Fast Fiction: Accident
A chance meeting in the street can change lives, as Richard Mallinson's story reveals.
There's somebody over there trying to attract your attention,' I said to Mona.
'Who is it?' She didn't look.
'It's a chap in a wheelchair. He's coming across.'
Mona turned. 'It's Nigel,' she said.
'Who's Nigel?'
'Hullo, Nigel,' she said. 'Haven't seen you for- ' She bent and kissed him.
'Oh, it must be at least five years,' he said.
This is my friend, Hector,' she said. (Friend? Was that all I was?)
'Hullo, Hector,' he said. 'And I am - '
'Yes, you're Nigel. I assume you knew Mona at Oxford.' (How did I guess?)
That's right. We were reading Eng Lit together until I - '
'He had this terrible accident, you see,' Mona said.
'I'm getting over it, a bit at a time.'
'Have you started studying again?' I asked, trying to be friendly.
'He was brilliant,' said Mona.
'No, I really can't concentrate,' he said, "... on books.'
'Are you still, uh, involved with Peggy?' asked Mona.
'No, that ended years ago. Peggy said she didn't fancy being made love to by a cripple . . . Well, that's what she meant, anyway.'
He laughed - and so did Mona, now flushed and bright eyed.
'Peggy was very pretty, wasn't she?' she said.
'Oh, not half as pretty as you' - smiling at her.
Mona turned to me. 'You go on,' she said. Til catch you up.'
(She didn't, of course.)
**
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