by Louise Frank

Created on: August 05, 2010

Jim thought he had the best of both worlds; open countryside to the left of his house and a straight road into town on his right.

This morning he was driving into town to meet some friends. This afternoon he planned a long walk in the woods with his dog Mylo.

Five minutes into the journey and he encountered roadworks. He sat in the queue of traffic for ages before it dawned on him that the traffic lights were stuck on red. He manoeuvred his car around the cones, drove 10 yards and came nose-to-nose with a truck. In an effort to get past, Jim drove too close to a wall, scraping the paintwork down one side of his car and snapping off his wing mirror. And he was still stuck. It took a good half hour before police sorted out the problem.

Jim's friends, all at work today, had been unable to wait. He decided to get a cab home so he could explain about the broken traffic lights and avoid the problem.

The taxi driver was new to the town. He had a satellite navigation system he didn't know how to work and they ended up hopelessly lost in a tangle of new housing estates. When he arrived home it was mid afternoon and he was considerably poorer, having taken pity on the driver who had cried as he told him how important this job was to a man with a wife and four children. He'd have to make up the money himself and he just couldn't afford it.

Poor Mylo had been unable to contain himself and had peed all over the house. It was getting dark by the time they set off for the woods and Jim tripped over a tree root, twisting his ankle. He managed to limp home. He related all this to his younger sister on the phone. She had little sympathy. "Move into town," she said.

He then phoned his elder sister. "Come and live in the country," she said. "It's so peaceful here."

He surveyed his injured foot, winced at the thought  of his finances, what with the taxi and garage bills, and caught the faint smell of dog urine in the air.

Oh well, he thought, as he settled into his chair, I suppose that's what comes of living on the edge.

Learn more about this author, Louise Frank.
Click here to send this author comments or questions.