Back in the van. Ripping up the streets. Drum and Bass pounding. Next stop: Evelyn’s. Student. Lives with her boyfriend. Posh house. He knocks the door. No answer. He goes round the side. No answer. She appears from the bathroom. A towel wrapped round her. She lets him in. Offers him tea. He accepts. She makes nice tea. Twenty quid of skunk. He waits. He’s got to pick his mother up from the hospital. She’s having chemo. He feels the walls. Checks the roof. A new- build she says. Cowboys he says.
—Look at this? She walks over. —Subsidence! he says, —This whole part will fall off in a year… or two.
She gasps. He gives her a solution. Him. He’s a Builder, by trade. She laughs. Phone goes. His mother. He’s off. Back door slams.
Not far to go. Just up the road. Car-park’s packed. He parks on the corner. Hospital stinks: farts and disinfectant. His mother sits waiting.
—Alright Mam?
She trembles. He picks her up. Sees her to the car. Puts on her seatbelt. Click. Turns music off. Drives a bit slower. She says nothing. He drops her off. Music on.
Next stop: Jeremy’s. Works all week. Computer Programmer. Half-day on Fridays. He rings the bell. House is small. No kids, no wife, no dog. He offers him a cheese sandwich. It sticks in his throat. He should cut down on the coke.
Chat is minimal. Two grams of Charlie. —Keeps me going through the week. —Computers are boring. —Numbs the soul. —This should ‘elp then butt, get-a nose full of that! Four lines later: two each, he goes.
Back in the van. His phone rings. That bint from last night! Can’t remember her name. She wants to know where the drink is. He tells her to get out. Next stop: home. To make sure she haven’t nicked nothing. He revs the car. Some slow cunt in front. Honks the horn. Beep. Beep.
23
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40