Joey Says

'Hi sis. Successful trip?'

'Yes, thanks. Got some more wine for later. I'll just put this other stuff away.'

She disappeared into her bedroom with a slightly distracted air, returning almost immediately.

'Coffee?'

'Good idea. Then I want to move out this stuff of Kate's. I thought I could store it in the garage.'

'Okay, I'll give you a hand. Be good to clear that room, and then I can use it to take my photis. If you don't mind that is.'

'No, that's fine.'

We settled for coffee.

'So, it's really over between you and Kate.'

'Afraid so.'

'She had some interesting things to say about your choices. She meant of her and the serious women friends you'd had before her.'

'Oh yes.'

'They all seemed to look the same.'

'How's that?.'

'Well, brown hair, medium height, neat features.'

'Yes, I suppose that's true.'

'She thought that they all looked like me.'

'What a conceit!'

'But is it true?'

'Yes.'

'Oh. Well I am flattered.'

'What about the blokes in your life. Do they look like me?'

'No, not at all.'

'No similarity then?'

'Oh yes, lots. They all tend to have a personality like yours, and similar characteristics.'

'Such as?'

'Fairly intelligent, visually creative, argumentative, bossy.'

'Good heavens, is that me? I thought that was you!'

'Oh, it is. That's why it never works out. Too similar.'

'So, do you think if we spend some time together we might be able to get over this sibling obsession?'

'Something like that. If that's what we want.'

'Hmm.'

We returned to moving the boxes of Kate's stuff from the spare room. There was quite a lot of it, and it was a warm humid day. Beth was wearing a tee shirt and jeans, as was I. It was quite hard work and soon we were hot and sweaty. But we stuck at it, and eventually the room was clear. Beth then took charge of moving things around so that there was sufficient blank wall to provide a back-drop for photography. She thought that the natural north-light from the window would provide sufficient illumination. Eventually she was satisfied.