Round 23.

23.

Vincent is a runner; he is preparing to run the Paris marathon in April, so he’s not eating his bread at lunch -time. He has left it to one side and he is not going to drink a coffee either; coffee stimulates the muscles, so recovery time is compromised.

His girlfriend is not a runner, but she likes coffee. However, they don’t live together; she has a flat in the city, and he has a flat, one hour away in the country.

Vincent is eating his lunch in the kitchen: there is soup and a vegetable and guinea fowl tagine with a fruit salad for dessert.

Marjorie is not eating, but she is in the hallway next to the kitchen. If Vincent turned his head he would see her, but he doesn’t.

He doesn’t know Marjorie.

Marjorie is in the hallway because she has just come from the hospital and she needs to tell her colleagues that she won’t be in the office for a few months.

Her colleagues are sad.

Marjorie is frightened.

She has a tattoo on her ankle.

This was not frightening.

The news she received at the hospital is frightening.

The Doctor, Alex, who gave her the news doesn’t like this part of his job.

He would prefer to be a football player at times like this.

When he was younger he had aspirations to play professionally and he was invited to train with the top team in the city.

He showed promise.

Until he broke his leg.

The leg mended but his opportunity to score goals was greatly diminished.

So he became a doctor.

He plays football with his son every weekend; they built a replica pitch in the back garden.

His son is five.

His birthday is next week and he is hoping to get a mobile phone for his present.

Alex doesn’t think that this is a good idea.

Alex’s wife, Wendy, doesn’t think so either; they will probably buy him a bike.

Wendy uses a bike herself to go to work, it isn’t far and she feels free. Her route to work takes her over the bridge and each morning she stops and looks at the river. The river is wide at this point, not far from completing its journey to the sea; sometimes she can see the mountains in the south where this river began.

She would like to live there.

Alex would like to live by the sea.

Opposite Wendy’s office there is a new café; it sells bagels. These bagels are unlike anything you could buy in America, which is probably more home to a bagel than this city. Still, Wendy is going there for lunch.

She will choose the bagel of the month; she can’t remember the ingredients but she likes the effort the bagel house has made.

Her husband will join her for lunch.

Vincent would never go to this café; he is a runner.

He is preparing to run the Paris marathon in April, so he doesn’t eat bread at lunch-times.

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