Duck and Dive by G B Ralph

Author:G B Ralph [Ralph, G B]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: G B Ralph
Published: 2020-05-22T23:00:00+00:00

***

I spent the afternoon lost in my book, and after an early dinner I was feeling up for my short walk down the road.

Tuesday was bingo night in the Activity Centre at Nana’s retirement home – the Sunset Villas. I had been going with Mum and Dad since I was a kid. Nana always bought a strip of tickets and she would let me dab one for her sometimes. If I wasn’t pressed up next to Nana, dabber in hand, then I’d be up the front helping Barry pull the numbers. Sometimes he’d even let me call them out.

One Tuesday Barry wasn’t feeling well. He didn’t want to dampen the mood in the hall with anything less than maximum enthusiasm – so he asked me to fill in.

I was terrified.

I was only in my mid-teens at the time – no one at school knew I came here every week, that would be social suicide. But here, surrounded by Nana and her friends, they didn’t care if I made a fool of myself. This makeshift bingo hall was one place I felt at home, like I could just relax and have a bit of fun.

The old biddies – as Richard referred to them – were charmed with my bingo calling. Barry asked me to fill in more often as the years went by and his health deteriorated. I soon became their regular bingo caller, stopping by the retirement home after work.

Nana passed away just under two years ago now, but I’m still there most Tuesday nights. Nana’s friends had become my friends and catching up with them each week helped me keep things in perspective.

I’d left myself plenty of time to get there and the staff were still setting up the tables when I arrived. They had an old-school ball cage with a turning handle – no modern, electronic random number generator for the residents of Sunset Villas. Tonight wasn’t about bringing in the big bucks, it was just a bit of fun.

‘All right there, lad.’ That was Gerry, a gruff old bastard to those who didn’t know him. But to those who did, he was the biggest softy in this place.

‘Hello sweetheart.’ Gladys was another of my regular early arrivers. She was always here to secure her favourite spot well before the other punters. ‘Is that a little twinkle I see in your eye? Have you finally gone and found yourself a nice, young lady then?’

How could she have known? I mean, she was off on one significant detail, but it’s not like I’d ever corrected anyone, so could hardly blame her. She was one of my sharpest customers.

‘I don’t know,’ I admitted. ‘I don’t think so… We’ll see.’ It was the truth.

‘They would be silly not to lock you in, young man.’

‘Thanks Gladys.’

Satisfied she’d dispensed her grandmotherly wisdom for the day, she settled into her spot, dabber at the ready.

Other residents were trickling in now, along with some of their friends who still lived at home but made the trip over for bingo night.

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