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The Casket of Fictional Delights

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The Taste of Shoe Polish

by Susan Carey

PodcastFlash Fiction Amusing, Unsettling

Henry Monxton spent a lot of time arranging all the cans and packets in the kitchen cupboards so their labels were exactly parallel and facing outwards. It had driven his first wife mad. Wife number two, well, not much is known of her apart from Henry shaking his head and saying to whomsoever should enquire, ‘It’s a long story.’
When he still worked as an archivist he had an outlet for his orderliness.  Now retired and every possession forensically neatened, he was bored and lonely. Just to know that someone was around, the sound of footsteps or humming would be enough. Even though he didn’t really need one, Henry thought employing a cleaner could be a solution.
‘Cleaner with impeccable habits required,’ he wrote. Then struck it through and started again. He wanted to state the lady in question would have nothing to fear in the bedroom department. How does one say that nowadays? In the end, quite out of character, he dashed off a few words and sent them to the newspaper classifieds.
Letters tumbled through his letterbox. Some smelled of scent. He discarded those. One typed sentence made his hand tremble a little.
‘I will reach parts no other cleaner can.’
Henry picked up his pen.
Three knocks on the door. Henry straightened his straight tie. Before him stood a tall, middle-aged woman. She wore a tailored suit, high-heels and carried a briefcase. Incongruous, Henry thought.  He invited her in and she sat on his Chesterfield like a queen ascending a throne. She clicked open her briefcase and said, ‘Shall we start?’

*

‘Same time, next week, Henry?’ She took out her diary.
Henry nodded like a toy dog on a car hat-shelf. He smiled, still savouring the taste of her shoe polish tingling on his tongue.

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You are listening to
The Taste of Shoe Polish
by Susan Carey

https://thecasket.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/Wk-7-The-taste-of-shoe-polish.mp3

Story read by Richard Hodder for The Casket of Fictional Delights.

About Susan Carey

Susan is a Brit living in Amsterdam. Susan has been a runner-up in the 2018 and 2017 Casket of Fictional Delights Flash Fiction Competitions, ‘The Plughole Picker’ was published online and 'To See a Star' was recorded as a podcast and published on a number of audio platforms.  Her writing has also been published and performed by amongst others; Mslexia, Liars’ League, Reflex Fiction and Writers Abroad. She has a love hate relationship with her adopted hometown and often dreams of living in a thatched cottage, far from the madding crowd. In 2020 Susan published her short story collection, Healer.

Susan Tweets @su_carey

Susan has an Amazon Page 


Visit Susan Carey on the web

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Starting in June and through to the end of September  The Casket of Fictional Delights presents more Susan Tate adventures.  Enjoy following a year in the life of Susan Tate the quirky librarian who lives in Canterbury with her cat Charles Dickens written by Joanna Sterling, read by Menna Bonsels and illustrated by Michael N Green.

There are many other short stories and flash fictions available to read and listen to in our Stories and Podcast sections.

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Text & stories © Joanna Sterling 2022
Stories © various authors
Editing by Joanna Sterling & Alyson Faye
Audio by Menna Bonsels
Brooch photography by Mark Colliton
Other photography by Rosie Marks
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