My Dinosaur Era Chapter 25
By beanzie
- 18 reads
ginny holds my arm, slowly finding her feet in her three inch stacks
my instinct is to walk faster, take it all in, cover every square inch
she slows me, allows me to be with the sights for a moment
smell the coffee, food, cigarette smoke
hear the chatter, picking out the few spanish words I know
none of the basque ones that I do not
we stroll the old town, past churches, markets
bump back into the river, cross a bridge
cross back on another one
I need to sit, ginny said
sure, let’s find a sunny spot, I said
we doubled back to the main square, plaza nueva
found a table in the sun
another kalimotxo for me, black coffee for ginny
it’s after midday, the sun is high, warm, gentle still
I close my eyes, let the rays tickle my face
this is nice, I like this spot, she says
mmm, yeah, it gets real busy in the summer, but now is nice, I say
I’m sorry I didn’t fancy the museum, timmy, I am very boring, she says
it’s ok, the sun is nice, I say
yes, the sun is nice, she says
another drink
straight rioja this time for me
gin and tonic for ginny
do you still think about petula, she says
I wonder what happened, yes, whether I did something wrong, I say
but you didn’t, did you, you were fine, weren’t you, she says
I think so, yes, I say
you were fine, I know you well enough, timmy, she says
maybe, but I sometimes wonder if I was just not enough, like, we had a nice time, we walked around, it was lovely, or at least I thought, I say
not enough how, she says
maybe I should have kissed her, tried to fuck her, I dunno, declared undying love or something, I say
no, it wasn’t anything like that, I’m sure, she wouldn’t have bothered to come and see you that time if she was just done with you, she says
yeah, perhaps, I say
sorry, I shouldn’t have brought it up, we came here to get away from all that shit, she says
well, I have gotten away from it, it just happened and now I am somewhere else, in every sense, I say
I’ll drink to that, she says
and we do
back on our feet, we walk back to the river, past the museum
stop to watch a man with crazy looking puppets
sinister enough to have ginny clinging to me like a child
why would he bring them out in public, she says
I think they’re cute, I say
they’re not cute, they are grotesque, unsettling
I laugh at ginny, cowering next to me
she slaps my arm
come on, let’s go, she says
further along, we stop to look at the boats on the river
shall we go on a boat, I say
hmm, do they have bars on board, she says
no idea, I’ll check, I say
I check on my phone, they do
we buy tickets and sit on the top deck
for the first time it feels like we are on a holiday
I look down the river, through the bridges
go deeper into the comfort
there is less left to wrestle
ginny asleep now on my shoulder
worn out by all the balancing she’s done today
pull her closer into me
her ear on my heart
the boat takes us to where we need to be
back on land, it is approaching pintxos time
my stomach tells me so
breakfast sausages are a very distant memory
back to plaza nueva, busier now, tables full
here we are, I say
where, says ginny
sorginzulo, I say
what, she says
sorginzulo, it’s the pintxos place I like, I say
oh that one you are always banging on about, she says
yes, the one I am always banging on about, I say
looks cute, she says
it means witches hole, I say
really, fuck off, she says
for real, I say
we squeeze into a corner, recently vacated
it’s getting near three, rush hour relenting
at the bar I order eight pintxos
one beer, one wine
it’s so easy here, nothing is bad, just point and click
winner every single time
back at the table
ginny has taken her doctor martens off
her bare toes wriggle, red, puffy feet
I sit in next to her
did you actually wear them to look taller for patrycja, I say
she picks up a salmon pintxo, stuffs into her mouth
ignores my question
I shrug, she’s not playing out today, ah well
she chews away, swallows
do you think I’m silly for that, she says
for wanting to look taller, I say
yes, she says
I thought that was just a hetero thing, men should be taller than women thing, I say
it probably is, I think I just wanted her to notice me, she says
I think she has noticed you, darling, I say
maybe, I dunno, I feel silly now, my feet are crippled, she says
yeah and she’s not even here, I say
fucking waste of time, she says
being short is your superpower anyway, I say
how can that be, she says
people don’t expect you to be so powerful, I say
you think I’m powerful, she says
of course, you’re a fucking whirlwind, you get noticed, she’s noticed you, she kissed you, right, I say
she kissed you too, she says
yeah, but that was just to cheer me up, I say
it seems to have worked, she says
it wasn’t just that, but yeah, it was nice, I say
we drink our drinks in unison
more people leave, tables are cleared
do you know when she finishes today, she says
patrycja, dunno, she said she’d come and find us, I say
ok, she says
don’t be so forlorn, I’ll text her, see what she is up to, I say
sure, whatever, she says
I kiss her on the cheek
you silly sausage, I say
- Log in to post comments


