Abe Margel’s “My Balance” in Midnight Garden

I asked fellow Midnight Garden anthology contributors to share some things about themselves prior to publication and those generous enough to do so will be appearing here for the next week or so.

Each entry gives a taste of their contribution, a little about them, how to contact them, how their story came about, and definitely a link to Midnight Garden (which you should purchase because it would make each and every one of us happy.
you do want to make us happy, don’t you?
i mean, considering what we wrote, you want us to know you’re a good person, right?).

Let’s start with a Hallowe’en-themed introduction to the anthology as a whole:

And now, Abe Margel’s My Balance:

There was an ambulance parked in Old Man Allard’s driveway. It was ten in the morning, raining, miserable. I had my own medical problems; still, I couldn’t help feeling anxious at the sight.

How the story came about:
How much do we really know about our neighbours?
This fictional story, My Balance, grew out of a conversation with a friend. Andre had been in an accident and told me how difficult it was for him to get around in the walking cast he was now required to use.
After months of rolling around in the back of my mind a plot emerged. I envisioned a man in a walking cast returning to his empty home from the hospital. On his street he is surprised to discover an ambulance is sitting by his neighbour’s house.
The story’s main character, George Fitzpatrick, is a divorced middle-aged man who’s balance is literally and emotionally off. His irascible neighbour, Francis Allard, is largely a mystery to George. Exactly how little George knew about Francis becomes clear as the narrative progresses to its troublesome end.

About Abe Margel:
Abe Margel worked in rehabilitation and mental health for thirty years. He is the father of two adult children and lives in Thornhill, Ontario with his wife. His fiction has appeared in Mystery Tribune, BarBar, 7th – Circle Pyrite, Yellow Mama, Ariel Chart, Uppagus, etc..

See all Midnight Garden stories here.