My Dinosaur Era Chapter 50

 

we should go to a launderette, says petula

why, I say

we have a lot of washing, she says

yeah, would be a few loads in my machine, I say

is there one near here, she says

yes, it's a few minutes walk, I say

let’s get our shit together and go, get it done, she says

 

backpacks back on, like we are off on holiday again

people are moving around us, off to work

taking kids to school, buying milk

we surge through them

the sun is out, the trees make patterns on the pavement

we hold hands as we traverse a zebra crossing

I feel clean

the shower took off a film

I recall having my chin on her shoulder

sliding my hand over her arse

watching the bubbles rise and pop under my fingers

how she massaged my chest firmly

her eyes fixed on mine

we had rinsed each other thoroughly 

no crevice left soapy

is this it, she says

I stop and look up, outside the launderette

almost skipped past it

yep, that’s the one

inside, some people staring into the machines

others staring into their phones

I start to empty out my rucksack

piece by piece, letting them land gently on a bench

petula tips her stuff directly onto the floor

first her rucksack, then the contents of a tesco bag for life

blimey, you’ve got a lot of stuff, says the woman who works here

I look at her, embarrassed by the mountain of fabrics between us

yeah, sorry, we’ve just got back from holiday, I say

ooh, lovely, where you been, she says

spain, I say

beautiful ain't it, you’ve brought the weather with you, she says

I can do a service wash if you like, she says

what’s that, I say

jesus, timmy, how do you not know what a service wash is, says petula

I do it all for you, wash, dry fold, all that shebang, she says

right, ok, how much is that, I say

she looks down over the expanse of shirts, pants, shorts

thirty quid, she says

no, we can do it ourselves, timmy, says petula

we can but honestly, I am really happy to pay thirty quid to come and get this later, all folded up, I say

are you sure, says petula

yeah, we can go and have breakfast or something, I say

 

in the cafe down the road, I message ginny

hey, we’re having breakfast, what you doing, I say

replies straight away

at yours, came back early this morning, enjoyed being scared xx, she says

do you want to join us, I say

nah babe, doing some washing, hope you don’t mind, love you xx

 

so you must be loaded to be splashing out on service washes, says petula

yeah and ginny is using my water and electricity to do their washing at mine too, I think I kinda fucked this up today, I say

well, at least you have a job and can afford these things, I’m pretty much unemployed thanks to jonny and the bullshit he pulled when I was meant to be going to that festival, she says

I don’t have a job either, I say

what about the travel writing thing, she says

I got canned just before I went to bilbao, I say

you never said, she says

I was more upset about you disappearing to be honest, I say

so what’s the plan, get some more work like that, she says

I don’t think so, I hated it, I say

travel writing sounds fun, she says

sure, if you get to go to the place, I’m sure it is, if you are just rearranging keywords for a search engine to entice people to go somewhere that you know fuck all about, it’s less fun, I say

yeah, I guess, she says

I have some money, like three grand I think, I might have to build up to asking my mum to help me, feels pathetic to be doing that in my fifties, I say

it’s no fun in your forties either, I have never asked my mum for money but I might have to as well, she says

maybe we’ll have to get proper jobs, I say

I used to have one of them, she says

oh yeah, I say

yeah, I was a physiotherapist, she says

wow, ok, that seems like a cool job, I say

it was, when I moved to brighton I wanted to start doing it again but there wasn’t that much opportunity, I hadn’t been qualified long, so that’s when I ended up working at the place I met jonny, she says

so do you want to do that again, I say

yes, maybe one day, she says

I’ve never had a proper job, just a procession of shit ones, I say

maybe it’s about time you thought about one then, huh, just give it a go before you die, she says

she smiles at me whilst she stirs her coffee

yeah, maybe I shall, I say

but until then, we’re a couple of unemployed bums sitting in a cafe on a monday morning with brandy on our breath, she says

you’ve made it sound kinda poetic rather than a bit tragic, I say

that’s my unique selling point, timmy, turning tragedy into something beautiful, she says