The Body is a Temple by Luke Bitmead

Author:Luke Bitmead [Bitmead, Luke]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781908775597
Publisher: Legend Press

We got back to Conrad’s an hour later, so sweaty we looked like we’d been swimming and neglected to towel ourselves dry. On the way back down from Pui O, we’d decided to get over to Ken’s apartment straight away, to avoid any possible run in with Nick. This meant we had to pack up Conrad’s stuff and cart it over to the ferry pier. It was the last thing we wanted to do in the terrible heat, but we had to play it safe. We had two hours before Nick was due back from work. Any time after that he could discover his stash was gone and come looking for us. We didn’t want to be anywhere near when his temper, always on a short fuse, detonated.

‘I’ve never seen so much shit,’ I said as I emptied drawer upon drawer of nightclub flyers, telephone numbers, match boxes, Bic biros and photos, in an attempt to clear Conrad’s belongings.

‘Just bin it,’ said Conrad. ‘I’m taking that rucksack and that suitcase and that’s it.’

I opened up a shiny yellow envelope of photos. They were of Conrad’s birthday a few years back. I flipped through them, smiling at the memory. They were the usual birthday snaps. People arm in arm, sticking their tongues out, rubbing each other on the head. The kind of shots no-one wants to see unless they were actually there. I found them fascinating. Again, I thought how young we looked.

‘What did you do this birthday?’ I asked Conrad.

‘Nothing. I sat where you’re sitting now and I drank a six pack watching The Day of the Jackal.’

‘Why didn’t you go out?’

‘I was skint. But the way we’re going, I won’t be again for a while.’

I got off the sofa, walked round the room, and started collecting Conrad’s stuff. His flat really was a dive. There was dust and bits of dried food and dog hair all over the floor. I wouldn’t have come back here if I’d known it was going to be like this. I’d started to enjoy a good standard of living. I didn’t want to regress. I hoped Ken’s place would at least be clean.

After half an hour we were finished. Conrad zipped up his rucksack and announced he was going to Silvermine Bay to get a trolley, then we’d wheel all his stuff out of the apartment and down to the pier.

‘Don’t be long,’ I said. ‘And try and stay out of trouble.’

‘Yes, mum,’ Conrad agreed as he closed the door behind him.

I stretched out on the sofa and flicked the TV on. After about quarter of an hour the phone rang. I picked up, expecting it to be Sophie.

‘Josh... I’ve had a bit of an accident,’ Conrad said, trying to speak without his voice quavering too much. I held the phone tighter. He’d only been gone fifteen minutes. Nothing too bad could have happened.

‘Doesn’t surprise me,’ I tried to be cool.

‘I think I need to go to hospital.’

‘What?’ I was suddenly sharp. ‘How bad is it? I mean are we talking serious like failing a GCSE? Or.

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