Rockin’ All Over the World

Again, there is nothing to do today. Aisha couldn’t stand the thought of it. Once again, she felt like she had to act. The old biddy clinched her teeth. She picked up the phone and began dialing.

“Hello?” she asked. “Is this the church?” The other line hung up before she could say a single word. Aisha stared at the phone. “Okay then…” she mumbled. A loud yawn drew her attention behind her. Clyde lay on the floor staring at her.

“Why don’ ya give up?” she asked. The leader sighed.

“We have gotten into such a sad state,” she explained. “This lying around isn’t doing us any good.”

“It’s fine for me,” Lewis replied at the kitchen table.

“Oh, wow!” Muriel gasped. Her friends all turned their focus on her.

“What is it?” Aisha asked.

“I just got this letter today,” Muriel answered. “It’s from Karen.” The other three’s eyes widened.

“Karen?” Lewis asked. “That Karen?”

“’Ho Karen again?” Clyde asked.

“Karen Boyle,” Muriel said. “Don’t you remember the girl with the buckey teeth in school?” Clyde blinked as if trying to remember.

“Did she hav’ on mole on her chin?” she asked.

“Yes,” Muriel and Lewis answered.

“Fat lips?”

“Yep.”

“Ah!”

“Wait,” Aisha cut in. “Do you mean who I think you’re talking about?”

“Who are you thinking of?” Muriel asked.

“Boyle,” the leader answered.

“Yes,” all three answered.

“Oh,” Aisha said.

“What’s Karen up to now?” Lewis asked.

“I don’t know,” Muriel answered, opening the letter. She started reading the contents. “She said that she’s doing fine. Her son just got married.”

“Son?” Clyde asked.

“That’s right,” Muriel said. She resumed reading the letter. “Oh…”

“What’s the matter?” Aisha asked.

“She’s coming back to Brit-Wales,” she answered.

“What?!” they yelped.

“Yes,” Muriel said, nodding. “She’s coming back home.”

“When?” Lewis asked. Her friend looked at the date of the letter and Karen’s date of arrival.

“According to this, today,” she replied. Nervous laughter filled the room.

“Does she want us to pick her up?” Clyde asked.

“How did you know?” Muriel asked. Her friends all sighed.

----------

To their surprise, the old biddies weren’t the only ones there to greet good ol’ Karen Boyle. William and his nieces stood at the train station waiting. Clover tilted her head at him.

“Who’s Karen Boyle?” she asked. William replied with a nervous chuckle.

“That bad?” Liz asked.

“You have no idea…” he muttered under his breath. Clover happened to look out over to her left.

“Oh, it’s Muriel and her mates!” she said.

“Huh?” William asked, looking up. He noticed the puzzled expressions mirroring his own.

“Did you get a letter too?” Lewis asked.

“Yes,” he replied.

“I’m starting to regret this,” Aisha said.

“I regret it already,” William replied.

“Oh, you’re here too?” a woman’s voice asked. Both groups looked up to see Annie and Tucker walking towards them. The wife appeared confused by the situation while her husband clearly didn’t want to be here.

“Did you get a letter too?” Lewis asked.

“Yes,” the couple answered. Muriel looked around.

“What is she up to now?” she asked.

“What time does she get here?” William asked. Aisha looked at her watch.

“Right about… now,” she said. A big black train pulled up into the station. Everyone braced themselves as the doors opened. William and Tucker did a head count through the people passing by them. Come on, where are you? Lewis narrowed her eyes when she spotted one more figure exiting the train.

“There!” she shouted. The group looked up to see a woman with long dark curly hair walking towards them. Her friends all counted down to headaches that would shatter the peaceful summer. The curly-haired woman dressed in black and gold stopped when she noticed all eyes on her. The groups struggled for something to say. Tucker finally took a step forward.

“Hello, Karen,” he mumbled, trying to sound normal. The woman, Karen, clapped her hands together, grinning.

“Hey, everyone!” she cheered with her Southern London-sounding accent.

Here Comes Trouble

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