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Sunday, 27 October 2024

Sunday Serial: 280 x 70, 40. Last Day of the Academic Year by Gill James, ice-cream soda

 Introduction

This collection is a collection of seventy stories, each 280 words. They were inspired by the first picture seen on my Twitter feed on a given day.

They're off to school for the last time this academic year and it’s warm enough for them to be in T-shirts and shorts. They giggle. There's going to be an "it's-a-knockout" challenge. Then they'll be shown their classrooms for next year. How nice. Then they'll sort out things to bring home from the tired display.

But my freedom's gone now.  I'll miss the sweet lull after the storm, being able to sit with a coffee and the newspapers, getting the housework done quickly and then spending hours at my desk until it's time for them to come home.

How am I going to keep them busy and happy all day every day? Shall we do nature walks? Collect things? Do little projects? Can I take them swimming? We'll go for a few days to Granny and Grandpa for sure. There will be the bluebell woods at the bottom of the garden and Granny will surely do some baking with them. We'll raid the local library.  On rainy days we can make things.  Maybe we'll go to the cinema a couple of times.

It'll cost a little, though won’t it? And then we'll also have to get ready for the new school year. They grow so much and I guess they’ll shoot up even more over the summer.

It's time to go. They mustn't be late, even on the last day of term. They skip along, greeting their friends as we meet them along the way. Even the teachers look cheerful. Well, they'll have a rest tomorrow and the sun is lovely today.

I catch their excitement. Six whole weeks now away from the desk and spending time with my children.              

About the author

Gill James is published by The Red Telephone, Butterfly and Chapeltown. She edits CafeLit and writes for the online community news magazine: Talking About My Generation. She teaches Creative Writing and has an MA in Writing for Children and PhD in Creative and Critical Writing. 

http://www.gilljameswriter.com 

https://www.amazon.co.uk/-/e/B001KMQRKE 

https://twitter.com/GillJames 

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