The Sober Woman

The Sober Woman Years ago a day in June I had a new girlfriend but she was drinking heavily; since I didn’t at the time she stopped too June is beautiful month in the Algarve, green and pleasant, an ocean of wild- flowers and a lush countryside. We didn’t live together my house is small I like to be alone during the day. She rang suggested we go swim in the lake. She, a strong swimmer I less so swam a metre from shore. Two days sober and she was crossing the lake got a fit and sank. Sometimes we are tested and braver are than we think. I swam out got her ashore, she was shivering clutching my hands. Back home I put her to bed and gave her a medical brandy, she slept and later that day I drove her to her an AA meeting, where she promptly fell in love with a George Clooney look alike. I met her a day told me she had not touched a drink for ten years like so many sober alcoholics she was boring and suffered from a faulty memory syndrome.