years?'
'They
went, son. They just went. I had Martine clear her stuff out of the bathroom
next door. She's got an en suite, but you know women. And We put all the
necessaries in the cabinet. Razor and that.' 'I don't believe this.' 'I was
just hoping, Mark. Just hoping.'» 'Well, here I am.'
They
stood together in the room for another minute, and then went back down to the
living room. From the kitchen came the aromas of food cooking.
'Chas
was right,' Mark said. 'That does smell good.'
'I
told you. Chas has found his forte.'
'Didn't
he ever find a woman?'
'I
never knew he lost one.'
'You
know what I mean.'
'I
don't enquire too much about Chas's sex life. He comes and goes, but he's never
got webbed up with anyone.'
'What'll
happen to him?'
'When?'
'When
something happens to you.'
'He'll
be well looked after. So will Martine. So will you if you'll let me.'
'We'll
see about that.'
They
were interrupted when Chas came into the room, still wearing his apron and
carrying a tray, the contents of which he used to set the table by the window.
He went out again and returned with a plate of food. 'Omelette and salad,' he
said. 'Nothing special.'
'Looks
good,' said Jenner.
The
big man looked down at him and smiled. 'The best,' he said, 'I'm going to have
Tootsie's stuff for my supper.'
After
he'd eaten, Jenner lit another joint and said. 'I'm going to turn in soon. I
need my beauty sleep. You stay up as long as you like. Watch a film.' He
pointed at a row of DVDs next to the widescreen TV in the corner. 'Got some
good gangster ones there.'
'I
bet you have.'
'American
mostly, Brit ones are crap. That Guy Ritchie, what a wanker. Or listen to
music. Just do what you like. It's liberty hall here.'
'Thanks,
Uncle John.'
'Chas'll
lock up. He'll wait for Martine. He don't sleep much these days. He'll make
breakfast in the morning. Anytime you like. I sleep in.
Mark
was beginning to understand the seriousness of the illness that afflicted his
old friend. In the silence that followed, Mark heard scratching at the door.
'What the hell's that?' he said.
'Get
it will you, son,' said Jenner.
Mark
went to the door and slowly opened it to reveal a scrawny old tabby standing
outside. The cat opened its mouth and let out an almost silent yowl before
limping in.
'It
can't be,' said Mark. 'Is it? Lily?'
At
the sound of her name, the cat raised its head, showing white, almost sightless
eyes, and yowled again. 'Christ, it is,' said Mark. 'I thought she'd be dead
and gone years ago. How old is she?'
'Twenty,
twenty-one,' said Jenner. Those Burmese moggies live to a ripe old age.'
'Hazel's
cat,' said Mark, closing the door and sitting again. 'That's amazing.'
Jenner's
wife had loved Lily, who she'd saved from being destroyed by a neighbour with
too many kittens, and she'd spoilt her rotten.
'I
said I'd look after her, and I have,' said Jenner. 'She's almost blind, and a
diabetic, but she still sleeps with me, and until her kidneys go and the starts
pissing the bed, I won't have her put down. Though sometimes I think it would
be kinder to do it.'
'She
used to sleep with me sometimes,' said Mark.
'She's
a bit of a tart is Lily. She'll sleep with anyone. If she tries it on again,
kick her out. But don't kick her too hard, she's fragile.'
'Course
not.'
The
old cat made her slow way across the carpet and headbutted Janner's leg. He
picked her up and put her on his lap, relit his spliff, leant down and let out
a mouthful of smoke. Lily lifted her head again, breathed it in, turned round
and went straight to sleep. 'She loves a bit of draw,' said Jenner. 'Helps her
kip. A bit like me.' 'I don't believe you, Uncle,' said Mark.
'Time
for bed for us both,'
'They
went, son. They just went. I had Martine clear her stuff out of the bathroom
next door. She's got an en suite, but you know women. And We put all the
necessaries in the cabinet. Razor and that.' 'I don't believe this.' 'I was
just hoping, Mark. Just hoping.'» 'Well, here I am.'
They
stood together in the room for another minute, and then went back down to the
living room. From the kitchen came the aromas of food cooking.
'Chas
was right,' Mark said. 'That does smell good.'
'I
told you. Chas has found his forte.'
'Didn't
he ever find a woman?'
'I
never knew he lost one.'
'You
know what I mean.'
'I
don't enquire too much about Chas's sex life. He comes and goes, but he's never
got webbed up with anyone.'
'What'll
happen to him?'
'When?'
'When
something happens to you.'
'He'll
be well looked after. So will Martine. So will you if you'll let me.'
'We'll
see about that.'
They
were interrupted when Chas came into the room, still wearing his apron and
carrying a tray, the contents of which he used to set the table by the window.
He went out again and returned with a plate of food. 'Omelette and salad,' he
said. 'Nothing special.'
'Looks
good,' said Jenner.
The
big man looked down at him and smiled. 'The best,' he said, 'I'm going to have
Tootsie's stuff for my supper.'
After
he'd eaten, Jenner lit another joint and said. 'I'm going to turn in soon. I
need my beauty sleep. You stay up as long as you like. Watch a film.' He
pointed at a row of DVDs next to the widescreen TV in the corner. 'Got some
good gangster ones there.'
'I
bet you have.'
'American
mostly, Brit ones are crap. That Guy Ritchie, what a wanker. Or listen to
music. Just do what you like. It's liberty hall here.'
'Thanks,
Uncle John.'
'Chas'll
lock up. He'll wait for Martine. He don't sleep much these days. He'll make
breakfast in the morning. Anytime you like. I sleep in.
Mark
was beginning to understand the seriousness of the illness that afflicted his
old friend. In the silence that followed, Mark heard scratching at the door.
'What the hell's that?' he said.
'Get
it will you, son,' said Jenner.
Mark
went to the door and slowly opened it to reveal a scrawny old tabby standing
outside. The cat opened its mouth and let out an almost silent yowl before
limping in.
'It
can't be,' said Mark. 'Is it? Lily?'
At
the sound of her name, the cat raised its head, showing white, almost sightless
eyes, and yowled again. 'Christ, it is,' said Mark. 'I thought she'd be dead
and gone years ago. How old is she?'
'Twenty,
twenty-one,' said Jenner. Those Burmese moggies live to a ripe old age.'
'Hazel's
cat,' said Mark, closing the door and sitting again. 'That's amazing.'
Jenner's
wife had loved Lily, who she'd saved from being destroyed by a neighbour with
too many kittens, and she'd spoilt her rotten.
'I
said I'd look after her, and I have,' said Jenner. 'She's almost blind, and a
diabetic, but she still sleeps with me, and until her kidneys go and the starts
pissing the bed, I won't have her put down. Though sometimes I think it would
be kinder to do it.'
'She
used to sleep with me sometimes,' said Mark.
'She's
a bit of a tart is Lily. She'll sleep with anyone. If she tries it on again,
kick her out. But don't kick her too hard, she's fragile.'
'Course
not.'
The
old cat made her slow way across the carpet and headbutted Janner's leg. He
picked her up and put her on his lap, relit his spliff, leant down and let out
a mouthful of smoke. Lily lifted her head again, breathed it in, turned round
and went straight to sleep. 'She loves a bit of draw,' said Jenner. 'Helps her
kip. A bit like me.' 'I don't believe you, Uncle,' said Mark.
'Time
for bed for us both,'
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