Lost and Found - a short story.

I pressed a cigarette on my friend Dai as he passed his eye over the map. He quickly picked up the trail.

We overlooked the valley the river and the forest. The trail was not so hot and the walk was no bed of roses.

My friend kept a cool head.

He lives on hope and is thin on top.

I decided to nip on ahead.

Leaving the forest and following the river I drank in the view and dredged up the old memories. I revisited the photo on the old sideboard. My father dressed to kill and my mother pretty as a picture.

I recalled how they drifted through life before they finally drank themselves to death. A jealous man he'd dogged her every step.

One night they dropped me at the station.

One man's poison is another man's poisson, was the last thing he said. He was right. I felt it in my bones.

Uncle Claude was hanging about on the platform. He fished a watch out of his pocket. I'll fix you! he growled when he saw me.

We hadn't gone far when he flooded me with questions. The night flashed by.

I felt a jar as the train stopped.

Uncle Claude was a strange one. A beer drinking Belgian he'd ferret about in every corner. Sometimes he feigned to be dead. Other times he'd flared up at the least thing and give me the rough edge of his tongue.

Aunty Dot was an old gas-bag and a heavy chain smoker. When she got herself up she would gather her hair into a bun.

She was impossible to please and always nagging me to get my skates on which gave me the hump when I wanted to loaf about.

It never rains but it pours was her favourite idiom.

And like the rain I ran away.

And then I suddenly realized it was raining cats and dogs.

I looked around and saw the Green Lion.

And that's where I dropped in and found Dai with his head in a glass.

Hello there, what's your poison? said a man polishing a glass with a broad grin.

And who do you think it was but my Uncle Claude, and he quickly pulled a half.

Aunty Dot went off with the milkman so I've sold the house and taken this pub. Tonight we'll smoke the calumet of peace, he said.

Never say die, I said.

I'd better have another one said Dai in the corner, laughing his head off.

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