Short Story

The Writing’s On The Wall

Nancy's Notes 🖊️🎶

Written for OLWG #403. The three prompts
for this week are shown below. This my story.

© Freepix

Round and round and round she goes. Where she stops, Elizabeth had no idea.

She’d been riding this damn train loop all morning, her tears long since dried up. The ride gave her time to think ….. and remember.

How could she have been so obtuse? She counselled people in their floundering marriages; now she was drowning in her own.

The signs were there but she chose to look away, believing the situation would resolve itself. How naïve! The psychology books said just the opposite. She should know ….. she wrote them!

Too many birthdays, school plays and holidays missed. She had gobbled up the morsels of lies tossed her way, unwilling to face reality. Now it was too late.

She was 57 years old and Andrew was 62. His assistant was 35.

Do the math, foolish woman.

NAR©2025
#OLWG

Here are the three prompts: 1) again, again, and again; 2) buying books; 3) Christmas is gone, but we have the memories. We can use one, we can use three, or none at all. We just need to be creative.

This is “There’s Always Something There To Remind Me” by Sandie Shaw

OLWG#403- A Quatern, Without Rules, Birdie and Miles

All text, graphics and videos are copyright for Nancy ~ The Sicilian Storyteller, Nancy (The Sicilian Storyteller), The Sicilian Storyteller, The Elephant’s Trunk, and The Rhythm Section, and are not to be used without permission. NAR©2017-present.

43 thoughts on “The Writing’s On The Wall”

  2. “She was 57 years old and Andrew was 62. His assistant was 35.

    Do the math, foolish woman.”
    *facepalms* ughhhh how terrible! Unfortunately all too common as already mentioned…and sad 😞 well done as usual, Nancy ✨ 💕

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    1. It’s the truth. I’ve been around the block frequently and I’ve seen it too many times. And usually the young chickie doesn’t hang around when her man starts looking more and more like her grandpa! The games people play! 🤷🏼‍♀️

      Thanks for your lovely comments, Laura; much appreciated. ☺️

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  4. Dang,, I feel for her…always the younger woman turning heads. I can relate with so much that calls your attention but it’s truly important to make time for each other. We used to have date nights every week, then ever 2 weeks and now it grandbaby sitting… lol I say let him go.. lol 😂 Love this song. ❤️

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    1. Cindy, I hear ya loud and clear about making time for each other. I never had reason to doubt my husband; he’s one of the true good guys. We’re in that same babysitting boat but we’re doing it together; its the new way of making times for each other! For me, it doesn’t matter what we do as long as we’re together. ❤️

      It’s a great song; you can’t go wrong with Burt Bacharach!

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  5. It’s true for both men and women: they need to remember that the family, specifically the spouse, comes before the job. That’s true for men and women alike. I saw a bunch of marriages break up over the years because people forgot this and started putting the job ahead of the spouse.

    Anyway: I ran a Battle of the Bands on “Always Something There To Remind Me,” where Sandie Shaw lost a squeaker to Lou Johnson (https://youtu.be/1eX0yrpNMZI?si=YqPJPVXsui0Hb6De) a few years ago. Another person who did it was R. B. Greaves, who also did “Take A Letter, Maria.” It’s a Bacharach and David song, so you know Dionne Warwick(e) has done it, and Dusty Springfield… It’s a fantastic song…

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    1. You’re so right, John! And for me working many years ago at Dun & Bradstreet, I saw a lot of that as well as office affairs. My boss was a big womanizer; his wife knew but chose to “stand by her man”.

      Re today’s song, you’re right again! I listened to a number of versions before going with Sandie Shaw. I thought about Lou Johnson’s version but I wanted the song from a woman’s perspective and I thought Sandie’s was great.

      Thanks for your comments, John.

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      Reply

      1. Interesting! I worked for MSA (the software company), which was purchased by D&B in 1989, when we were merged with McCormick & Dodge (our biggest competitor) and remained a D&B company until we were spun off to Geac Computers of Canada in 1997 (?). I think you’re in New Jersey: we had an office in Paramus for many years. Small world…

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