LETTER 48
Seven Down
A fictional letter from Management.
Written
Management was reading a leaflet in the dentist’s waiting room.
It explained how to look after our teeth.
Beside us, a woman had a crossword spread on the low table.
We held the leaflet a little higher.
Her pencil stopped at seven down.
We could see six letters and an empty box.
She tried an S.
“R,” we said.
She looked up.
She made it an R.
We turned the leaflet over. There were teeth on both sides.
Nine across was still empty.
A door opened. Her name was called.
She put the cap on her pencil and began to fold the paper.
We put a hand on the corner and smoothed it flat.
She looked at our hand.
We took it away.
She folded the paper round her pencil and went in.
We held the leaflet with both hands.
Management