Tuesday 12 July 2011
16:57 | Posted by
Dale Darley |
The flat was empty when she got in. Dark except for the flashing of the answer machine. Poppy hesitated, it was only 10.30 and she really needed a drink, but she was determined to be strong, and anyway yesterday she had poured the last lot of wine down the sink and couldn’t remember where the remnants of the Jack Daniels was. Instead she chanted her Clarissa Red, guru to the stars mantra. ‘Every day in every way I’ getting stronger and stronger, every day in every way, I’m getting stronger, every day……’ she marched around the room, breathe deeply, breathe, breathe, count 1,2,3,4, 1, 2 3, 4 breathe. Oh bugger she thought and pressed the button.
Bruce’s voiced echoed across the dark lonely living room, it had been a month; the bastard had stood her up, taken their holiday and now what did he want!
At Bruce’s insistence, that the wedding should be a small intimate family affair, there was only four of her family to get ready. He had said that he had sworn all of her friends and family to secrecy about the party, and that she shouldn’t ask anyone, just accept what he said. She therefore didn’t think it odd that her friends hadn’t asked when the party was, she just thought it was part of Bruce’s grand plan.
On her big day, inside the hotel Poppy found that it was only her and her family and a note in a silver envelope. It read.
Poppy after your revelations, I just couldn’t marry someone who didn’t respect themselves and would bring disrepute to my family, so mother has cancelled the service; the lunch is still reserved for you and your family so that you can tell them what you have done. I will be on the holiday that we booked. Please do not try to contact me. The rent is paid up for another month, and then it’s up to you. Bruce.
‘Poppy, hi,’ His voice oozed out of the answering machine ‘I guess I am the last person you want to talk to but, um, err, mother said to call, and that, um, that, um we should talk’ he ended brightly. Boomp went the phone.
‘TALK, TALK’ screamed Poppy at the dismal darkness, the blinking answering machine taunting her, how she hated this flat. The cushions on the sofa were just asking for it, he had chosen them, she leapt over and punched them with all her might, then total and utter violence over took her, and she started to run around the room like a banshee, kicking and punching anything and everything, it all came to an abrupt end when she accidentally head butted the door and passed out.
The following morning, Poppy knew that this was it, she had come into work every day for the last month with a hangover and she had even taken to sipping Jack Daniels from the secret hip flask she kept in her handbag. She knew her work wasn’t up to scratch. It was time to face the music. Edwina, her boss would certainly demand to know why she had a massive shiner and an egg on her head.
The men in the office were certain that Edwina used to be a man, they were positive that her large hands with short stubby nails were men’s hands and the polo necked jumpers and scarves she wore were hiding her Adam’s apple. They never called her Edwina it was always Edward.
Every time Poppy moved her head it hurt, it was as if her brain had shrivelled and was lolling around inside her skull and each time it touched the egg, the tenderness made her cry out. The shame, how could she have lost her temper and done such a stupid thing, oh surely they would sack her now.
She crept into her desk hoping that everyone would be too polite to mention it. Not a chance.
‘Poppy, my office now’ said a harassed looking Edwina.
‘Oh god I knew it would come to this.’ Wailed Poppy. ‘I am a jilted old drunk.’ And with that burst into tears, unable to breathe through the gulping heaving sobs, Poppy started to hyper ventilate, staring wildly at Edwina who, unsure of protocol slapped her smartly around the cheek.
A forlorn Poppy, could feel Edwina’s confused eyes on her. Poppy equally confused threw her arms around Edwina’s neck smearing her mascara over her new pale pink cardigan.
Some time passed until eventually Poppy calmed down and feeling sheepish looked deep into Edwina’s clear eyes and unravelled herself. Something passed between them, they had reached an understanding, neither quite sure how they came to this but each knew that help was at hand, a friendship had been struck.
When Edwina heard the story she laughed so much that Poppy was sure she was going to wee herself. Despite the pain, Poppy heard herself laugh too. It felt good, she hadn’t laughed for over a month now. Her friends were sick of her, moan, moan, moan.
‘Look, I am sorry’ said Edwina bursting out into laughter again. ‘But look at the state on you, and all for a man, who’s handcuffed to his mummy and who would have made your life hell.’ Edwina was uncontrollable each time she looked at the shiner, it was black and purple and covered most of Poppy’s face and made her look somewhat like a bulldog, only a little prettier.
‘So’ said Poppy ‘can I keep my job?’
‘Of course you can my dear, but there is something I want you to do for me. Here are some Clarissa Red books I want you to work through, and they must be in this order.” Edwina paused and then in an overexcited voice continued “And I have such an opportunity for you. My friend Penelope has tickets for the next Clarissa Red seminar in Cardiff, it’s a sell out and she had the last 3 tickets in the Emperor section, which to the uninitiated is right in the front and my dear, you can come with us for the miserly sum of £150. What a bargain, they are normally £350. Get your cheque book then.’
Poppy too taken aback to argue, scuttled off to her desk and got out her cheque book, and got right back to work. That’s ok she thought, kept my job, got some books, and got a ticket for a show, on the road to recovery, yeah!
The day passed in a blur until at 5.30 the buzzer announcing that the day had ended sounded. Poppy decided that she would head home, have a bath, a nice salad and read the first of Edwina’s Clarissa’s books, Jilted, you can bounce back, she’d would then move onto ‘Save your soul’, ‘Heal your past’ ‘Setting goals and moving on’ and ‘Sort your life out in a weekend’. She had flicked through this last one at lunch, it was ok, but there really was too much to do in one weekend. She vowed that she would read the books once and then come back and do the exercises. She at least knew some of Clarissa’s work and was already breathing.
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