WELCOME BACK RESIDENTS! It's been too long, but thanks to those who've shown support and haven't forgotten Rex Road! After an extended break, we're back, picking up the action where we left off! Join in on the forum on here and we have a fan page on Facebook too!

 

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Now, I’ll stop waffling…back to Alborford we go….

****

Sandra was giving Ray a lift back to Rex Road and turned into the street as another wave of sickness came over him.

'You're looking a bit green around the gills, darlin'!' She laughed.

'Is it any wonder?! Hey! Stop the car! It's a bit close to home isn't it, I didn't think you were actually going to pull up outside my family home!' Ray couldn't believe how thick this woman was being, a trait that the alcohol had obviously covered up!

'Calm down! We're still a few doors away!'

Unfortunately not far away enough, because Val was twitching at the net curtains and spotted the car pulling up.

'What the...' she muttered under her breath. She continued to watch as Ray got out of the car and craned her neck to try and see who the driver was...and then realised it was a woman and something inside of Val lurched violently.

Ray didn't even look back at Sandra as she started to drive away again, approaching the front door sheepishly, a feeling of dread coming over him rapidly.

The door opened before he could even get the key out of his pocket.

'Get in!' Val barked, pulling his tie - and him almost off his feet!

Moments later, they were sat in the lounge, the children nowhere to be seen.

'OK, Ray, we've been here before...so no messing around, spill it! If you'll pardon the drink related pun!'

'Erm...I'm not sure what happened really...' Ray spluttered.

'That sounds familiar as well! Why Ray?! After all this time, I can still smell the booze on you! What was the trigger?!' Val was at a loss, old feelings and doubts resurfacing.

'I....I suppose I was feeling low and the chance was there...with people who didn't know...so I just went with it! Those old days, being able to have a beer with workmates, not having to explain or pretend it was for some other reason...the stigma of not drinking I suppose..'

'Spoken like a true alcoholic! Well done Ray, for taking several steps backwards! I'm not sure I've got it in me to go through all of this again..' She started to cry now 'After all these years, you're starting to unravel everything again!'

'Oh, Val, I'm so sorry..It doesn't have to carry on, I can beat it just as quickly as I started!'

Val stood up to go through to the kitchen.

'Let's have a good ol' British cup of tea, that's all I can think of right now,' but then she suddenly thought back to the woman in the car,'...er, how did you get home and where did you stay?'

Ray spluttered a bit, a splutter Val knew well, 'Oh, Gerry from work, kipped on his sofa and he gave me a lift back...'

'Right..' Val started slamming cupboard doors loudly and Ray wondered, through the pounding headache, if life was going to get a lot worse before it got better...

© 2010 Danny Alborough / DJA Publications
All characters, names and situations are fictitious.
Any similarities to places or people, living or dead, are purely coincidental.