Every Woman in the World

Today was the summer festival. All of the ladies of Brit-Wales were getting ready. Aisha was buried deep into her work. Her friends on the other hand?

“Why are we out ‘Ere?” Clyde asked with red tissue paper in her hand. Aisha glared at her.

“We are doing this for the festival,” she said.

“But why?” Clyde asked.

“We volunteered,” the leader said.

“No, you volunteered us,” Lewis said. “You always do that to us.”

“Because if I didn’t, you would all be laying around doing nothing all day,” Aisha said.

“That sounds like a dream,” Muriel said. She sighed and looked at the paper flowers in her hands. Aisha put her hands on her hips.

“Come on now,” she said. “We are doing this for the community.” Clyde, Lewis, and Muriel rolled their eyes and groaned.

“What?” Aisha asked.

“That bollocks again?” Lewis asked. “We don’t care!” Aisha stared at her with big eyes.

“Watch your language!” she said.

“No,” the farmer said.

“Don’t you care about your community?” Aisha asked.

“No,” Lewis said again. The leader’s face turned bright red.

“Excuse me, where are those flowers?” one of the organizers asked. Aisha turned with a forced smile on her face.

“Coming!” she shouted. The leader back to her friends.

“Get back to work,” she hissed. Her friends groaned and got to work. Aisha took her spot and started making another flower.

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“Come on! We’re going to be late!” Annie shouted outside of the Sunny Plum.

“I’m coming! I’m coming!” Tucker shouted. His wife groaned and rolled her eyes. Every year, this happens. Every bloody year. It was tempting to just get in the truck and drive off without him. But he had the rest of the food. So tempting…

Annie looked up when she heard the door open. Tucker stood in the doorway, panting and covered in sweat. His wife frowned.

“Where did you go for the casserole, Italy?” she asked. Her husband frowned.

“It’s not my fault,” he complained. Annie sighed.

“Whatever; just get in the truck,” she said. Tucker stacked the casserole dish on the other dishes in the back. He climbed into the driver’s side. Annie buckled up as her husband started up the truck. She didn’t stop frowning.

“What is it now?” Tucker asked. Annie pushed her brown hair out of her eyes.

“You do this every year,” she complained.

“It’s not my fault that food takes a while to cook,” he said.

“That’s why we cook everything the night before.”

He gave her an odd look. “What kind of sense does that make?”

“It makes perfect sense!”

“No, it doesn’t!”

“Yes, it does!”

“How?”

“You will get things done faster and actually be ready on time.”

“But I want it to be fresh by the time it gets to the festival.”

“I can still be fresh if you make it the night before.”

“You’re joking, right?”

“No. Just reheat it and it will be fine.”

“But then it won’t be so fresh.”

“Now you’re the one not making any sense.”

Tucker frowned as they drove down the street. They have this fight every time there is a festival. Neither one ever wants to give it and it’s so pointless at the end of the day. So why do they do this? Tucker wasn’t even sure if Annie even knew the answer anymore.

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Muriel happened to look up from the yellow paper flower that she was working when she saw Gloria wandering around, looking lost as ever. She narrowed her eyes and craned her neck. She nudged Lewis in the side.

“Oi,” Muriel whispered.

“What?” Lewis asked.

“Isn’t that who I think it is?” the other old biddy asked. She pointed over to the open exit on the other side of the room. Lewis turned and looked. She too had an odd look on her face.

“Gloria?” she asked.

“What?” Clyde asked as she looked up. She had a huge grin on her face.

“Gloria!” she shouted. She threw down her flowers and ran over to the confused woman. Aisha didn’t look up until it was too late.

“Clyde!” she screamed. Gloria turned to see the dirty old biddy racing towards her with her arm up in the air, waving at her.

“Oi!” Clyde shouted as picked up speed.

“Clyde?” Gloria asked. The dirty old biddy jumped on her and hugged her wildly, laughing.

“Oh,” the other old woman said. “How are you doing?” Clyde was too busy laughing to hear her. Aisha slapped herself in the forehead.

“Oh no!” she wailed. Could this day get any worse? Just then, Clyde looked up to see Nick and his wife, Kay, walking in. She broke into a huge grin. The dirty old biddy let go over Gloria and ran over to the couple. It was all Aisha could do not to scream out in misery.

End