Back on the Sauce

Something tells me my good friend Ray is back on the sauce after a fourteen month stint sober. Did he show up at 3am last night dressed for summer and stinking of whiskey? No. Did he come round to the flat, let himself in and preceed to wreck the place? No, not yet. Has his behaviour become somewhat strange and a little erratic? Well, I can see the beginnings. I received two frantic calls at work on Monday, both times from his mobile and both cutting out before he got to the crux of his problem. He sounded worried and fraught so I did what any friend would do and went to his hostel to check up on him. A fellow resident said Ray hadn't been seen for a week and the management were considering serving a notice on him, i.e. asking him to leave. I spent all evening worrying about him, only for him to call back just after newsnight to inform me he was okay but just stranded in Blackpool. My daughter's boyfriend kindly went out to pick Ray up and took him home. This morning we received an early Christmas gift on our doorstep, wrapped in festive paper were three self help books, all two months late back to the library. Thanks Ray!