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Listeners' Fantasies |
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The Summer of Love
By Mandy Lifeboats
 This naughty little fantasy was contributed to the Fantasy Archers topic of The Archers message board
It was a lovely day for the Flower and Produce Show. The sun shone brightly and Jill felt that it matched her mood as she stood behind the cake stall next to the refreshments. She had been baking for what felt like weeks, but as she surveyed the fluffy sponges, crisp flapjacks and gooey meringues she knew it had been worth it. As for the chocolate muffins, well people couldn't get enough of them. The only trouble was that Peggy, who was supposed to be helping her, was sneaking a muffin every now and then and not paying and Jill didn't have the heart to ask for the money. She would have liked one herself but never mind, it was important to raise money for charity!
"Have you noticed?" Peggy demanded suddenly, staring into the distance, "how those trees stand out against the skyline?"
Actually Jill had, but she didn't think that that was the kind of thing that Peggy did.
"And look at those clouds," said Peggy, staring out of the window, "they're making shapes like, ooooh, great big balloons. And the sky is such a bluey shade of blue."
And she giggled. Jill had never heard Peggy giggle. She turned and looked at her sharply. The haunted look that Peggy wore so often these days as Jack became more and more confused had gone, and Peggy was looking contented as she pointed up at the sky.
At that moment Jack arrived at the stall. He was walking normally; not limping as he often did when the pain from the gunshot wound to his leg overtook him. He was tucking the last bite of a chocolate muffin into his mouth; Peggy had given him two. Jill thought that he looked quite alert and yet also relaxed. He smiled happily at her.
"Great show, Jill isn't it? Lovely day, and do you know what? For the first time for ages I don't feel that pain in my leg. Your cakes are doing me more good than the doctor's painkillers!"
He wheeled away to explore the flower section of the show, clapping Higgs on the shoulder as he did so. And Higgs ... returned the gesture. Jill blinked, twice. She could not possibly have seen that. Oh well. She reached for a muffin. After all, Peggy was on her fourth.
In a distant corner, Joe Grundy sat morosely, glaring at the people around him and feeling sorry for himself. He hadn't got enough money in his pocket for a cup of tea, let alone one of those tasty cakes that Jill Archer had baked, and Eddie had gone off on some mysterious errand. He looked up to see Lynda Snell moving towards him. She looked serene and calm. She had a flower tucked behind her ear and was not sneezing.
"What's up Missus?" he greeted her. "Didn't win the prize for your scarecrow then?"
This was calculated to annoy because he knew she had been counting on winning. But she only smiled.
"What does it matter?" she murmured. "Winning, losing, its all so illusory. Its life that's important. I love life." She beamed down upon him. "I love everyone. I love you, Joe."
Eddie had just entered the hall and was talking to Clarrie when they heard the crash and saw the commotion.
"What's up, Eddie?" enquired Clarrie, seeing the concern on his face.
"I don't know," he replied, "but I think Dad just fainted."
Kenton and Kathy walked through the door. The first thing that they saw was Alan, the vicar, holding up a very obscenely shaped carrot and laughing uproariously. Bert Fry was smiling beatifically at the room, while Freda was performing an intricate little dance to herself.
"Oh oh," murmured Kenton.
"What's up?" asked Kathy.
"Nothing," replied Kenton with a small grin, "I think Mum must have used the special recipe I gave her, with the secret ingredients - look how many people are eating her muffins."
"They do look nice," said Kathy, perhaps I'll try one.
"I wouldn't if I were you," replied Kenton, "tell you what, lets go and have a nice quiet drink at The Bull."
Jill looked up as a dark shadow fell across the cake stall and over Peggy who lay across three chairs, snoring. It was a policeman.
"Excuse me," he said, "Mrs Jill Archer? I wonder if you'd mind coming with me madam."
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