Hilary - Title

Carrie sat cross legged in the lumpy armchair that had been her father’s favourite. Ellen was sitting on the sofa looking very uncomfortable as Carrie’s two sisters stubbed out their cigarettes and made their way from the garden, through the French doors to take their places in the sitting room.

“ Look, we’re not getting anywhere are we?”  Carrie spoke to the assembled group. “This issue is not going to go away you know. It has to be sorted before Saturday when she sends it off to the publisher! We knew when she started this that we would be asked to contribute in some way. That’s what she does – gets all wound up with the plot line, thinks of a title that sucks and then blames it on us lot. If we don’t come up with something soon, that’s it. We’re finished. In the bin we go. Our story will never see the light of day so we have to get this right.”

Ellen stood up and asked if anyone fancied a drink. “The sun’s over the yardarm so we can go alcoholic – that’s if you want to of course. You might want to stick to tea or fruit juice – especially in your condition.” She grinned sarcastically at Carrie who looked away in distaste.

“Well you seem to have taken on the role of the heroine here – or should that be 'heroin'…” Sadie  put her forefinger in the crick of her arm and mimed a needle being inserted.

“Sadie, don’t.” Anna whispered and she glanced at Carrie apologetically. Her role in the family was peacemaker. She had not asked for it, but been given it by that damned author.  In her other life, she was just as charismatic and adventurous as her two sisters, but it had not been allowed to materialise in this novel.

“ I think we should stick with ‘Human Glue’ After all try as we might, we can never get away from each other psychologically can we? It’s like our minds are stuck together. It sucks, but lots of good books have crappy titles – Look at ..............Brick Lane, I wouldn’t have, would you? ” Sadie selected the book from the shelf and waved it at them. Ellen had by now returned with the glasses and a bottle of Pinot Grigio.

“ It shrieks gas chambers and all that awful stuff from the war.” Ellen said quietly as she set down the bottle. “ I think it would put people off, or worse still, only Nazis and facists would buy it.”

“What Brick Lane?” Sadie smirked.

“ Oh stop being stupid, you know what Mum meant.” Anna sighed patiently. “ How about we look at what actually happens to all of us, that should give us plenty of ideas”.

“ Metamorphosis?” Carrie offered.

“ It’s been done before”. The three of them all retorted in unison.

“We need to think not just of us as characters, but the plot lines”. Sadie began coming up with some ideas and firing them off like little bullets.  ‘Framed’, or how about ‘what’s my line? – of cocaine doing up your nose!’, or we could have ‘The man I met in Paris’…………”

“ This isn’t all about me”. Carrie said quietly. “ You have been on the journey too, all of you. Please let’s try to find something that we all agree on.”

Ellen sat sipping her wine thoughtfully. “ Carrie’s right – we are all in this together. I have thought of something but I’m not sure you are ready to hear it yet”

“ Mum, we’ll never hear it if we never get published will we?  – go for it”, said Carrie.

Ellen smiled.  “Glow in the Dark Pencils”.

The four women looked at each other and laughed until they cried.