THE LONELY DESERT 

By Tessa Harvey

    Phillip and Joan sauntered over to the increasingly rowdy group of locals and bought drinks for all, smiling graciously at the silly hicks. Step one had gone amazingly well.
    But one quiet patron wondered. As someone, probably anonymous had said, "You can fool some of the people some of the time, and all of the people some of the time, but you can't fool all of the people all of the time."
    Phillip looked tired, slightly dishevelled, grey and balding. "Will she help us?" he quietly asked his sister Joan. Once again she had reverted to the rather sharp middle aged woman Shayla had glimpsed at the last bed and breakfast. She looked thoughtful. "Apart from that kid, Shayla, Wilson is totally alone - family annoyed boyfriend left in a sulk. A kid that could be trouble is a great arm-twister. But we will stay with softly, softly for now."
    Shayla lay in the narrow hostel bed in the grim no-frills room. She really, really missed her family - their warmth, their chatter and especially their unconditional love and acceptance. Until her mistake.
    The little baby in that cold room had slowly turned and looked at her Shayla had absolutely no problems accepting abortion. Her education had been woke-centred and she understood people could make their own choices in anything and everything. No problem. None at all.
    But the baby kept looking at her that cold, grey, lifeless day.  Babies were not supposed to focus, but he did and somehow he connected to her heart. She wrapped him in a bloody towel, then two more for warmth and Alfie fell asleep to the soothing rocking of her leg, then the motion of the car as Shayla ended her shift and went home.

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