Escape by David McMillan

Author:David McMillan [McMillan, David]
Language: eng
Format: epub, mobi
Tags: Retail
ISBN: 9789810575687
Publisher: Monsoon Books Pte. Ltd.
Published: 2012-10-02T00:12:04+00:00

14

The train had just left Bolzano—that’s Italy, you know—and then she became very friendly, smiling all the time and she was wearing many white things and we were alone, you know, and the train was moving very fast. She was kissing—I don’t know how that started. I can speak to you David of those things because I see you have your own everything, everything under control. You understand? So, of course, I’m thinking this is all very good with this girl, you know, and she is giving me pleasure with her mouth but suddenly in this fast train (it is moving and the lights are moving) I know then she is putting something into me and I’m not the one giving to her.’

‘Was it painful?’ I ask.

‘No, no. I mean she is taking my spirit and putting something bad from her into my mind. Like she is a witch, you know. This was too bad. I wanted to throw her off the train. I did not. She got off at Innsbruck. There was something wrong with this girl. Some reason she was there. Now there’s this magazine,’ he trumped, proof upon proof.

‘Magazine?’ I was talking to the Czech, Karel Stendak, serving thirty years for the usual 2.7 kilos. Stendak sometimes arrived at my desk when Jet was not around to warn me.

‘Yes. The magazine,’ Stendak began, confident in his evidence. ‘I was not in my chair in the factory. I think somebody called me away. So I come back and on my chair is this magazine. Catalogue, really. For some clothes. And, of course, I see her picture there—the same girl. So. It’s no accident, eh? And on my chair. You know who put this magazine? Maybe you saw someone?’

‘I don’t suppose you still have it?’ I saw Jet carrying something he’d found back to our office so began signalling for help.

‘No. Of course, somebody took it after they made me see it.’ Stendak lowered his eyes, rather disappointed I hadn’t guessed. ‘Because anyway, I don’t realise it is the same girl until later. Too late by then, they know. But, you see?’

‘My teacher.’ Jet had arrived. ‘The chief wants to talk to you about your cat. He says your cat’s shit!’

‘Really, Jet. We’ll have to see about that!’ I stood, turning to Stendak. ‘You’ll have to excuse me. The chief. The cat, you know. The shit.’

‘Okay, my friend.’ Stendak rose from the ice-chest seat but didn’t move so I began poking through cupboards as though searching for a weapon to deal with the troublesome chief. ‘You are very quiet here, David. It must be good. Can I move into your room? We can talk at night?’

‘We’ll talk about that sometime,’ I said escorting him to the gate.

Once Stendak was out of sight I doubled back to the office and stared at Jet who was laughing.

‘Jet—“The chief says my cat is shit.” Was that the best you could think of?’

Karel Stendak had alerted me to the conspiracies against him before. Unhappily schizophrenics can spot me from a great distance and they see a friend.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.