Bird Attack

It almost had a life of its own. She stood by the ironing board and

waited for the iron to warm up. Once the steam hissed, she began

to iron, smoothing down the creases, straightening the lines in the

trousers and shirts. There was something therapeutic about iron-

ing out the wrinkles, she thought. Like smoothing away your

problems. She could hear her husband’s chair creaking and the

radio thudding out music.