Writer's Notebook

Stevie woke with a start. It took him several minutes to figure what he was doing lying on a bed next to a nearly empty bottle of brandy, a half naked girl smiling at him from the foot of the same bed. He looked at her and decided his one remaining wish was to go back home. He had been told umpteen times that coming up to university would make a huge difference in his life. Difference! He'd wanted that. He'd looked the word up in the dictionary. Its arresting letters beckoned to him from the page, their rhythmic beat drawing him in. He knew, he had to go.

"Wicked!" was the only commentary his brother offered. It was enough. He packed his bags and left Lower Water Backwood for London.

It had all begun well enough. His brother was there to meet him as promised and the first thing they did was to share a drink at the local pub. Stevie was, however, surprised to find himself having to pay for both the drinks and the taxi back to his brother's digs, as he insisted on calling them, despite the fact that the word had gone out of fashion years ago. Stevie soon wished he'd decided to take up the offer of a studend flat withing easy reach of the campus. He couldn't care less about the dirt. It was the noise which would surely drive him crazy. Not that there was anything rhytmic about the dog's barking. It was more like perpetual. But Stevie put a brave face on things, thought about cleaning up the bathroom but decided to leave that until sometime after his shower. But still not feeling up to such an act of extreme human courage he descended to the street just in time to see a police officer handcuffing his brother before arresting him. The young girl who had been sitting at the table with Mick sidled up to him, took him by the arm and led him to a downstairs flat next to the bar.

"You must be Stevie. Mick told us all that you were coming. I guess, we're yours now."

Stevie looked puzzled.

"Yours, us girls, who worked for your brother. Your wicked dreams made real in one fell - she winked as she slowly pronounced - b l o w."

Stevie turned a shade of green before passing out.