Snippets of Conversation

Surreal exchange before breakfast.

"Couldn’t get a wink of sleep for elephants.”

“Elephants? Trumpeting, you mean?"

“No, just huge elephants, selfish beasts, taking up every bit of room there was.”

“Indeed? What were you? The zookeeper?”

“ No, not really, I was meant to hold one of them.”

“A bit big for that, surely.”

“Absolutely. Nearly cracked my ribs. Broke my arm, anyway.”


Reaches over to open the fridge door. 

“Hm, sausages,” tongue slightly out, clamped between the teeth, voice coming through the nose, like Esther Rantzen’s dog.



Later, in the surgery, I’m waiting for a prescription to be filled. Meryl comes in, sees Kitty already there.

“Hello Kitty, brrr, isn’t it cold. How are you?”

“Not too bad, really.”

“Good, that’s the ticket.”

“Well, I’m not really all that good. Wouldn’t be here otherwise, would I?”  Kitty sniggers hopefully. 

Meryl gives in.

“Sorry to hear that."

“I’m in such a muck-sweat every night, it wakes me up. Like I just come out of the shower. No idea why. Doctor doesn’t know either.

“That’s bad, that is, Our mother had that too, towards the end.”

Kitty is speechless.







PS, added later:  The elephant in the kitchen is an early morning conversation in our house. Weird dreams no longer need an introduction when being recounted.