december, 2019 first place winner: mirror, mirror by alan kennedy

You drive.’

Greg stamps hard on the floor. His hands clench tight, his eyes fill with tears. ‘Emma, no, you drive.’

‘I take you everywhere. I’m not a taxi driver.’

Greg Howard runs his fingers over his bandaged head. His voice is a whisper. ‘You know I get scared at night.’

‘It’s only four o’clock.’

He squints at the sun streaming through the window. ‘Looks cloudy, it might rain.’

‘Dad! It never rains in Malaga.’

Although his daughter wants the best for him, Greg hates losing these arguments. She’s only trying to help. ‘It did last year.’

‘For five minutes, Dad.’

One last try. ‘Go on. You’re a great driver. Please.’

‘Stop buttering me up. Dad, how about you take it out then I’ll take over when we’re half way to the beach?’

Greg’s mouth dries up. His eyes lose their focus. ‘Halfway? Emma, that’s tons.’

‘Well, you take it to the park, then I’ll drive.’

‘But, why –‘

A knock on the door startles him. A familiar voice calls out. ‘Mr Howard. Are you OK? You’ve been in the toilet for a while, now.’

‘Just shaving, Nurse Sanchez. Won’t be long.’

‘Come on then. The minibus is waiting.

‘Minibus?’

‘ Everyone else is on.’

Greg looks round for his daughter to explain what’s going on. ‘Emma! Emma!’

The voice at the door rises in tone and volume. ‘That’s right. I can guess how you feel but you don’t want to miss your daughter’s funeral, do you?’

Emma Howard’s smiling face in the mirror dissolves as her father wipes the steam away. He grips the wheelchair handles to steady himself as he sits down.

‘I’m ready, nurse.’

Originally from Glasgow, Scotland, Alan Kennedy has been living in Spain for the past 27 years. His first degree was in musical composition and he has worked as musical director for theatre, English teacher, grave digger, sales rep and recently (the last 15 years) as a storyteller, travelling round the country for nine months of the year.

He started writing five years ago whilst training as a creative coach and found that most of his clients were struggling writers. Inventing stories has since become his main creative outlet. At the moment he is halfway through an MA in Creative Writing at the Open University.

Alan Kennedy has one daughter who is finishing Medical school. Apart from the creative arts, Alan’s other passions include yoga, snorkelling, cooking and learning languages. He is currently studying Basque, his partner’s mother tongue.