Fish Change Direction in Cold Weather by Pierre Szalowski

Fish Change Direction in Cold Weather

Pierre Szalowski

It’s an ill wind, as they say, that blows no good, but this time an ice storm does even more: mending a broken marriage, healing neighbourly rifts and generally acting as a ploy by Cupid – even for fish! This whimsical tale is a cheerful tonic for those cold wintry days, when Spring still seems a long way off.

Extract
'Want to play Monopoly?'
When was the last time I played Monopoly with my dad?
'Come on, come and play with us!'
When was the last time I’d played Monopoly with both of them? Probably never. In my mother’s opinion it wasn’t educational enough.
'It’s just capitalism dressed up as a game! Wouldn’t Trivial Pursuit be better?
'With my hands in casts Trivial Pursuit isn’t very practical.'
I could tell my mum was wondering if it was really my dad sitting across from her.
'Yes, Dad’s right, I’d rather play Monopoly. All three of us.
I put on my whiny little voice, the one from back when I used to try and charm my mum in order to get my way. Dad gestured towards me with his casts as if I were the bearer of some universal truth. My mum sat down. She’d surrendered. But she still had to have the last word.
'All right, but not for long!'
Parallels
  • The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time by Mark Haddon
  • Dona Nicanora's Hat Shop by Kirstan Hawkins
  • The Marriage Bureau for Rich People by Farahad Zama
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Explicit sexual content