Fish and Chips

We are standing in line at the local fish n chip emporium, Joe is
first up, followed by Ham, then Erin and me, and Tonic brings up the
rear. Tonic doesn't actually want fish n chips but he feels he should
join in. I don't think he is aloof, I think he is pretty messed up
about Sally, and Sally is old enough to be Tonic's Mum and probably
went to school with his Mum, but Tonic's Mum and Dad emigrated to
Australia when he was at college which affected him a lot, they just up
and left, and there he was alone, in digs with not a friend in the
world, so it's no wonder that he turned to Sally, I think he thinks of
her like a surrogate Mum.

Erin is smiling, she is on a post gig high, We were great, the crowd
were great, and amazingly 20/20 Vision blew the gig out at the last
minute, citing a double booking with the Regent Hotel, and I don't
think the Green Gable will want them back anytime soon. There was a
fight outside the Green Gable between some Borogroves followers and
some Dreks from the 20/20 Vision crowd. It wasnt quite mods and rockers
but it was almost and then the Old Bill turned up and sorted it out,
peaceably. Nobody got arrested.

I thought we did well tonight, we have the album out in a couple of
months and Manny will write the sleeve notes.

Joe walks past with a huge bag of chips and a saveloy. Ham is up next
and orders double chips and a large cod. The guy is phenomenal, anybody
else eating that much food would be the size of a Volvo by now, but
while he is chunky he seems to stay the same size.

Erin has a pie and chips and I have the same. Tonic decides he will
have a chicken fillet burger, as they are less greasy. We go outside
the chippy and cross the road to the park. It is about 11.15 at night
and the park is quiet.

We all sit down on the benches by the War memorial and scoff the fish
and chips. Erin sits next to me and I can smell the scent she uses
above the natural post gig body heat that we all have. It's a curious
mixture. Erin finishes her chips and turns to me.

"Where's Manny gone? I thought he said he would only be gone twenty
minutes."

I look at her and she is lovely. Then I have a think: "Maybe it took
longer than expected, look here's the van now..."

Manny pulls up outside the chippy with a screech of brakes and jumps
out the van. He slams the door, and charges into the chippy. A few
minutes later he comes out waving a packet of white chip paper like a
trophy. He crosses the road and struts over to where we are all
sitting.

"It's in!" he announces. "There's a review coming out in the music
paper Garageland, of the band."

We are too exhausted to jump about and dance. Joe looks up, balls up
his chip wrapper and chucks it in the bin next to the bench. "Is that
good?" He says and laughs.

Manny beams, and then starts eating his supper.

I get up and go over to the van to make sure it is still locked, as I
do so, I see Joe's Dad get into his car with a girl about Erin's age.
It is too dark to see who it is. Maybe its a friend?
I don't know. I hurry back to the group and say nothing to Joe.
Probably nothing.