My Dinosaur Era Chapter 48
By beanzie
- 15 reads
five thirty on a monday morning
the streets empty
sunrise blocked by the buildings along western road
somewhere, down there over the sea
a red glow is lifting itself over the horizon
the twenty four hour shop is
as ever
open for business
I go to step through the no door, door
notice a man, crumpled into a ball
in the next doorway
sleeping bag twisted around his lower half
his whole form folded in on itself
I reach out to him, touch his shoulder
his head lolls to one side, eyes closed
hey, are you ok man, I say
eyes open, he sits up straighter
I hadn’t seen my sister for two years until yesterday, he says
oh, right, I say
all she gave me was a fiver, he says
I don’t have any cash on me mate, I say
I didn’t ask you for money, I was telling you about my sister, he says
yeah, sorry, I say
she let me stroke her dog, that was nice, he says
I look at his face, he’s young, maybe late twenties
can I get you something in the shop, I say
yes please, he says
what would you like, I say
I really don’t know, he says
his eyes close again, he starts to slump
I mean, like food, a drink, I say
no reply, he puts his hands over the back of his head
I go inside the shop
do a supermarket sweep
discomfort pervades me
grab at coffee, biscuits in lieu of pastries
a chicken salad sandwich, a tube of pringles
at the counter
two half bottles of brandy
outside, he’s still in the same position
hey, I say
his head jerks upwards, way more awake now
I got you some stuff, I say
I hand him the sandwich and the pringles
he takes them loosely in one hand
do you want some drink, like booze, I mean, I say
he nods, I hand him one of the bottles of brandy
he takes this, grips it tighter, looks at me
for the first time
I am not ashamed, he says
no, ok, no, you shouldn’t be, I say
I stumble over my words
ok, well, see ya, I say
it feels inadequate as goodbyes go
he lifts a hand from his lap
a gentle wave that seems to last for an age
I walk around the corner, into the square
there’s a small park, I sit on a bench
take a drink from the bottle
a glimpse of sun squints from behind a tower block
I look at the biscuits in my hand
bourbons
everyone loves a bourbon
back at ginny’s
petula is sat on the sofa
dressed now, tracksuit bottoms
grey hoodie that engulfs her
legs crossed under her
that hoodie is huge, I say
yeah, I ordered the wrong size but decided I liked it, and no you cannot borrow it, she says
I have hoodies of my own, thanks, well not here, at my place, I say
do you know, I had kinda forgot that this isn't your place, I don’t really have a firm anchor of where you live, it’s somewhere I have just visited briefly, like a figment that exists in my head, she says
yeah, I’ll need to do some washing, I have nothing clean, I say
I want to wash everything I brought with me, she says
we should probably do that at my place, seems unfair to use ginny’s water and power, I say
sure, ok, a day of domesticity beckons, she says
the kettle clicks, I cut open the coffee packet
did you buy brandy, she says
I pick up the bottle from the counter
yeah, looks that way, I do like a brandy coffee, I say
I mean, who doesn’t, she says
you want, I say
absolutely, today we shall drink and we shall wash ourselves clean, well our clothes at least, she says
sounds like my kinda day, I say
we sit with our coffees
I wonder what ginny and the witch are doing, she says
are you going to call her the witch to her face, I say
hmm, I might, I’m not as scared of her as you are, she says
she is a benign witch, I say
can I tell you something, she says
sure, I say
on that first night in bilbao, when I stayed with her, we slept together naked in her bed, just held each other, like we did last night, she says
was it nice, I say
yeah, it was very nice, you don’t think it’s weird or anything, she says
no, me and ginny did the same in bilbao, I say
but you’ve known her for ages, she says
but we have never done that, not even close, I say
was it nice, she says
yeah, it was very nice, do you think it’s weird or anything, I say
she drinks some coffee
there is a feeling that feels like jealousy I suppose, she says
perhaps we both needed that feeling, on that night, I say
everything is confusing but I like it, she says
we finish our drinks
oh fuck, I forgot, I got biscuits, I say
not pastries, she says
not at five thirty from the all night shop, no, I say
save the biscuits for later, she says
I need to wash, I smell gross, I say
can we shower together, she says
of course we can, I say
I’ve never showered with someone before, she says
seriously, I say
I have led a very sheltered life, timmy, you need to be help me navigate my way through reality, she says
well, I’ll try, I say
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