Writer's Notebook

Let's be honest, I was glad to see the back of them. It wasn't just their swearing but the way they mistreated all and everything in sight. Oh yes, I'd realised from the start that I'd be misused, and strangely enough that didn't worry me; not if it meant Abdul could shake them off his heels. That's why I let him write that fake message on my back. In fact, I was quite proud he considered me worthy of hiding that message for a time. Of course, it wasn't really hiding. I had to make sure they found it sooner or later, but mustn't seem to keen on letting them know, otherwise they might have smelt a rat. Well, it worked a treat. They came in and turned the place upside down; angry and scornful they started shouting and swearing at each other. I couldn't understand much of what they were saying but then I didn't really want to. Once they started drinking things became worse and I could only hope this torture wouldn't last much longer. Then one of them, grabbed hold of the pencil hanging down by some string from one of the tacks used to hang me up. I don't know what it was he wanted to write but before he had the chance, his colleagues were all on him at once. If there was a pencil, then there must be some paper, and pencil and paper together meant a secret message. In a matter of seconds I was torn in two and the soldiers were pouring over the words that were to lead them off on a wild goose chase. They took just a few minutes to gather together their few belongings and before long they were marching off into the distance. I wished them the success of their chase; at least so much success that they wouldn't think of coming back.