Marianne G

To Be or Not To Be

This is a little Christmas Present for my readers. It is a tale from Sunny Australia - Beautiful one day; fantastic the next.
Merry Christmas and a very good New Year. I hope to meet you all again in 2022.

Chapter 1 To be …..or not

To be truthful you would have thought that I had it all. Good parents, good school, good siblings, good genes – well – not so good genes I have to say. I inherited more from my mothers’ side than my fathers’. He was a strapping six footer and she was merely five foot four in heels’

Colombian Gold Part Final part

Chapter 5

It came as no surprise to anyone when Edmondo eventually died. He had not enjoyed his last few months, being trapped in a body he could not control. I could see his anger in his eyes and tried to talk to him about good things to keep him happier.

Colombian Gold Part 4 of 5

Chapter 4

Of course, you don’t invent a new and legal business as easily as pulling a rabbit out of a top hat. No, there has to be a lot of thought and not a few meetings. We first talked through what we did do as a family and, once you took away the prostitution, money laundering, stand-over tactics, and smuggling there wasn’t a lot that we could turn out hand to and still keep our self-respect.

Colombian Gold Part 3 of 5

Chapter 3

They finally chose one of the male orderlies to take me out for a meal to get me through the initial fright of being out as a woman. I think that I must have done well as I was looked at with a few admiring eyes and the waiter pulled out my chair and fussed around me as if I was royalty.

Colombian Gold Part 2 of 5

Chapter 2

He checked my chart and signed it before he left, leaving me to ponder my fate. Well, someone had been through my knapsack! As I continued to think, I realised that I was unlikely to be in a prison hospital because this countries’ police would have just finished me off with a brick to the head before announcing that I had been dead on arrival; and then splitting my haul and my savings between them. This made it more curious but left the question of why was I here?

Colombian Gold Part 1 of 5


Chapter 1

I always remember my twenty-first birthday. It was a good day and I was happier than I had been for much of my life. I was born as Aiden Ademir Gomez in Barranquilla, Colombia, in the new year of the twenty-first century, or the last year of the twentieth, depending on your point of view and arithmetic.

The Golden Blade Part 13 The Final Chapter

Chapter 13 –It’s the Blade, Boss, the Blade!!

Melehan stepped to one side, leaving me in line of sight of his snipers and muttered “Shoot the bitch” into his cufflink. Several seconds passed and nothing happened so he tried again.

The Golden Blade Part 12 of 13

Chapter 12 –The Game becomes Reality?

When Gareth and Geraint joined us we sat down and Sir Lionel asked me to relate my five and a bit years since I fled the house. I spoke about Griff and I getting away and his audacious plan for us to live as man and wife until we ended in Aberystwyth and Merilyn being born. I told them that he had made a wonderful husband and it was a blow when he didn’t come home. I said that I did not want them to know where I now lived until we had put Melehan to bed.

The Golden Blade Part 11 of 13

Chapter 11 – Towards the End Game

Jack said “He just got unlucky; no-one can predict a lightning strike.” I let it hang for a moment and then said “Do you really think that he was just ‘unlucky’ to lose his two houses and get his offices in Whitehall trashed by a power surge. If you believe that then you would believe anything.”

The Golden Blade Part 10 of 13

Chapter 10 – Making a Stand

So, over the next couple of weeks we researched our friend Melehan. We found out where his town house and his country house were located. We discovered that he had a wife and family and further research showed that it was a productive, if not a happy, marriage.

The Golden Blade Part 9 of 13

Chapter 9 – Making Sense of the Chaos

“Now for the clean-up” I said. Lance was about to burst so I put a finger to his lips and whispered “We cannot let them report to Melehan. They all have to disappear.” Merilyn said “They have been shocked but one has suggested ringing the boss.”

The Golden Blade Part 8 of 13

Chapter 8 – But exposing only the Dark

They supplied a high chair for Merilyn and we sat with cool drinks until I saw Gwen speak to the maitre’d. He pointed us out and she came over and sat down. “It’s good to see you, Morgan” she said “And this must be little Merilyn?” Merilyn looked into her eyes and she relaxed and said “So cute!”

The Golden Blade Part 7 of 13

Chapter 7 – Seeing the Light

I then said “What just happened to me and how did you do that?” Merilyn chuckled and the light disappeared. “Oh Mummy, these people today have no idea of what they have let loose” she said “If we had been able harness lightning in the early time we could have ruled the world."

The Golden Blade Part 6 of 13

Chapter 6 – Mrs Jeffrey

When we got to the room the porter put our bags on the shelf and Griff gave him a tip as he left, saying “Enjoy your stay.” I looked at Griff and said “Griff, just so you know. I have been using the biggest dilator in the pack for some weeks now. If you want to make love to me tonight I wouldn’t mind finding out what all the romantic novels were on about.”

The Golden Blade Part 5 of 13

Chapter 5 – Morgan Emerges

Over the next week that became our routine, walks around the house and lessons in basic womanhood. One day we spent several hours on the glory of childbirth; and then some time on getting through periods. “Every woman is different” said Gwen “we will know what you are like with your first. Some women have it easy and some have some pain. All of us have mood swings and most of us become bitches for a few days.”

The Golden Blade Part 4 of 13

Chapter 4 – Is it Arthur or Martha?

“But first” he said “we should have a meal. I am sure that it has been a long day for you so far.” We served ourselves from the tureens and sat down to eat. It was a pleasant enough meal if you discounted the fact that I was sitting there in a dressing gown and wig.

A Good Bishop, taken off the Board

I read an obituary today in my local paper. It was for Bishop John Shelby Spong who died this month at the ripe old age of 90. I had heard him talk on the radio in the mid-eighties and he came across as a radical Anglican with modern views. He openly admitted that he considered himself an atheist and then went on to explain that he believed in God, it was Organised Religion he had a problem with. Well, they had a problem with him at times. He was ordained in 1955 and served in North Carolina and Virginia before becoming Bishop of Newark, New Jersey where he stayed for 24 years.

Author: 

The Golden Blade Part 3 of 13

Chapter 3 - An Arthurian Legend!

“And who decided that?” I demanded. She looked sad when she said “Just about everyone. All of those in the know want to see what the baby turns out like because you are an original case, being both mother and father. The other thing is that you cannot continue as Arthur looking the same as you do now. One way or another, your life would be taken from you, either by an excess of love or an excess of hate. That reporter really did a number on you.”

The Golden Blade Part 2 of 13

Chapter 2 - Things get weirder.

When I got over the initial shock and read the article I just had to lie back and laugh. The reporter had obviously taken the information he had been given as a joke as the article was filled with comments from various people who ‘knew’ me; as well as totally fictitious comments from me.

The Golden Blade Part 1 of 13

Chapter 1 – I could not believe it!

There are times in your life when you can visualise the scene in vivid clarity, especially when something momentous had happened. I had spoken to older guys who could remember exactly where they were and what they were doing the moment they heard that Elvis had died, or J.F.K, 9-11 and other huge events.

The Malteser Fulcrum -A short Noir in 6 reels. Reel 6

Reel Six

She walked leisurely towards the dining room, this time taking a lot of interest in the positioning of the wandering heavies. When she entered the dining room Gonzales left the bar and came over to greet her, taking her hand and kissing it.

The Malteser Fulcrum -A short Noir in 6 reels. Reel 5

Reel Flve

“So” Sydney mused “I have been asked to recover something from myself and I am expendable but there will be someone out there watching for the pick up to kill me. A very strange state of affairs, I must say.” He sent a message back saying that no jobs were being taken at the moment.

The Malteser Fulcrum -A short Noir in 6 reels. Reel 4

Reel Four

There was not much else he could do now until things filtered through the system and that didn’t bother him. He had a look at his website and saw that there was a message for him. When he opened it he had to laugh as it said that he was a thieving bastardo who had stolen the cash he had been employed to recover.

The Malteser Fulcrum -A short Noir in 6 reels. Reel 3

Reel Three

The next morning Sydney checked out the news feed on his computer. The story about the gunfight in the railway station was prominent. The word was that a couple of armed transit guards had seen a couple of guys trying to rob a lad who had just opened a locker. When approached they had drawn guns and so a short fusillade had erupted, the two men now dead and both guards only wounded thanks to their bullet-proof vests. The CCTV showed the lad leaving an envelope and taking a bag before disappearing into the crowd.

The Malteser Fulcrum -A short Noir in 6 reels. Reel 2

Reel Two

Being almost Sunday morning he did not have to go to the shop. In fact, the way business was these days he only went there a few days in the month to collect any cash takings for banking anyway. This gave him more time for any ‘recovery’ work that came up and most of the shop trade was now done on-line.

The Malteser Fulcrum -A short Noir in 6 reels. Reel 1

Reel One

Samantha was not happy. Something felt wrong. It was one of those times that something in your head said “STOP!!!” Samantha had felt it a couple of times before, and both times it had saved her life.

Calmer Waters Part 6 of 6

Chapter 6 Then to Reach Shore.

One thing in my favour during this period was the remnants of my hyperactivity. It now showed up as me being a workaholic. This became evident to the Sea Queen organisers and, in January, I was asked if I would like to sit on the committee for the next event.

Calmer Waters Part 5 of 6

Chapter 5 Go with the Flow….

I was now no longer someone who rushed about needlessly, no; I now carefully listened and put things together for myself. I realised that, as Melina would be off at university during the week, I would be the one called on for ‘Royal Activities’ in the near future, being the older one who could look after the young Queen.

Calmer Waters Part 4 of 6

Chapter 4 Or Make a Few Waves….

My weekend started after the room cleaning finished on Friday. I was to present myself at the hotel salon for the full treatment and, after that I would be taken to the hotel womens’ dress shop to be given my costumes for the Fiesta. Before I went to the salon I took a safety razor with me into the communal showers and gave myself a Brazilian. There was no way I would allow anyone to see how I was built down there.

Calmer Waters Part 3 of 6

Chapter 3 Make a Few Changes….

The next morning we all went to the beach, the others to swim and me just to walk. I had enough of water to last me a lifetime. I told them I would meet for lunch and we pinpointed a meeting place on the promenade and I went off to explore.

Calmer Waters Part 2 of 6

Chapter 2 To Stand on Dry Land….

I did return to the world but it felt like I was halfway through a boxing match and losing badly. Someone was pounding my chest and another was kissing me, how weird was that! The next thing was that I was rolled onto my side just as I heaved up everything in my stomach as well as a lot of water out of my lungs.

Calmer Waters Part 1 of 6

Chapter 1 Once around the Lighthouse….

My problem, when I was young, was that I was hyperactive. Not just fidgety, but needed to be always doing something. I ran around a lot, yelled and screamed a lot and generally ran my parents ragged. I did manage to get through school and University but everyone considered that feat to be nothing short of a miracle.

Jeff and Jane - a short solo

Jeff and Jane

Jeff stood on the windswept headland and thought of home. In just a few days he would be on his way there. Behind him he could hear the noise of the penguin colony, now well into the egg-laying season. There was a tug on his line and he pulled in a good size fish which he thought would be very nice for the evening meal. He was sure that Jane would do it justice.

Life Cycle of a Unicorn Final Part

I would like to thank all those who have bought Positively Patsy on kindle. ALL proceeds go to BCTS so your donations to the cause are much appreciated. It broke into the Top 50 today, which is a real buzz. How long it stays there is up to all you readers. Marianne Gregory

Chapter 7

Life Cycle of a Unicorn Part 6 of 7

Chapter 6

As the term progressed so did all the groups’ confidence. Everyone was helping each other and the teachers were really enjoying being part of a session that they had trained for. The four boys were becoming able to talk to, and with, the girls in the study group and they all grew up more as time went on.

Life Cycle of a Unicorn Part 5 of 7

Chapter 5

The parents all nodded and Sharon said that she didn’t mind looking after an extra one, there was room and it did give her an extra interest, being able to use her teaching skills. She told the other parents that she had given up teaching when she married so was only helping out as a teachers’ aide for the moment.

Life Cycle of a Unicorn Part 4 of 7

Chapter 4

Wednesday morning both his brother and father ignored him so he and his mother made the running until they both left the house. At school the three boys walked in with a new purpose again. The classes went as expected and at the lunch break Timothy got to where the seating was and saw Geoff sitting alone again and looking very sad.

Life Cycle of a Unicorn Part 3 of 7

Chapter 3

Timothy and his mother dressed warmly and went to the park where other boys were playing soccer. Timothy was content just to look on for a while and then they walked. His mother commented on how she missed walking in the park and wondered if they could do this again another time.

Life Cycle of a Unicorn Part 2 of 7

Chapter 2

He had some time before dinner and decided that he could finish his homework to give him the weekend off. He usually left it to Sunday morning. When he went down for dinner neither his father nor his brother were at the table and he asked his mother where they were. His mother looked very unhappy and tried to palm him off but he pressed on.

Life Cycle of a Unicorn Part 1 of 7

Chapter 1

Timothy Mark Ibbotson had a problem. At the tender age of ten he had lost the will to live. There just did not seem to be a point to it anymore and his only concept of a future was making it home every evening after school. It was an effort of will that took him away from home in the mornings and he was getting tired of it all.

Headspin Chapter 12 of 12

Chapter 12 And then You Will Rise…

To say the video was a hit was an understatement. The ‘Osaka Bananas’ were written on a lot of lists for when public shows would be opening again. Once we got out from the virus we all had secure futures for a while to come.

Headspin Chapter 11 of 12

Chapter 11 Even When You’re Weak…

The long term finally came to an end and we prepared for Christmas. The school social was a much quieter affair this time around and they had booked a normal band. Okemia and her parents had gone away for a few days and didn’t attend and Aiko and I ended up dancing with several boys from the fifth year that she had made friends with and I had a good time.

Headspin Chapter 10 of 12

Chapter 10 You Have to be Strong…

Just before the end of the term I had a text from Naozumi asking if I could come to Tokyo for a meeting or two, in regard to my choreographic work. One Monday I was back on the bullet train, with Aiko and my mother who were not missing out this time. With me now at fifteen and my sister sixteen, my mother intended to hit the shops with us and spend some of the money I had earned last year.

Headspin Chapter 9 of 12

Chapter 9 And Back’s to the Wall…

It is said that nothing happens in a vacuum. So the opposite should be that if you don’t have a vacuum everything happens. It was certainly the case with our second term. The sewing classes were hard at work producing outfits like ours that could be sold in the school shop to pay for the materials they used during the year.

Headspin Chapter 8 of 12

Chapter 8 Nose to the grindstone…

It was total mayhem for a while, the lights, flashes, screams and pushing was not only dangerous, but frightening to us children. Luckily the adults from the school had been able to take control and it was better when our own families could comfort us. . It took the combined might of the schoolteachers that had come along to maintain some sense of decorum and Machiko was put out in front to answer questions.

Headspin Chapter 7 of 12

Chapter 7 As Well as All Around Me…

As the intro music came up and the curtains lifted I was almost pushed back by a wall of noise. The backing track was lifted into the red zone and the singers’ microphones must have been pushed to the wall to overcome it.

Headspin Chapter 6 of 12

Chapter 6 And Illuminates my World…

Naozumi came down with the three singers and they stayed at a hotel near the school. We had arranged for them to come after school on the Wednesday and we were all quivering with excitement by the time they arrived. I had gone to the school entrance to guide them to the gym and I must say that they were all more beautiful in the flesh.

Headspin Chapter 5 of 12

Chapter 5 That Shines On Me…

After the prize giving, I was chatting to my team members when Naozumi came up to us to congratulate us on our performance. He had another man with him who he introduced as a spotter for the national gymnastics team.

Headspin Chapter 4 of 12

This chapter introduces some Japanese J-Pop groups. They are all real and you can watch videos on… https://theculturetrip.com/asia/japan/articles/the-9-most-unique-j-pop-bands-right-now
Marianne

Chapter 4 And Now is a Spotlight…

One of the common aspects of a J-Pop performance is usually the large number of bodies on stage. The band had two keyboard players, guitar, bass, drums and two singers. There were eight of us and Aiko with her four other cheerleaders so we had to fit the twenty into whatever space we were provided.

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