Things looked bleak for Bill, but adjusting to circumstances took him beyond what he ever expected…
The Short story:
As he left the office block he slipped on a banana peel. He went down a whopper. Oh it was so sore. He could hardly get up off the bottom of the steps. Walking was difficult and his hands were grazed.
Walking stiffly he walked into the parking lot, looking for his car. There it was. Coming up to it, he pulled out his car keys and tried to fit it into the lock. After several attempts he realized the key was bent. It must have happened when he fall just now.
What was he going to do? He needed to get home and change for dinner.
Just then his cellphone rang. Fishing into his pockets again, he pulled his phone out and answered it. Only to hear his girlfriend say, “Sorry Bill, I will not be going out to dinner with you tonight. In fact I won’t be seeing you anymore. Our relationship is at an end!”
He knew he should have been upset. But he wasn’t! In fact he was glad. Thank goodness she had ended it and not him! So all he said kindly was, “That’s okay. I understand,” and return his phone to his pocket.
Bill turned round, looking for a bus-stop. And across the carport he could see the bus-stop sign. Moving off towards it, through the parked cars, he saw a bus coming along the road adjoining the car park. Running was hurtful, but he was able to catch the bus just in time before it pulled off again.
Sitting down on the long seat of the double-decker bus, he fell asleep. He was so tired, he had spent the whole day looking for a job. It seemed so hopeless. The last appointment had been unsuccessful.
The bus conductor saw he had fallen asleep. Seeing the bus was filling up rapidly, he decided to allow the guy to sleep a little longer before asking for his bus season ticket.
When the bus conductor did get back to him, at the end of the line, he woke Bill up and asked for his ticket.
Half awake, Bill didn’t comprehend straight away. The fact was he had no season ticket. This naturally was upsetting. The bus conductor and bus driver threatened him with a fine. The outcome was that they took him to a police station, which surprisingly was there across the street.
Marching him into the police station, they found the only constable there, was on the phone. The burly grey haired constable put the phone down and the bus conductor told him the problem.
The policeman listened to the bus conductor and his face changed from concern to a slow smile as he looked at Bill. “Okay. I understand. Just leave him with me.” Dismissing the bus guys, “ I will take it from here, so you can get back on your bus schedule.”
Taking Bill behind the counter, he led him into an office. “I was just on the phone. They were asking me for a guy looking just like you.” He didn’t say who the “they” were.
Wow, thought Bill. What was he in for? What had he done wrong? “You can see I’m short staffed here at the moment. I don’t have anyone to send them. I’m the only one here. And considering the amount you owe for a ticket isn’t all that serious… I’m sure you somehow overlooked the fact you didn’t have money on you when you caught the bus.”
“Yes. It was like that. I couldn’t get into my car because I had fallen and found my car key was bent. So just caught the first bus I saw. Come to think of it, I didn’t even see where the bus was actually going. Where am I?”
“In Sandale,” replied the policeman.
“Oh!”
“Yes. But I need help… Could you go to see this man?” handing Bill a note, the policeman had just written. “Don’t worry about the bus fine. Just hand this note over to the person behind the counter there.”
Taking the note, Bill looked at the address on it, “How do I get there?”
“Oh I forgot you don’t know the area. It’s just around the corner, that way” said the police gesturing and pointing.
Looking back, Bill walked towards the door, “Thanks mate. The police are really great guys!”
Going around the corner and down a side avenue, Bill found himself in a smart dress shop! This must be a mistake. Did he take a wrong turning? This place didn’t look like police offices!
“Can I help you?” The lady asked.
“I don’t know. Can you make sense of this note?” Bill said, handing the policeman’s note over.
Looking at the note, the lady looked up at Bill, “Come this way…”
She took Bill to the back of the shop and up some stairs. At the top, there were many doors off a long passage. She opened a door halfway down the passage and gestured for Bill to enter. As he entered she turned around and left him. He didn’t see her go because he was aware of a man sitting behind a desk in the room beyond.
“Aaah, so Jim thinks you will fit the bill, does he?” the man beckoned Bill to come forward and sit on the only chair placed facing the man’s desk.
Bill was so taken aback, he silently took the seat.
“So what is your name and where do you live?” the man asked.
“Bill Ware. Manner house on-the-ford,” answered Bill.
Ooh! That’s great. You have good connections… You must be wondering what this is all about. But before we get around to that… Why were you on that bus?”
Obviously the policeman, Jim, must have filled the guy in while Bill was going around the corner, thought Bill. So he didn’t say anything about his bent key. But rather told the guy that he had spent the day looking for a job.
“So what type of work were you hoping to get, since you come from a good family background?” quizzed the chap behind the desk.
Bill starting to relax and stated his qualifications, “The reason why I was looking for a job, is that my father died and left a lot of debt. I was hoping to get a job until finances were okay again.”
“Oh, I didn’t know things weren’t honky-dory with your father’s estate.”
Bill was thinking of his girlfriend at this point and the reason why she didn’t want to go out with anymore. She obviously was hoping to be Lady Ware, and now that he wasn’t rich any more, she broke it off.
“Well, you are just the guy for us. We need someone with you looks to replace someone we have on mission,” declared the guy.
“What are you talking about and who are you?” asked Bill frowning.
“My name isn’t important to you at this time. What is important; is that you credentials are above reproach. Your job will be with M5. And your mission will be…”
Bill was really surprised and somewhat taken aback, “I was looking for a job, but not that one!”
“So are you interested to know what it’s all about?”
“Well… What must I do?” The chap filled Bill in. And that is where we end the story.
The moral of the story is, never give up:
You never know where life takes us. As things happen, we have to pick ourselves up and do whatever it takes to adjust and make the best of our situation.
"What has this got to do with writing blogs?" you may ask.
Often we run out of ideas and need something to write about. Never think there isn’t something to write about.
There is so much happening out there. Not only what you have already experienced, but on the news and internet. It’s not just what has just happened, but perhaps what somebody said or quoted that sparked off an idea.
All it needed was a little imagination to spin the story, like I did!