TIES THAT BIND

Touching little tale I must investigate and flesh out.

APRIL 2007 ~ After I'd discovered the theft of the girls' heirlooms, I returned from Villa Thefti to Corfu and immediately did a check of everything else in my possession that might be filched for export. These were mostly fountain pens, good clothes, books and CDs that might catch larcenous eyes and be siphoned off for handing over at the next visit.

Then one night I awoke and realised that I had completely overlooked an obvious candidate for looting: my ties that I'd carried round the world and would be fondly remembered by my girls for all the posh occasions and noshes I'd worn them at.

Not much point keeping them anyway, now that my entire collection of tie pins had been looted and they were just the sort of booty that might be thought to curry favour with the Thane of Thefteria.

I packed them into a jiffy bag and posted them off to Stephanie with a note to share them between the girls save for the two ties I'd labeled specifically, one for Georgina and one for Anna, chosen for their personalities and also what I imagined the personality might be of their eventual chap.

APRIL 2012 and the sixth anniversary of the Piece of Work [Note to Editor, slip in witty link to suitable further info']: toasted 'absent friends', made usual incantation and curses, gazed serenely down on densening weedening rot'ning jardin, and generally sipped and supped my reminiscing way into another mesmerising mezimerry-making haze.

Well, would you believe it, Steph e-mailed to say that the girls had NOT forgotten what anniversary it was and both came to the luncheon table sporting a favourite tie. Would love to have seen that.

What a lovely kick in the teeth for vile dishonesty.