A collection of short stories and journalistic commentaries depicting my simple life
and how I fit in with the modern day universe of our times



           
            Nearing his forties and having nothing much to show for it, Tony Powell was the twin brother of Dereck. Dereck was the worker of the two, he studied hard at school, did the student thing and came away with enough qualifications and certificates to fill a small suitcase. From there he had followed his father's footsteps through the shoe trade and it was nearly time for him to take the reins and steer the family business through the next generation. Tony on the other hand, had done none of that. He was the family playboy, a bit of a waster, always out for a good time and sod the expense to his long suffering family.

            Naturally he had most of the trappings to suit his lifestyle, decent clothes, a nice car and his parents had given him a generous allowance to fund his continuous partying, leaving them the ability to get on with the business in his absence, but Tony knew that things were about to change, and in a big way too. Dereck had plans for a massive business expansion, to move out of shoe valley and into the global markets, plans that needed money, and that would put paid to all of Tony's excesses. It was only a matter of weeks now before the old man would relinquish his hold on the company assets and Dereck would become the almighty boss. Tony knew he would have no place in Dereck's radical new plans and was now beginning to panic.

            Tony's major problem, was his total inability to apply himself to almost anything he did. Work was never his forte and it never ever would be. He'd dabbled in the arts and sports a little but in these fields too, success had always eluded him. He knew too, that even though Dereck was well on his way to building his new global empire, other than making the odd major decision here and there, Dereck did almost as little as he did. One major difference though, Dereck had a team of money making gurus working away in the background for him. He had the big house, the swimming pool, tennis courts, the fleet of fast cars and a beautiful wife to share it all with and Tony desperately wanted a piece of the action.

            Every passing day, the resentment within Tony grew and grew. He knew it could still all be his, but no way was he willing to wait for Dereck to tire of it and pass it down the line. Not only did he want Dereck's business, now he wanted his life as well. There was only one thing for Tony to do and that was to see his brother off. It wouldn't be a boardroom takeover bid; Tony hadn't the brains or the inclination for that. Neither had he got the patience. His plan was much faster and sure to succeed, being as they were identical twins.

            The following morning, Tony set to work. Phoning his brother, he arranged for Dereck to take him for a round of golf. Naturally Dereck resisted, he had meetings that couldn't be put off, but Tony's persistence, as usual, won through with Dereck conceding a quick nine-holer before ten o'clock. In business, the couple were like chalk and cheese, but out on the links they were indistinguishable. The game was running more or less level, with neither of the opponents taking much of a lead. It was Dereck's shot now and he was attempting a fourteen foot putt on the eighth hole. Carefully studying the ball's projectile, taking in every twist in the green and watching out for the influence of the wind, Dereck never saw the nine iron that Tony had launched towards the back of his head. It was a perfect swing, delivering maximum force. Tony had even amazed himself at how true a shot he had got, as his brother's dead body slumped to the floor.

            Hurrying now, before anyone saw them, Tony piled his brother's limp torso onto the buggy and headed off for the car park where he would hide Dereck in the boot of his Mercedes. After that it was a slow amble into the showers and a change into Dereck's suit, driving Dereck's Bentley to Dereck's office. The next couple of hours would be the acid test Tony thought to himself. He had three meetings to conduct in front of the people who knew Dereck the best. Surely if he could pull that off, he was home and dry. Shit or bust, and he who dares wins were all he could think as he bluffed his way through the day's agenda. Come five o'clock he now fully believed he was Dereck. Nobody had clocked him and even though some of the meeting's content put forward by him was a little suspect, such was Dereck's former stature in the boardroom, nobody dared contest him.

            Overjoyed and brimming with extra confidence at the success of his day's work, Tony headed off for his long awaited prize, Dereck's lifestyle. The big palatial house and Dereck's gorgeous wife Samantha. Since the first time he ever saw her, Tony had found Samantha adorable. Many a time he had imagined making love to her slowly, taking in every inch of her beauty and feeling the warmth and willingness of her naked body while outside, by the swimming pool. Filling her as she screamed for more and more, knowing that only 'he' could fulfil her the way that a true ‘husband’ could. And at long last, tonight was to be, that night. All his fantasies would finally come true as he walked through that door. He was at last to be Dereck, fully content in the life of his dead brother. He stole himself for a moment, allowing himself a huge grin as he reached for the door knob.

            "You bastard!" Samantha shouted, throwing a shoe at Tony as he entered the room. Racked with an instant newfound guilt, Tony was sure his switch had failed. Glued to the spot, he remained silent.

            "Three days late, you finally make it home from your bitch!" she screamed, "well if that's what you want, then fine. I want a divorce and you are really gonna pay this time mister."

            Believing she was talking to her cheating husband, Samantha was rapidly tearing Tony's new but un-tasted life to shreds.

            "You, in your infinite lack of wisdom - putting everything in my name to save on taxes - then expecting me to sit by and watch you fuck every other woman you fancy - well guess what bastard, you won't be seeing a penny of it now. You're ruined. Fucked, just like you left your whore."

            All Tony's plans were scuppered in this one single sentence. Gone was the house, gone was the money and gone was the promise of a sweet eternal intimacy with Samantha. Once again, even in death, Dereck had managed to trump his brother Tony. Now forced to live a life of ruin while trapped in his brother's body, but the worst was still yet to come...

            "I could have loved you, you know - really loved you, but you were always too perfect, too self-centred, too ambitious. If only you'd been more caring, more human, and more fun - More like Tony..." Samantha sobbed.



DEAD MAN’S SHOESSocialTwist Tell-a-Friend

0 Comments:

Post a Comment



Post a Comment

Thanks for reading this blog entry, feel free to leave your comments

Some of my more popular posts

Search This Blog

About This Blog

Its my own fault really, its all about what I see in the world, and how it all translates for me.

Please, please, please, dive in and enjoy this blog and all that I will ever ask in return, is you add a few comments whilst passing through.

And if you've enjoyed reading the contents as much as I have compiling them, help spread the word through your friends.

Thanks again for dropping by, hope to see you again real soon.

Need a little more?

  © Blogger template Shush by Ourblogtemplates.com 2009

Back to TOP