A group of strangers was standing the other side of her garden fence staring along it towards the field. One of them held a map in his hand. He spotted her as she limped across her back garden towards them.‘Excuse me,’ he called. ‘Where is the path?’‘It’s up on the far side of the post office.’ Doreen stared beadily at them. She didn’t smile. She didn’t know them.‘No.’ The man stabbed at the map with his forefinger. ‘It’s here. I’m standing on it.’‘Why ask then?’ She glared at him.‘Because it’s too overgrown to use, and I can’t see where it goes from here. According to the map it should go straight across the field.’Doreen sighed. ‘Maps!’ she said in disgust. ‘You don’t want to pay any attention to them things. No one uses that path nowadays. It’s moved. It goes along the edge over there.’ She waved her arm vaguely. ‘Has done since they had the hedges out after the war. This one doesn’t exist any more.’They did not listen. Before her outraged eyes the group set off.
