opposite direction. Hi splendid car sat quietly in the car park near where women sat.

“I say, do you girls need a lift anywhere you appear to have been waiting an awfully long time” he said as he crossed the road with care

“That would be kind of you. My companion and I are lodging in Devizes but have been told that there has been the most awful storm in the town and this has delayed the buses” said Norah

“Climb in, sorry for the mess the old girl needs a bit of a polish. Probably not the best of ideas out here in the wilds”

“I am Norah Butters and this is Nina she does not use her surname”

“I am George Peters but everybody calls me boy. I do not know why as I am nearly thirty-six”

The car moved away from the car park and soon the trio were passing Silbury Hill. There was no sign of the storm in the distance which puzzled them all.

About three miles outside of Devizes an AA officer on a motorbike flagged them down

“Are you heading for Devizes” he asked in fatherly tone

“As a matter of fact we are. These two young ladies are lodging there and I am driving them there”

“Well if I were you I would observe the upmost caution as there has been a terrific storm there and the town is under water”

“It is quite dry here; the storm must have been quite isolated “Boy Peters noted smiling at the women

“Yes it be a Devizes Storm. Dry as a bone here but flooded in the town. The water is up to your knees.

It was then that Nina noticed that the AA officer was barefoot with his trousers rolled up. She removed her sandals as did Norah. Boy Peters loosened the laces of his boots and removed them carefully handing them to the AA officer. Both women did the same.

The AA officer placed the footwear in a saddlebag attached to the motorbike and saluted as the car drove away

“Thank you, you have been an absolute darling” Nina shouted to the AA officer who by now was disappearing from view.