Old Fools
An excerpt from the fifth and last story in the collection, You Never Know and other stories
Listen to an audio recording:
In Old Fools, Greta, now a lonely widow, and George, a divorced ex-musician, are too old for romance. But when the vivacious Cora housesits for George’s neighbours, somebody is bound to make a fool of themselves.
Excerpt:
“Will ya look at that!”
“Look at what?” If there was one thing Greta couldn’t stand it was old people gawking out the window at the neighbours, even if it was their only form of recreation.
“What do you think? It’s George,” Marjorie said, jerking her head like a pecking hen. “Out there struttin’ around proud as a peacock with his new lady friend!”
“Lady friend?” As if Greta needed to know.
“You know, what’s-her-name.”
“You mean Stella’s housesitter?”
“Ya, her!” Marjorie coughed indignantly. “You should just see ’em!”
“You don’t have to point, Marjorie. I’m not blind.” Greta got up more to steer Marjorie back to the sofa than to glance half-heartedly over her shoulder. “And how do you know she’s his lady friend?”
“Well, they were walking arm in arm, you can’t tell me you didn’t see.”
“Maybe one of them has a sore foot.” Greta sat back down, but so her back was turned to the window.
“That’s something only you’d say, Greta.” Marjorie ripped a tissue out of the decorative box on the end table and rubbed her glasses. “And anyway, she must be half his age.”
“She can’t be half his age or she wouldn’t be living here.” The age requirement for residency at Sunrise Estates being fifty-five.
“Well, if you ask me she’s young enough to be his daughter.”
People’s ages were none of Greta’s business. Or who they went for walks with.
“I bet she don’t know how bake a pie like you do!”
“I wouldn’t know.” Then it came to her. Cora, that was the name of Stella and Dick’s housesitter. A nice name, considering.
“You only have to look at her to see what she’s good for!”
“Marjorie, really!” There was a sip or two left in Greta’s tea cup, but somehow she’d lost her taste.
“All I can say’s—” Marjorie inspected her glasses against the light. “There’s no fool like an old fool. And don’t go defending him, Greta. You know what the man’s like!”
Greta got up to leave. Though nothing, not a cat or a bird or a goldfish, was waiting for her at home.
“You know, what the problem is, Greta?” Marjorie followed Greta from her frilly living room into her frilly kitchen. “You’re too good.”
Too good. Greta didn’t know why people were always saying that when she wasn’t good at all as her dreams reminded her. Just that morning, she’d dreamed she was back on Whitby Island. She was looking out their bedroom window, and there was Bob, curled up outside because, he said when she asked what he was doing out there all night, she’d left him out. No, put him out, those were his words. Like you would an animal. The stuff she dreamed!
Back at home, Greta took her heart pill, and lay down on what she still referred to as her side of the bed though she’d had it all to herself for almost five years now. Her heart was still jumping around, and she could only hope she wasn’t going to end up in Emergency all on account of George.
Read excerpts from You Never Know, Lost and Found, Fat Chance, Forbidden and Eden.
Reader reviews
Great Story Telling! ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
This book was very hard to put down once I started reading and the stories were well written and interesting. — Wayne Sundstrom, Saskatoon, SK, Canada
Highly recommended! ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
This collection is an excellent read full of human stories that everyone can relate to. — EGE, Victoria, BC, Canada
Loved it! ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
I love following this author’s work. This time when I started reading, I couldn’t put the book down until the end! Great writing and emotionally gripping storylines! — Bernadette Schneider, Shaunavon, SK, Canada
You Never Know and other stories can be ordered from Amazon (paperback or e-book).
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My First Book of Short Fiction
I’ve writing on Substack for two years now, and here is it: my first collection of short fiction—You Never Know and other stories!
Gossip, eh? Another good piece of writing, Diane.
What I love about your writing is that you don't do what a lot of authors do and try to force words where words should never go. Your people always speak in the same way that we do, you keep them human and relatable. I love this story, which from me is one massive compliment as it's rare I touch this genre of fiction but I do like relatable characters so I can enjoy your writing.