2184 by Parish Martin

Author:Parish, Martin [Parish, Martin]
Language: eng
Format: epub, mobi
Publisher: Martin Parish
Published: 2010-12-14T05:00:00+00:00

We begged a couple of passer-by for money and this time we got lucky; after half an hour we had eight nationals. Not a fortune but enough to buy us soap, a razor, a pair of scissors, some food, some synthetic kerosene. Kerosene is the most ghastly way to kill lice because not only does it hurt like hell, but you run the risk of lighting yourself on fire and dying together with your tormentors. The only thing to be said for it is that it's cheap and it works.

We stole a bucket from an empty yard and used it to bring water from a fountain on the square. Once I'd cleaned up a little and rid myself of my beard and shaggy hair I felt a little more civilized again, and while we still looked ragged as scarecrows it was a start. When you are filthy and dirty your self-respect suffers, just as when you're despised you come to see yourself the same way. But finding work still wouldn't be easy; our clothes were in rags and we knew no one.

"Didn't you say you were a plumber?" I asked Kamal.

"Yes, but I don't have any tools with me, I can't just-"

"All right, I know, I know." After I went to refill the bucket I realized I'd save time if our new neighbours would loan us some water. But would they be home? I didn't even know what day of the week it was. I knocked on the door of the house one down from our own. A dog responded from within with a deep-throated bark.

"Yes?" the owner said with a frown as he opened the door. He was a meaty, thick-necked man in his early thirties wearing a sweater darned and patched at the elbows; he had pale blue eyes like a fish's eyes in a coarse fleshy face. He reminded me of a boar. Behind him a mixed-breed mutt scuffled at the wainscoting.

"My friend and I just moved in next door and we don't have the water switched on yet, so I was wondering if we could borrow some of yours. I can pay you back later if you like." I didn't know how much they charged for water in Reading, but I didn't want to presume generosity where there might not be any.

"Okay," he said and looked me up and down dubiously. "So how much water do you need then?"

"Just a bucketful," I replied.

"Oh. That.” He snorted. "That's no problem, I thought when you said you were gonna pay you meant more than that. No, you don't have to pay us back for something like that, no. What'd you say your name was?"

"Mark Henshaw."

"Tom Ferguson." He extended his hand; he had a brutal grip.

"Pleased to meet you."

"Here, why don't you come on in then. The wife and kids are out right now, so it's just me. Stop it, Butcher." By Butcher he meant his dog. "Kitchen's right through there, you can fill it up in there. Where'd you say you came here from?"

"From London.

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