Read Online Always: You'll Never Walk Alone by Keith Whiting - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Keith Whiting
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mud. Stepping from stone to stone, I made my way to the front door. Gathering up my nerve, pushed on by hunger I knocked.
Silence!
I knocked again, and again - Silence!
I stepped off the path and peered into the window. It was now completely dark, both inside and out.
“WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING? YOU THINK YOU’RE GOING TO BREAK INTO MY HOUSE? I’LL HAVE YOUR GUTS FOR GARTERS BEFORE YOU GET INTO MY HOUSE?”
I jumped back from the window and turned towards the front door, almost falling over in the slippery mud. My heart was beating so hard I thought my chest would explode and then, I almost burst out laughing. Shaking a fist at me and with a frying pan held high in her other hand was a woman who when she was young and upright may have been five feet tall. She looked to be about a hundred years old. I’m not sure if she could even see me but since she was waving the frying pan in my general direction I wasn’t about to take any chances.
“I’m very sorry ma’am I thought there was nobody home…”
“SO YOU THOUGHT YOU WOULD JUST BREAK IN AND STEAL WHATEVER YOU COULD FIND?”
N’ NO ma’am I was just passing I’m on my way to the West Country and I was wondering if you could spare some food. I haven’t eaten in two days…”
“SPARE SOME FOOD? WHO DO YOU THINK I AM? YOUR MOTHER?”
“No, of course not, I would be happy to work in return for whatever you could spare.”
“NO I CAN’T SPARE ANYTHING. GO AWAY BEFORE I BASH YOUR HEAD.”
“I’m very sorry to have disturbed you ma’am, I’ll be on my way.”
“ON YOUR WAY? JUST LIKE THAT AFTER SCARING ME HALF WAY TO DEATH AND BACK? I DON’T THINK SO! NOW THAT YOU’RE HERE YOU CAN JUST HAVE A LOOK AT MY BACK DOOR IT WON’T CLOSE PROPERLY, THEN YOU CAN BE ON YOUR WAY.”
“Certainly ma’am.” And I stepped towards her.
She raised the pan even higher “GO AROUND THE OTHER WAY. I KNOW WHAT YOU YOUNG MEN ARE AFTER, AND I’M TELLING YOU, YOU CAN FORGET ANY OF THOSE IDEAS.”
In spite of my disappointment, I repressed a grin, apologized and walked round to the back of the house. She was waiting for me just inside the back door, still holding on to the pan although lowered to her side now.
“WELL DO YOU THINK YOU CAN FIX IT?”
It was open and when I tried to shut it, it got stuck about an inch from the jamb. I tried forcing it but it wouldn’t go any further so I pushed it wide open trying to see what was causing it to stick. It was completely dark and I could hardly see a thing so I asked if she had a candle or a lamp so I could inspect the hinges.
She turned back into the house without saying a word. Just as I thought she wasn’t coming back I saw the flicker of a candle coming down the hall. As she reached the door, a gust of wind came up and blew the candle out. She didn’t seem to notice and handed it to me anyway. “THERE THAT SHOULD HELP.”
It seemed that she only had one level of talking, which was nothing less than a shout.
As I stepped forward to take the candle, I felt something against my foot. Reaching down I found a piece of wood lying against the doorjamb. I picked it up and the door closed perfectly. From the other side of the door I heard her shout “STAY THERE AND I’LL BRING YOU SOMETHING. BUT DON’T YOU GO GETTING ANY IDEAS.”
I thanked her and sat down on a wooden chair that leaned against the wall. My head was aching, my body exhausted, and the thought of food made my mouth water. I must have dozed off for a few seconds when I suddenly became aware of an aroma of tomato and basil. The old lady brought a bowl of soup and a big hunk of bread to the back door. “I’M GOING TO LET YOU COME INSIDE AND EAT THIS, BUT IF YOU TRY ANY FUNNY BUSINESS YOU’LL BE OUT ON YOUR EAR.”
Forcing my unwilling legs to stand I followed the smell through the hall and into the kitchen. The house was unlit. The glow from the kitchen fire and the aroma of the soup were the only clues as to where she stood. Placing the bowl
Silence!
I knocked again, and again - Silence!
I stepped off the path and peered into the window. It was now completely dark, both inside and out.
“WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING? YOU THINK YOU’RE GOING TO BREAK INTO MY HOUSE? I’LL HAVE YOUR GUTS FOR GARTERS BEFORE YOU GET INTO MY HOUSE?”
I jumped back from the window and turned towards the front door, almost falling over in the slippery mud. My heart was beating so hard I thought my chest would explode and then, I almost burst out laughing. Shaking a fist at me and with a frying pan held high in her other hand was a woman who when she was young and upright may have been five feet tall. She looked to be about a hundred years old. I’m not sure if she could even see me but since she was waving the frying pan in my general direction I wasn’t about to take any chances.
“I’m very sorry ma’am I thought there was nobody home…”
“SO YOU THOUGHT YOU WOULD JUST BREAK IN AND STEAL WHATEVER YOU COULD FIND?”
N’ NO ma’am I was just passing I’m on my way to the West Country and I was wondering if you could spare some food. I haven’t eaten in two days…”
“SPARE SOME FOOD? WHO DO YOU THINK I AM? YOUR MOTHER?”
“No, of course not, I would be happy to work in return for whatever you could spare.”
“NO I CAN’T SPARE ANYTHING. GO AWAY BEFORE I BASH YOUR HEAD.”
“I’m very sorry to have disturbed you ma’am, I’ll be on my way.”
“ON YOUR WAY? JUST LIKE THAT AFTER SCARING ME HALF WAY TO DEATH AND BACK? I DON’T THINK SO! NOW THAT YOU’RE HERE YOU CAN JUST HAVE A LOOK AT MY BACK DOOR IT WON’T CLOSE PROPERLY, THEN YOU CAN BE ON YOUR WAY.”
“Certainly ma’am.” And I stepped towards her.
She raised the pan even higher “GO AROUND THE OTHER WAY. I KNOW WHAT YOU YOUNG MEN ARE AFTER, AND I’M TELLING YOU, YOU CAN FORGET ANY OF THOSE IDEAS.”
In spite of my disappointment, I repressed a grin, apologized and walked round to the back of the house. She was waiting for me just inside the back door, still holding on to the pan although lowered to her side now.
“WELL DO YOU THINK YOU CAN FIX IT?”
It was open and when I tried to shut it, it got stuck about an inch from the jamb. I tried forcing it but it wouldn’t go any further so I pushed it wide open trying to see what was causing it to stick. It was completely dark and I could hardly see a thing so I asked if she had a candle or a lamp so I could inspect the hinges.
She turned back into the house without saying a word. Just as I thought she wasn’t coming back I saw the flicker of a candle coming down the hall. As she reached the door, a gust of wind came up and blew the candle out. She didn’t seem to notice and handed it to me anyway. “THERE THAT SHOULD HELP.”
It seemed that she only had one level of talking, which was nothing less than a shout.
As I stepped forward to take the candle, I felt something against my foot. Reaching down I found a piece of wood lying against the doorjamb. I picked it up and the door closed perfectly. From the other side of the door I heard her shout “STAY THERE AND I’LL BRING YOU SOMETHING. BUT DON’T YOU GO GETTING ANY IDEAS.”
I thanked her and sat down on a wooden chair that leaned against the wall. My head was aching, my body exhausted, and the thought of food made my mouth water. I must have dozed off for a few seconds when I suddenly became aware of an aroma of tomato and basil. The old lady brought a bowl of soup and a big hunk of bread to the back door. “I’M GOING TO LET YOU COME INSIDE AND EAT THIS, BUT IF YOU TRY ANY FUNNY BUSINESS YOU’LL BE OUT ON YOUR EAR.”
Forcing my unwilling legs to stand I followed the smell through the hall and into the kitchen. The house was unlit. The glow from the kitchen fire and the aroma of the soup were the only clues as to where she stood. Placing the bowl
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