Desperate Measures

"Hello. The Samaritans, can I help you?"

" Um, yes. Is it right you um promise umm er uh complete confidentiality?"

" Yes that's right, we .. "

"Well, it's Tony here - you know Tony Bliar and I just don't know who else to talk to ... I ....... I ,, um .... "

"That's all right Tony, take your time. I'm here for you ... to help by listening "

"Well the thing is I'm going to be outta work at the end of June. I live in a tied cottage in London. I hinted years ago that I'd soon be looking out for a new position - I thought they would beg me to stay on but they didn't - ... they didn't understand -I didn't really mean it.. I thought it would all get better and I'd be in the job for simply ages and ages. But they thought I really meant what I said! They should've known me better than that!! I still can't believe it. It's not as bad as everyone thinks - I know I've done all the right things - but no-one believes me anymore. I'm not the only one who knows that everything I've done was the right thing and that it was all for the best, the best for everyone. The man upstairs, well he'll be the final judge - and no - I don't think my little heart problem was a hint from him that maybe I was wrong. I know that all that lying and manipulation - I mean by others - was in the interests of us all against them - the OTHERS. Have you seen LOST? Well, anyway, they believed me yet again - just when I really didn't mean what I said. But I get confused sometimes about what I do or don't mean. I thought they wouldn't believe me any more and then they agreed with me and told me I would be leaving soon. I've had notice for months now that the job was going to be taken away from me - they say I'm no good at it anymore and need to make way for a better man. Dew'no I still can't believe that I'm gonna be outta me job at the end of June ........ "

"So, you're going to be made redundant and you're finding it hard to come to terms with?"

"Yes - and the thing is Cherry - my wife - hasn't got our new home ready yet so when I'm outta work the whole family have to move outta the tied cottage and we don't have the new place ready for us to move into. The builders have only just started on rebuilding it - it's a bit of a hovel at the moment - and we gotta knock two into one - I know from reading the blogs of theWife/Strife in the North that it is a horrendous road we have to travel "

"So, besides coming to terms with losing your job - you'll also have to live on a building site for a while?"

"No - Oh no! - we do have another home we can use but it's an even worse hovel - it's small and cramped and mean like the homes that ordinary people have to live in - but worse than that ..... gulp .... worse than that ..... we'll have to live off what little money Cherry can make and my pension which is only around £200,000 per year (index linked) but then even worse than that ..... GULP ... it's worse than that ....."

"You can tell me Tony, what's worse than that?"

"Well --the hovel - it's in the North -- and as everyone knows it's really grim up North"

Wife/Strife in Trouble in the North?

I see from the morning's headlines that a family had to be rescued -

"RNLI crews from Seahouses and Holy Island were also called to the submerged road, where they found the man and children on the car's roof and the woman up to her waist in the water. All were winched to safety without injury ...."

I couldn't help but wonder. I could easily imagine this happening to the W/Strife in the North. It's usually southerners who get into this kind of trouble up in t'grim north.

Trouble and Strife - the North South Divide

I'm the husbnd of 1 of Wife in t North. Now I know that U all no that there 2 sides 2 every story. I have no time to set up my own blog so frend in SW allow me 2 use her to say, I far too busy wrking hard - slgging away all hrs Mondays 2 Fridays- earning big money to pay for the wife, children, and several builders + architect and all their family/ offspring and all building materails. then at end of week i long trip up north to see famly and nagging wife. She shld no that petrol stations not as frequent as down in Lndn - not surprisng it run out lot - I only think2 fill up when c filling station. Then i have to rush back for work again at begin of week - keys not my fault. I more tired n stressed than she is. I have to look after slf all wk as well as work. when house build ends and i more time i will put my side of story. Apols 4 typos but more usd 2 txting - n not easy to do while driving M1 . Apart from wkends i only have text relations.