Read Online I Am The Local Atheist by Warwick Stubbs - Free Book Online

consideration of
throwing it in a bin as I walked back to the flat though. I sent
Lisa a txt saying ‘hi’ and explained that I had finally given in to
the lure of cellphones a few months ago. She seemed to think that
was funny, but I made no effort to reply back and hadn’t heard from
her since. Several days later while still working for The Salvation
Army, I received a txt asking if I wanted to hang out with her,
Claire and Wendy on the weekend. I said ‘sure’ not really sure why,
because it was bound to continue getting even more uncomfortable
around her. But the hard fact of the matter was that I wanted her
friendship back, I wanted what we once had – that understanding of
two people that transcends past mistakes without it being anything
more than just a friendship. But I really didn’t know if that was
possible anymore, I didn’t even know why she had even bothered
getting in touch with me again. I could’ve assumed that she had
wanted the same thing but she had new friends, she didn’t need me
anymore. She seemed so happy without me. Nothing made sense.
    Lucas had been
moving a bunch of file boxes that I hadn’t got around to doing, and
had seemed pretty casual about the whole thing.
    Christie came
through the shed doors as I was putting my cellphone away.
    “ How’s it going, David?”
    “ Good thanks.”
    “ That’s awesome. Unfortunately, at least for us – probably not
so much for you because you’re probably sick of all the carrying
that you’ve had to do – we’ve run out of work for you.
Lucas-Anthony…”
    “ LUCAS!!” yelled a voice from the
other room.
    “… is shifting the last lot of files that needed to be moved from
the old storage office – to make way for yours truly – and after
that we’re kinda all done.”
    “ That’s cool as. I actually appreciated being able to do some
physical exercise after having sat on my ass for most of the
year.”
    “ Well, we’re glad to have been a help. But, hey, that’s what
we’re here for. If you ever need anything don’t be afraid to come
in and say hi. Okay?”
    “ Sounds great.” I smiled.
    Christie
turned towards the room that Lucas was walking out of. “How you
doing?”
    “ Hot thanks.” He straightened up putting his hands in his
pockets.
    “ Have you been keeping the boxes in order of how they were
originally stacked back in the room?”
    “ Well,” he said rocking on his heels. “Let me just say that how
I took them out of your room is absolutely relative to how I put
them in the truck and subsequently, how I restacked them in this
room.”
    “ Relative?”
    “ Absolutely.”
    She wasn’t
looking at him with much enthusiasm. “That doesn’t really answer my
question Mr. Lucas-Anthony.”
    “ No,” he said sprightly. “I wasn’t really expecting it to.” He
slapped his hands together and smiled. “What’s next on your list of
jobs for me to do?”
    I couldn’t
help but smile. I liked his avoidance of responsibility.
    Christie
rolled her eyes hopelessly and walked out after reminding me to
drop the keys in at the reception when I left.
    Lucas walked
over to me. “Hey, you wanna get together later on and grab a couple
of drinks?”
    “ Can we make it Friday? I’m still pretty buggered from these
last two days – my body’s so not used to this kind of
work.”
    “ Yeah, good as. I’ll txt ya’ to let you know where.”
    “ Cheers.”
     
    We agreed on
lunch at the Fraterniser downtown – a bar/café with deeply stained
wood panelled walls and rough tables that gave it a semi-rustic
vibe, almost an Irish tavern if it wasn’t for the mini chandeliers
hanging from the high ceiling and the café vibe squeezed into a far
corner with sofas and settees stolen straight out of the
seventies.
    “ Sit at the bar by the window?” he asked, moving ahead of me,
sitting down and immediately lighting up a cigarette.
    Lucas wasn’t
going to be returning to any work for another couple of weeks. I
asked how he