Gift

"e;It's not finished!"e; the judge at the Oundle Literary Festival told me.I had just been awarded first prize for 'The Gift' so I was astonished to hear these words."e;It needs more,"e; she continued. She looked at me with sharp eyes through her spectacles just as an eagle eyes a skinny worm.A year later, free from the restrictions of word counts, this version is now twice as long; and hopefully much the better and fatter for it.With grateful thanks to all involved in the Oundle Festival of 2011.D Reeder