Romancing Albert.
Last night the woman in the advertising billboard spoke to Albert
Torrence. He was sure it wasn’t one of the neighbours, someone
walking along the inner city street or just his imagination. Why is
that I hear you ask? Firstly his neighbour was a Polish woman in her
early eighties and the voice he had heard was a husky young ladies
voice. Secondly he had an unrestricted view of the concrete lined
street and it was clearly deserted. Finally imagination was a
capacity his mind was seemingly devoid of.
That evening Albert had arrived home to his apartment after another
dull day working as an accountant in a clothing factory at Mascot.
Albert closed the door on the world outside and prepared to spend
another night all alone. As he got older Albert increasingly moved
through the world outside almost as a shadow. On public transport,
at his work and the local shopping mall no-one seemed to notice him
except to be condescending and unpleasant to him.
His apartment consisted of one bedroom, that he had never shared
with a woman, a tiny kitchen, that he rarely cooked in (take away
and frozen meals were Albert’s specialty) and a tiny bathroom and
toilet. Suburban trains ran by the small apartment every few minutes
during peak hour. When two trains passed at the same time the walls
would shake with the vibration. In the dark lounge room of the dingy
unit Albert Torrence sat looking out of the largest window in the
flat. He’d got used to the noise of the trains many years ago and
sometimes if he tried very hard he didn’t notice them at all.
He was forty-five years of age, unmarried, of no interest to the
opposite sex, with no friends or family and too poor to escape his
drab existence even on a holiday. He’d looked after his sick father
until he died five years ago and his brother had disowned him.
Albert wondered what there was to look forward to in the rest of his
life? Albert saw nothing positive in his future just a dark downward
spiral of increasing loneliness, old age, more loneliness, illness
and death. He saw himself thirty years from now too frightened to
venture outside of his apartment. If he was to die in his apartment
then his body might go undetected for months. An old man in his
apartment block had suffered the same fate. People started asking
about the terrible smell, it was the Property Manager from the Real
Estate agent who found him.
Albert took a seat by the window and cried tears of frustration and
loneliness that he thought no one could hear.
Albert was wrong though; somebody was listening to his suffering.
“Hey big boy what you crying for?” It was a woman’s voice.
Albert stopped his sobbing and sat blot upright in shock.
“Hey you, look over here silly.”
Albert checked the apartment first, and then he looked along the
deserted street.
“Getting warm.” Said the sexy female voice.
He looked across to the railway line to the Immedale railway station
about 100 metres away. The voice was coming from that direction but
where? He scanned further down the track.
Getting warmer…..warmer, Oooh! You are burning hot now baby.”
Albert found himself looking beyond the dirty brickwork of the
graffiti covered railway cutting to a huge billboard. It was an add
for the Dairy Corporation. The poster was of a beautiful brunette
back to camera, topless and dressed only in a pair of white
underpants. Her face was half turned to the camera and she was
holding a glass of milk in one hand.
“Back on Milk.” The caption said.
Tonight the woman was facing him both hands on her chin. And Albert
saw the lovely woman wink at him.
“What?!” exclaimed Albert
“Hello cutie pie, yeah its me in the sign, you big dufus.”
Her lips moved and her eyelids fluttered.
“That’s impossible!”
“Wrong!” She said.
“Hello, who are you?”
“You can call me Jodie and hi to you Albert!”
“H-H- Hello Jodie, how do you know my name?”
“Oh sitting up here in this sign there is not much to do but to
watch the world go by, I get to hear and see a lot. You worry me
Albert I hear you crying all night sometimes. What’s the matter babe
ya lonely or something!”
“Oh it’s not too bad.” Albert replied not ready to confide his
problems to a talking billboard.
“Oh come on Albert, I hear your crying I know there’s something
wrong.”
“Well misery guts I’m here to help you, if only for my own sake, its
hard to get some sleep with all your whining going on.”
Albert was lost for words. The woman in the sign was topless and she
had the most amazing breasts he had ever seen. They were at least
three feet across which meant that she was about 50 feet tall.
“Oh I can see you are such a shy one. This might be more difficult
than I first thought. Lesson number one Alby- when you meet a girl
look into her eyes and not at her chest.”
“Sorry.”
That’s all right, Alby Pably”
“So I guess you would like to have some friends, preferably a girl
friend, am I right?”
“Yes, but I’m too old and no ladies are interested in me anyway.”
“Well no wonder Alby, look at you, where do you buy your clothes?
K-Mart or down at the local opportunity shop? Why grey, black and
brown seem to be your favourite colours. And your defeatist attitude
- you walk around like you have a “warning disaster area” sign
pinned to your back. Plenty of girls may feel sorry for you but
that’s hardly a sound basis for a relationship.”
Albert looked down at his shoes feeling crestfallen.
“Now Alby don’t you be getting all teary eyed on me again. You know
I see a lot of good raw material lurking under that three-day
growth. I sense that you are a truly kind and sensitive type of guy
and that’s a rare commodity in the male species of today. All you
need is a bit of work on your attitude, appearance and confidence
and I reckon you could be a regular stud muffin.”
“I know this is all probably all too much so to help you get started
I want you to come over here tomorrow and I’ll give you some
tuition.”
You game, sexy man?” asked Jodie.
“See you tomorrow, Alby, sweet dreams.” With that the sign moved no
more.
Albert Torrence was unable to sleep for the rest of the night. He
was very sleepy all the next day at work and left early for the
first time in many months. He sat in his flat and looked out at the
sign and wondered if it would speak to him again. He fell asleep by
the window with the window wide open. In the early morning hours he
was woken up by a voice.
“Pssst. Sleepy head, wakey wakey.”
Jodie the woman in the billboard was speaking to him again.
“Come over here Alby and lets have a bit of a chat.”
Albert Torrence walked out of his flat and across the street towards
the sign. And so his life was to alter dramatically and an adventure
of massive proportions was about to commence.
Romancing Albert-Part 2
“Letting the days go by-let the water hold me”
“Letting the days go by-water flowing under”
“Into the blue again-after the money’s gone”
“Once in a lifetime-water flowing under
Once in a lifetime- Same as it ever was.”
Once in a Lifetime-Talking Heads
Albert couldn’t believe what he was doing. Walking along the road in
the early morning hours was a scary and at the same time very
liberating experience. The cold air made him shiver. To reach the
sign Albert had to cross over the pedestrian overpass and walk along
Duncan Avenue. When he arrived near the talking sign there was a
barbed wire fence blocking his path.
“What the hell am I here for, I must be going mad.” Easily
discouraged Albert turned around to go back home.
“Not so fast, spunk rat, I haven’t finished with you yet.” Said
Jodie.
“Under that privet bush is a hole in the barb wire fence. The
graffiti artists use it all the time. Now go on Alby stick your
shiny little accountants ass through there and I’ll see you on the
other side.”
Albert got down on all fours and crawled under the bush and through
the hole in the fence. In the process he snagged his trousers on the
broken metal. He walked along a narrow embankment to where he could
look up at Jodie. She was even larger up this close.
“Well I’m so glad you could make it, Alby, now come on up here.”
“What?!.” It was nearly ten feet up to the sign
Amazingly a huge feminine arm reached out of the magical billboard
and grabbed Albert around his middle picking him up off the ground.
Albert recoiled in shock but struggling was useless against Jodie’s
firm grip. His ears popped as he disappeared into the sign. It was
as if there was a narrow film between Jodie’s world and his and his
own had been broken by his passing.
Jodie placed Albert down onto the ground inside a which she
occupied. It was a large room without doors of any description.
There was only one window in the room. When Albert looked through
the window he saw the railway line and past the railway lines to the
busy road and beyond that that to his run down apartment block.
“Do I really live there?” He thought to himself. To look at the
apartment block from this angle was to give Albert a new perspective
on his meaningless existence. It was as if he was standing back from
reality and taking a look at his life from the outside. And the view
was not a pleasant one.
Jodie put a large warm hand on his shoulder.
“How long have you lived in that butter box, Albert?” she asked.
“Five years.” Albert answered.
“Since your father died?”
“Yes.”
Albert’s father had died a slow death from lung cancer.
“And since that time you have closed yourself off from the outside
world, haven’t you Alby. Why is that? Is it because you no longer
want to get close to anyone in case you lose them like your father
did? Just press the buzzer to answer. ”
There was a truth in what she was saying, and it was something so
painful he couldn’t admit it to himself. Albert was soon on the
verge of tears.
“Hello, Hello is anybody in there, can anyone hear me, is any body
home? Asked Jodie.
“Hey you not crying again, Alby?
“You are a regular water works, now don’t waste those tears, we are
in the middle of a drought you know. Oh come here sooky wooky.”
Jodie picked Albert off the ground and hugged him tight. It was
decades since Albert had been held like that and he had forgotten
how good it felt to be touched by another human being. Particularly
someone as well built as Jodie.
“Oh! Alby is that 2B pencil in your pocket or are you just a h----
little devil.”
“Enough of that, I’m so glad your feeling better, so now it is back
to business. Now, Alby I want you to have another look at your
apartment block.”
“Do you see the light on the lower ground floor?”
“Yes”
Who lives there do you think, Albert and why is it that the light is
on a this time of night?”
I don’t know Jodie. I don’t have much to do with the other
residents.”
“Yes you keep to yourself don’t you. Well I’ll tell you who lives
their Alby it is in fact a charming young womanl. Blonde hair and
kind blue eyes. Any ideas yet?.”
“No.”
“Well you walk past her on a regular basis and she has even said
hello to you. But in your own inimitable style you grumble a cursory
greeting and look at your shoes. Why don’t you talk to her? Have you
ever thought that Mary might just like you and t hat you are not
only lonely person in this world screaming out for a bit of
companionship.”
Albert nodded his head in disbelief. Yes he did know Mary when she
said hello to Albert it made his day. Someone like Mary interested
in him? Now way Hose, she was too pretty for Albert. And lonely he
doubted it with her vivacious personality.
“Yes she is lonely and frightened Albert, cos I hear her crying too.
You’d be amazed at the suffering I hear every night in this city.
Mary was hurt both physically and mentally by her last partner and
now she is looking for someone kind that she can trust. You just may
be the one Albert, want to give it a try?”
“Oh, I don’t know, I’m not good enough for someone like that.” His
fear of rejection was just too great to overcome.
“Procrastination won’t get you anywhere Albert. We only get one
chance in this crazy little thing called Life. Chances like this may
only come along once in a lifetime are you going to miss the boat?”
“Well maybe.” Said Albert.
“Too late for maybes Albert. Last night I made sure that Mary will
receive a love poem from a not so secret admirer. And who do you
think that might be? That’s right a 50 point bonus for the man with
the torn trousers. You Alby. Now time is running out and so I must
give you a few tips on the right clothes to wear and the right
things to say to impress a girl. You might have to spend some money
and well you can’t take it with you when you are gone. ”
“I so much enjoy playing matchmaker.”
Jodie eventually let Alby out of her little room and put in hi back
on the ground. Albert wandered back to his apartment as the dirty
city streetscape began to take on the drab grey of the pre-dawn
hours. Even then he was unable to sleep he had so much on his mind.
Romancing Albert-Part3
“She was made in heaven”
Heavens in the world”
Cos she was made in heaven
Heavens in my world
Is this expresso love?
Cos I’m crazy for this girl”
Crazy for the girl.”
Expresso Love-Dire Straits
The next day was a Saturday and Albert slept and slept and slept.
The phone ringing woke him up.
“The Phone!?”
Most people ringing Albert had dialed the wrong number. It was one
of the least used electrical appliances in his flat, in fact he used
the vacuum cleaner more and even that was an infrequent event. In
his sleep induced state Albert stumbled out of bed and made his way
to the living room. He tripped and fell on the cord of his electric
heater. Cursing under his breath he dragged his numb body to its
feet and hurried the remaining distance to the phone.
It stopped ringing just as he went to pick it up.
“Oh! Damn.”
He hoped whoever had called would try again and prayed that it would
be Mary. He looked at the clock and noticed that it was one o’clock
in the afternoon. He decided to fix some lunch although he didn’t
feel all that hungry. The thought that Mary might be trying to ring
him made Albert nervous.
The phone rang half an hour later. It was someone trying to sell him
real insurance.
“Not interested.” he shouted and slammed the phone back into its
socket.
Feeling suddenly depressed he sat down and ate his lunch by the
window looking at Jodie in the billboard. He thought that it must
all have all been wishful thinking. Either that or Jodie’s
matchmaking efforts were to no avail.
At about two o’clock Albert walked up to the corner shop to get the
weekend paper. On his return back to his flat he checked the
letterbox. Amongst the assorted junk mail was a plain envelope with
his name written on it. His heart thudding loudly in his chest
Albert took the letter back to the privacy of his flat. He opened
the letter and began to read:
“Hi Albert,
Thank you for your lovely letter and poem, I must say that I was
touched by it. Although I hardly know you, from what I have seen I
like you. I have been going through a difficult time lately and I am
a little bit shy at first before I warm to people. I hope you
understand. Please call me so we can talk a little more. I would
love to have a friend to talk to.
Mary”
Albert put the letter down and tried to read between the lines. Well
it wasn’t an ‘as if’ which is the worst form of rejection, or even a
firm but polite no which is all Albert would have expected in the
circumstances. It appeared to be a probably-maybe-yes, which was the
most success with the opposite sex Albert had had in nearly 15
years.
His negative inner voice told him she was just too kind too say no
to him and a friend was all she was really looking for. His positive
inner voice argued that having a friend to talk to wouldn’t be a bad
thing anyway.
What was the best way to contact her? Should he call her straight
away or would that look too desperate? Or maybe he should pay a
visit to her unit. She might not be at home. No a phone call was the
most appropriate. Mary had put her phone number on the bottom of the
letter. Albert plucked up all his available courage and rang Mary.
As the phone rang Albert was terrified that he would be unable to
string a few intelligible sentences together.
He shouldn’t have worried Mary was easy to talk to. After they had
arranged to go to the movies the following evening they continued to
talk about this and that for at least thirty minutes. It was the
kind of conversation that flowed easily and left Albert feeling glad
that he hadn’t stuffed up and made Mary go cold on him all of a
sudden. Albert put the phone down and felt happier than he had for
ages.
“I’ve got nothing to wear.” Just a pair of torn brown trousers he
thought to himself. He decided to visit Jodie that evening to see if
she could recommend any clothes to wear or how to behave himself. He
was so out of touch with romance. And he wanted to find out just
what Jodie had written in the letter and poem in case Mary asked him
about it.
That evening Albert sat in the armchair as he had done for the
previous two evenings and waited. He was again woken up by Jodie’s
voice.
“Hey lover boy, want too talk?”
“Yes please.” Albert shouted. A homeless man heard Albert speak and
looked up at him as if he was crazy. Crazy in love thought Albert.
Albert walked out into the cold night air and was at the hole in the
fence in about five minutes. He crawled under the fence and as
before Jodie dragged him up in the sign.
The old dero saw this and blinked in disbelief. He took another swig
on the whisky bottle and was on his way. The old man knew very well
that the universe was like a piece of Swiss cheese, there were holes
in the fabric of reality and if you took the wrong direction you
could become lost. The ticket inspector from hell had sent the hobo
on the wrong path many years ago. He hoped the man disappearing into
the sign was on the right path- the path away from the darkness
between the stars.
Once inside Jodie’s white room with white curtains, Albert told her
the news. He first asked her what he should wear and how he should
behave?
“Good for you Alby.” She planted an extremely big sloppy kiss on his
cheek.
"Just be yourself, sweetie, and don’t let the butterflies get the
better of you. Some women find shyness a very nice quality in a man.
Swaggering, macho, chauvinists are a turn off, believe you me I
should now, honey.”
She recommended that Albert dress smart but casual. She even
recommended a clothes shop that would give him a discount. Just tell
them that Jodie sent you, she said.
“What did you say in the poem, Jodie. I need to know in case Mary
asks about it?”
“You wrote the poem Alby not me.”
“What?” asked Albert a little bit confused
Jodie handed Albert a piece of paper.
Albert began to read.
“When I get near you
I go out of my mind
All of my common sense
Is left behind
And you’re like a flame
too hot to touch
but I want to burn in it
so much
And you smile means the
World to me
But I know your love
was never meant for me”
As corny as it was Albert had to admit that he had written it. How
many years ago? Probably 15 or maybe 20 he couldn’t be sure. It had
been his last big shot at romance. The girl name Kate had gone out
with him once and then moved interstate.
“How did you get this?” asked a bewildered Albert.
“Oh I have ways and means, my little friend, and after all it is
just SO romantic.”
“It makes me want to puke.” Albert rebuked.
“Well it ain’t Keats, Alby, but it was from the heart. ”
Well Romeo I think you need a little sleep before your date. Night,
Night now. Tell me all about it tomorrow night. I just love gossip”
His question remained unanswered. Just who or what was Jodie, a
guardian angel or a kind of heavenly introduction agency employee?
With that Albert was placed down on the ground. He walked along
Duncan Avenue whistling a happy tune to himself.
However fate was coming in the opposite direction to Albert that
night in the shape of a group of graffiti artists.
What are you so happy for.” Albert heard a deep voice say.
He stopped his humming and looked up to see a large boy dressed in
the uniform of one of the local graffiti gangs. The gang was
believed responsible for may of the break and enters and assaults in
the neighbourhood. The well muscled youth with short cropped hair
moved closer to Albert as did his six other accomplices.
Albert felt a blind panic sweep through him but he tired to keep
control. Thugs like these were like wild animals-they responded to
fear in others. He crossed to the other side of the road to avoid
them. No good- they followed him. On of the hoods pulled a knife out
his pocket.
‘Just on my way home, don’t want any trouble.’ Mumbled Albert. He
was very frightened now.
He went to make a run for it, but before he got anywhere the biggest
youth grabbed him. Another of the bullies landed a punch in Albert’s
stomach, which winded him. Albert turned around in anger and punched
the boy in the face. Albert only had a moment’s joy as he watched
the brat fall to the ground his noise broken. The big youth was even
angrier now and he punched Albert in the face and kicked him the
shins until he fell to the ground in pain.
“Take my wallet, just don’t hurt me.” Albert pleaded as he kneeled
on the ground. He saw a glint of a knife out of the corner of his
eye. He knew then he was in serious danger.
Then Albert heard the ground shake as if huge footsteps were
approaching. The six thugs stopped their attack and whirled around
to look in the direction of the noise. One of the adolescents
screamed in horror and then they all started to run. Out of the
corner of his eye saw a large shadow approaching at great speed.
“Leave him alone, you brutes.” Albert heard a very loud and angry
female voice.
It was Jodie. She had come completely out of the sign. He watched in
fascination as a scantily clad fifty-foot woman ran after six
terrified hoodlums.
“When I catch you I’ll teach you a thing or two.” She screamed.
Albert lay in the gutter waiting to catch his breath after being
winded.
“Thanks Jodie.” He tried to say as she disappeared around the corner
gaining on the hapless thugs with every stride.
Romancing Albert- Part 3.75.
“One love
One blood
One life you got to do what you should.
One life with each other
Sisters.....Brothers.
One life
but we’re not the same
we get to carry each other
carry each other.”
One-U2-Achtung Baby
Albert limped back to his flat. A huge bruise was already spreading
around his eye. All in all he was thankful to be alive. It looked
like he would be going on his date with Mary after all (even with a
black eye and limping around like a lame duck.) If Jodie hadn’t
turned up when she did Albert would be in intensive care or worse
still on a slab at the local morgue. Although he wasn’t sure how he
would explain what had happened to Mary, particularly the bit about
being saved by Jodie.
‘You see the woman in the Dairy Corporation sign jumped out of the
sign and chased the thugs away. And by the way she talks to me on a
regular basis’
He saw himself explaining all the details to Mary and her responding
by trying to be polite but with “warning major fruit cake at 2
o’clock” buzzers going off in her mind. No! Any conversation along
those lines was out of the question it would be sure-fire way to end
a friendship before it started.
He thought about going straight to the Police to report being
assaulted. However he hadn’t slept well in a number of days. It
would keep until tomorrow he told himself. So he sat in his flat
with an ice pack on his eye and waited for Jodie’s return to her
sign.
About twenty minutes later Albert saw Jodie walking along Duncan
Avenue. She stepped over the barb wired fence with one easy stride
and climbed back into the sign.
“Thanks again Jodie, you saved my life.” Albert called out.
‘That’s OK Alby, the pleasures all mine.’
‘What happened to the thugs?’
‘Let me just say that the leader of the group has very red and rosy
cheeks at the moment, or in other words he will be sitting down very
gingerly in the Police interview room when he turns himself in as he
promised me he would.’ Said Jodie with a mischievous gleam in her
eye.
‘Do you come out of the sign often, Jodie?’
‘Well I try to avoid it as much as possible, Alby because your world
stinks something awful. Pooooh! All the smog and the pollution kind
of gets to a girls sinuses you know.’
Albert wanted to ask Jodie what she was and why she was being so
kind to him but he was too tired. Maybe tomorrow he thought.
** ** ** **
The next day turned out to be the longest and ultimately the most
enjoyable of his forty-five years. He had gone to the Police Station
and made a statement about being assaulted. He was shown a number of
Photographs and was easily able to be out the leader of the Graffiti
gang. A doctor examined and they took photos of his bruised to be
used in evidence against the thughs. He then went into town got
himself a haircut and bought a whole new wardrobe.
When he knocked on Mary’s front door that evening to take her out on
the date he looked and felt like a new man. He gave her a posy of
flowers and then they were on their way. Mary looked very lovely in
her evening dress. They talked and talked and talked on the train.
At first he felt nervous but fifteen minutes into the date all his
fears flew out the window and were left behind in the darkness were
they belonged.
They went to see ‘Titanic’ and Albert enjoyed it although he thought
that it was pretty corny at times. The special effects as the boat
sank made him grimace. It was the third time Mary had seen the film
and she cried almost all the way through. Albert had a big lump in
his throat at times too.
Afterwards they ate at a Malaysian restaurant. Mary told him that
she worked as a part time tour guide at the Art gallery and was not
a bad artist herself. They both liked Centennial Park and agreed to
go for a bike ride and picnic next weekend. He saw Mary back to the
foyer of her flat and Mary gave him a quick kiss on the cheek. They
both said what a great time they had had and it was the truth.
The next day was a workday and Albert was a different person
altogether. He said hello to many of his fellow work colleagues that
he hadn’t talked to for months. Some of them looked at him kind of
strangely as if he was out of his mind but nothing could be further
from the truth. The colours of the day seemed somehow brighter.
** ** ** **
That night he sat in his armchair so happy and excited he was unable
to go to sleep. He wanted to thank Jodie for all her help.
‘Well if it isn’t Romeo himself’ said Jodie waking Albert again in
the early morning hours.
‘ Come over here and tell me all about it, you lovely little man.’
He told Jodie all about his date and how much fun it was. She was
very happy for him. She wanted to know every little detail.
** ** ** **
Two weeks later after Albert was to talk to Jodie for the very last
time. Albert and Mary had been on several dates and whilst they
weren't yet in love they were getting very close to it.
‘Jodie, I want to ask you something?'
'Yes Alby what is it?.'
'Are you an Angel?’
‘An Angel? Is that what you humans call us? Perhaps mentor is
another name you are familiar with. You’ve been a lot of fun Alby, I
will really miss you when I am gone.’
‘Gone!?’ Albert was shocked. He had grown to rely on Jodie's support
over the last few tumultuous days.
‘Yes Alby I have to move on, there are so many people in this city
who need help, mentors like us are unable to save everyone but we do
try.’
Tears welled in Albert’s eyes and he gave Jodie the biggest hug
imaginable. She was his second best friend besides Mary and an Angel
as well.
‘Its all up to you now snookum dookums. You are back on the right
path and I have a very good feeling about you and Mary. The sky’s
the limit little guy. Just remember Ably nothing lasts forever,
babe, but it can be a lot of fun while it does.’
It was the next to last time Albert talked to Jodie. Apparently
complaints had been made to the advertising standards board that the
‘Back on Milk’ sign was sexist and was to be torn down. He was sad
but he realised that there were other people in the city who needed
Jodie’s help more.
Albert wrote off to the company responsible for designing the sign
and received a large poster of Jodie. They probably thought he was
some sort a dirty old man, but he didn’t care. Jodie signed it for
him with a kiss with her red lipstick, which covered the whole
poster.
He had to admit it, Albert was feeling very positive about his
future for the first time in ages. No longer did he see a dark
downward spiral into loneliness. He only regretted not doing
something about his predicament sooner.
Two weeks later the sign was removed and a new one advertising a
Four-wheel vehicle was put in is place.
The night after Albert’s first date with Mary the Ticket Inspector
from Hell packed his bags and caught the midnight express back to
purgatory. He’d been so sure that Albert’s soul belonged to him and
that his spiral into the darkness of self-pity and loneliness was
irreversible. That was until that Miss Goodie Two Shoes had turned
up and shown him the path away from the darkness.
‘You win some you lose some.’ He thought to himself.
** ** ** **
Three week’s later Albert and Mary went on a date to the State
Theatre and enjoyed the play very much. He’d never been to theatre
before or eaten at so many different restaurants; he could
definitely get used to it. On the way home on a bus, Mary snuggled
up into Albert’s arms to keep warm, her head on his shoulder, the
aroma of her perfume and hair delighting his senses. Albert could
not remember feeling happier in his entire life. He felt this was a
close to heaven as a man could get.
He looked out across the city skyline to a sign on the side of a
building in Taylor’s Square. The sign was for Cupid’s Perfume and
the model bore a remarkable likeness to his guardian angel. It was
the sparkle in her eyes that convinced him later that it was Jodie.
While he watched the model blinked, smiled and gave Albert the big
thumbs up. Albert returned the smile.
‘Isn’t life a miracle?’ he thought to himself.
THE END FOR THOSE READING THIS STORY BUT ONLY THE BEGINNING FOR MARY
AND ALBERT.
Main Course