THE REVIEW

REUNION


After a two month break from Meetings while I recovered from surgery, it was absolutely wonderful to host another Meeting of The Rams on Wednesday. Ellie, Wendy, Jason, and Margaret F. all joined me that night. Jim was busy with family obligations. Gemma had a family emergency. And Julie’s husband was on vacation and they were going to go away for a few days. Bob Jacoby had phoned me earlier to say he thought I was very brave to start having Meetings again. He thought it was very soon after my surgery. However, I am progressing in recovery though still somewhat less mobile than I was prior to the knife. But pain is minimal during the day and I definitely need something to alleviate the boredom.

I read first. Finally felt like writing again and did another chapter in “Nigel Wingate Is Dead”. This chapter is from Edna’s point of view (Dee Dee’s mother). She is alone in her cabin at night stewing about her daughter who is at work, when Nigel arrives. He tells her there is an on-going investigation into little Susie’s death and that he needs to talk to Dee. Edna is terrified of a criminal investigation and doesn’t want to know what really happened and tell’s Nigel that. He says he needs to talk to Dee and tell her what his lawyer says could happen, and what his lawyer advised them to do.

Margaret F. told us she had done extensive research into the unsolved murder of two children whose remains were found in Stanley Park. In “Babes In The Woods” Margaret read to us the beginning of a true crime story she is writing on the topic. The story starts telling us about the bodies being found by a parks worker in 1953, and then continues by questioning why the murders were never solved. It’s a very well written beginning to a piece of investigative journalism. And Margaret thanked me for calling a Meeting because it gave her a deadline to write for and broke through the block she’d been experiencing in writing this beginning chapter. Deadlines are good. They keep us on track.

Jason read to us Ch. 18, Revelation, from his novel. We see Jody tied face-down to a cot in a tent when Leigia approaches and torments her. She wants to know where Jody came from as she suspects she is an angoros and not a human. But the angoros were supposed to have vanished from the earth. To test her theory, Leigia keeps repeating a chant that is supposed to assault the angoros’ hearing and cause their ears to bleed. Jody hides her reaction though is tortured by the chants. After Leigie leaves, confused by Jody’s lack of response to her torture, Jody notices the blood on her pillow and turns it over to hide it. This chapter has a lot of suspense in it and furthers the storyline for us.

Wendy read us two poems. The first was for children, called “Dudley The Mouse”. A young mouse wants to be accepted and writes to Santa asking to be made cuddly and loveable. But he is visited by an angel instead and told to like himself as he is.
The second poem was “Menu Memories”, and was a look at Wendy’s reaction to food as a child and the many things she didn’t like, especially mashed potatoes and canned peas and organ meats. Boy, could I relate to that poem!

Ellie read a piece of prose poetry about the Kwamais, which she is entering in the writing contest about that part of South Surrey. It is a very sensual article describing that area, which Ellie knows well. She has kayaked around that point and flown over it many times. Good luck in the contest, Ellie.

The next Meeting will be Wednesday, August 15th at 7:00 p.m. here at my place. Hope to see you then. The hot temperatures outside right now are a good excuse to stay in the shade and write!

Lisa