Rumania, Rumania

Hugely entertaining.

Holiday Heaven & Hell

 Animated Angela.

'How was your play performance? At the rehearsal?' Asked the lady sitting opposite me at dinner at the Writers' Holiday.

I was impressed that my reputation as an amateur actress had reached this charming stranger.

I smiled, 'How did you know I was in a play?'

'You told me. You sat next to me, at lunch time. Remember?'

'Oh, yes.' I attempted to recover. 'You look different from this angle.'

I had not looked at her face when she sat on my left at lunch time. I had been engrossed in chasing the dead fish around the plate without knocking the bread roll onto the floor, alongside the two white paper table napkins. They had floated down from my lap unassisted, like hang gliders.

The elderly gentleman, aged in his nineties sitting on my right, had a better memory than mine. He said to me, 'How is your huband? He came here with you about ten years ago.'

I gasped, 'You have a phenomenal memory. I saw him last week - and I've forgotten him already.'

The lady opposite me laughed. I focused on her face. Her name tag hanging from the conference lanyard was below the level of the table.

I asked her, 'How do you spell your name?'

'It's Sue,' she answered. 'Spelled the usual way. Ess you ee.'

'Ah yes. SUE, as in I shall sue you?'

'Yes. You are right. Although I never sue anybody.'

'No of course not. No time for that. What do you do in the day, when you are not busy, eating, fish?'

'I like to swim. In the river Derwent.'

'I swim in swimming pools.. Clear water. I Suppose the river is cheaper. Is the water clean?'

'Yes, you can see fish.'

'I can see fish now, on my plate.'

'It is very relaxing.'

'Is it deep? Do you swim under water?'

'No I never swim under water.'

'Very wise. You never know what you might see.

'I can't see you very well, because you are silhouetted against the window. You have bright white light, all around your head.

'It's my halo,' she said.

'It suits you, ' I said. 'I would like a halo. Where can I buy one.'

'Anywhere. They are not expensive.'

'Primark.'

'Probably.'

Writers' Dream comic poem number 450... by Angela Lansbury

 I dream I'll write a famous work

Best selling novel or sweet song

If I stick to the facts and truth

Add quotes and rhymes, it can't take long