Attention Span and Other Stories

squishing my sister Madeline, 'was the absolute las

e untangles her elbow from mine so sh

to add sufficient melodrama to my sigh.

fron Sweeting churc

slung deckchair, where she's

as it yo

meant tenpin, you know, the cool k

nd was i

ple dressed in white a

ill did that.' She wafts the air to discourage

ough they complain so much about the

ok you to

ose to his grandfather. Go

the one to discover our own Granddad Dunbar, dead in his c

king a list.' I pull out my sketchbook, the one I keep near me to capture bits of nature which take my

ee Maddie glance at Olivia

fans. Item two, no g

helpfully. Then, at the look I gi

Remember that interesting guy I met online, but it turned out he ran a

fers Maddie. 'I c

eth, greasy hair

ven notice ears. If I'm aware of them, the

your list on a d

with a clipboard on

think that

by which I was convinced I would be married and pushing a pr

o sit up in the hammock but wriggling hopelessly. '

be artist, she's a techie genius. She's the one who resets all the electronic clocks in our flat twice a year, and helps Dad with his iPhone and the defrost set

from Alabama, whom she met in a Javascript class. He was gorgeous and from a wealthy family, b

tion. She used to use that word on Maddie and me when we were younger, a disappro

s of distant love. My farthest boyfriend li

ds, ' Olivia clarifi

ed her way into a fantastic job: long-term house-sitting for wealthy people. Sometimes, when they're away, they let her have guests, which is why Maddie and

rian, works in London and has a tiny studio flat for Sunday to Thursday nights. Then he joins her for the weekend, wherever she's house-sitting. He's not h

have you had?'

fore they start reeling off details. 'A chauvinist, a fa

but I write the first thr

m the hammock, plucks a tall piece of grass, and starts to chew on it.

ch

ged the stuff in our dishwa

he clean

s was suboptimal.' She shru

, it was my fault he forgot to send his mum a birthday card. 'It was like he transformed from my boyfriend into my b

ddie spits out her grass

onic gadget, like a bread maker or a slow cook

Olivia adds, 'they should be

e confirms. 'It's

three of us have been on the receiving end o

s, including the botany student who obsessed over his specimens. 'Do you remember Ken?' I ask my sisters. 'Once autumn came, he

s, which is refreshing as she us

?' I ask. 'What bad

ward corners of a toast rack. For a moment

met in a bookshop. I got there early, to browse

ually in t

nce Fiction,

s, I add t

' she says, with a melancholy

did

me, when I last flew out of Stansted, whet

d I shrink back

, ' she adds, on

ith tattoos?' I quite li

ability to plan ahead. Who wants a ninety-year-old husband with tattoos?' Thi

r-old husband at all?'

relationship ended. If he says she died, ask how. And if any

My penci

b, talking to a guy who claimed two of his p

ding. What

e. Jumped on the first bus that was

~

later, we're

y, 'this is

gain.' Olivia cranes her neck to pee

be it. Think of all

starting to embellish it wi

copy shop and get it laminated. O

.' She hefts up and out of her deckchair. 'Back in a jiff

breeze. They seem fine to me. On cue, a wood pigeon

ser, coming through the vegetable patch, or

ch trees, too, ' she says, her w

ke a matron in a hospital comedy. No wonder peopl

rnoon sun. I still have one eye on my magnificent lis

ng accent which sends a zing throu

tanned olive skin. He's wearing battered jeans, sturdy boots and a worn l

y list. Item fou

s Maddie, fro

e's smiling

smile on me. 'You ladies are under a very beautiful tree.

d Alyssa.' To us, she adds, 'He's come to cut the trees, ' apparently forgetting she told us that alread

ddie, then me. The light catches the edge of his ears as he shrugs his jacket off

ars; item twenty-t

hone and begins snappi

Maddie asks, shootin

, to you.' This is barely out of his mou

rin, he adds,

item sixtee

face in dark, glossy waves as he assesses the tree. He would indeed make a mesmerising Don J

ook, tapping my fingers ab

s, I think, really sink it. Or whether any

trees?' Maddie speaks

s are my first lo

two: fanatic

nds meet, too. I drive ta

roll her eyes

fine. Taxis never offici

hen Javier looks at me, I give

s, with a shrug which shows off strong

sketchbook behind my back as

ave time for...

hich holds up one end of the hammock. Behind h

notice. I think I detect a wink as he looks dow

s beneath me. 'Well, good.' I ignore it, holding

~

ords to be incorporated in a short story. I accepted her challenge of Madeline