Worthing Flash

by Liz Tait I feel the heat of panic before I see her. Running like she’d spent her life avoiding it in sandals made for sauntering, not sprinting. “ Two boys – my grandchildren - blonde – have you seen them? Five and three”? Oh God. Sheer terror, up close, her hand grips my arm. “ No, not that I….”. “ Told them not to move! I’m checking the toilets!” She was off, clutching her chest, before her sandals were ready, losing one briefly through a crack in the boardwalk. Her life changing ominously by the second. “ I’ll look out for them!” My planned tea and cake in the café now feeling somewhat frivolous. I see her clutch other strangers, dragging them into the unfolding dark of her day. Strewn like fallen skittles in her wake. I shade my eyes to look out over the beach, heavily dotted with stripey towels, strewn paddleboards and laughing children. I am aware of a feeling. It is relief. Because this was me, this thing was exactly me, yesterday. We were her...

by Liz Tait She's seen me. She's smiling. It costs nothing. “ Hi Jo, long time no see! Have you just had your hair done in there, naughty girl?!” Her Pashmina’s whipping me in the wind. I had no idea they were still a thing. I’m babbling, she’s circling. “ Er, yes, just, I just..... spur of the moment, you know how it is". Any minute now she's going to lift my chin up like a Crufts judge. "You’ve had the colour done as well, haven't you? Bloody lucky to get an appointment there on the ‘spur of the moment’. For all that!" I could leg it but she's all over my exit routes. “ You know I’d have given you a call first, obviously, because you…, I mean, you’ve always been my, you always do my hair, don’t you, but you don’t work Wednesdays, so….?” My pants are well and truly on fire. Her indignation warms the back of my neck. “ I do! I’ve always worked Wednesdays. Hey, it doesn’t matter, does it? You can get your hair done where...