GO BACK IN TIME with Ringo11: story of the century!!
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Only a few days to go now! Here's some more to keep you all occupied for a while...
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SIXTY-EIGHTH INSTALMENT He takes you past an open area and into a street bordered with both old, grand buildings and occasional new gap-fillers. Your mouths full of scone, you drift past the people out shopping, their coats and hats pulled in close to keep out a chill breeze that cuts the sunny air. You almost run into a lady who is scurrying along. Paul, who is in front of you by a couple of steps, had dodged her, but you hadn?t seen her. ?Sorry,? you mumble, and do a quick skip to catch up with Paul. You hook your arm in his, reining him in. ?I almost ran into that lady.? ?You aught to be more careful,? he teases. ?Where are we going?? you enquire. ?Nowhere, we?re wandering. Your idea.? You nod, and forcing him to slow his pace, wander arm in arm, taking in the retro surroundings. ?You know?? ?Mmm?? ?I fancy a cup of tea, don?t you?? ?Yeah,? he replies, ?but we weren?t going to spend any money on food today, remember?? ?Ah. Yeah. Right?? ?Come on then, the next bus is going to be just around the corner. You?ll have to walk faster.? You hold his arm tighter to keep out the wind that has suddenly made you feel weary. Hurrying down the street, sidestepping to avoid knocking over any other old ladies, you reach the stop just in time to catch the bus back to Forthlin Road for a nice cup of tea to warm you up. The first sip of tea spreads warmth through your body like liquid sun. Bliss. The breeze has picked up outside and looking out the window you watch the fluffy clouds race through the blue sky. ?It looks warm, but I?m glad we?re in ?ere,? Paul remarks, watching you watching the clouds. ?Mmmm,? you reply, sipping your tea again. ?What now?? asks Paul, fidgeting slightly. He?s bored already. ?Got any cards?? you ask? ?We could play strip poker!? he says, getting up and disappearing out of the room before you can object. When he enters with the cards, you give him a dry look. ?Don?t worry, I brought matchsticks,? he assures you. He sits down at the table and starts shuffling cards and sharing out matches while you get yourself a third cup of tea. You play for some time, always refilling your cup after a game. The matches still seem to be distributed fairly evenly. ?Hold!? you say, pushing your cards away. ?Eh?? ?Too much tea,? you explain, and head off to the loo. He laughs at you on the way out. When you return, much more comfortable, your cards are where you left them and Paul is patiently waiting before he makes his move. He picks up his cards, and you yours. You look at him, studying his face to try and guess his luck. He studies his cards for a while, and then peers at you over the top of them, his face expressionless. Squinting at him, you replace two of the cards in your hand. He raises one eyebrow before taking just one from the deck. Your hand isn?t bad, and you raise the stakes by a couple of little bits of wood. He sees your raise and cautiously raises one more, which you call. A satisfied little grin forms on his face as he slowly reveals his cards on the table. Red? hearts? 9, !0, Jack, Queen, King! He?s beat you hands down. Exasperated, you throw down your crappy hand as he sweeps all the matches into his pile with a grin. ?What did you do to the deck while I was away then?? you accuse. ?Hey now. Don?t be a sore looser. You deal the next one then.? In fact, you end up dealing the next half dozen, and he wins every single hand no matter how carefully you shuffle. Once you?ve lost your last matchstick, you sit back and gaze thoughtfully at him. ?You?ve played this before, haven?t you,? you decide. He laughs at your joke. ?What next?? he asks. ?Let?s play something I might have a chance of winning,? you suggest. ?Oh yes?? he asks, raising his eyebrows. ?Snap.? Laughing, he splits the deck and clears away the matches. You love the way he laughs, and he does it a lot. Being around such a happy person gives you a great feeling. You could sit all day, and watch his expressions of concentration and listen to his laugh.
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Thanks ringo, a great way to end the week!
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Thank you Ringo!! That was great!! I've been printing out these installments, and letting my sisters read them. They absolutely love this story, too!
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Thank you Ringo!! That was great!! I've been printing out these installments, and letting my sisters read them. They absolutely love this story, too!
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Thanks for posting what you have! Have a good trip! We're off in a week too.......to California! Hopefully we'll catch up on both our returns! Julie
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Thanks for posting before you go.... Have a safe and wonderful time!
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bump
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bump again!!
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wow! 3 times in a row! I've gotta get a life... BUMP!
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Mmmm...I needed a 1959ish Paul. Thanks, Ringo11! I hope you are having fun on your travels! I am trying to arrange some traveling fun myself. I'm just curious...did you model the museum after a particular place, or is it just a general description of a museum? I love the way you describe things...tea like liquid sunshine, describing a museum, describing our Paulie. You're good, girl!
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bump. love the story! it's fab!
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Bump again!!
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BUMP!
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I had to scroll to find this. BUMP!
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i'm starting to dislike having to bump so much BUMP
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BUMPY CAKE!
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Bumperdoodle!