Chapter 3
John looked around the room. The sun was coming through the gap in the flowery curtains. Someone had left a Westlife poster on the wall and there was a dying banana palm three in the corner. Otherwise the room consisted of the bed John was lying in, an old twodoor wardrobe and an antique desk with paintstains in multiple colours. He wasn't quite sure what he was doing here. He felt like he had entered someone elses life.Someone was in the kitchen, and soon after the aroma of freshly brewed coffee reached Johns nostrils. He stayed under the blanket and closed his eyes. His new life had come to quick, too easy. He wasn't ready to face it. Not just yet.It was almost lunchtime befoer John emerged from under the blanket. When he puled the curtains back he was looking out at the backyard, and further out in the horizon he could see the sea. There was a knock on the door. It was Julia, "James said you might want to borrow a towel. I'll leave some out here for you". Julia walked into the lounge and John could hear her close the door behind her. John picked up the towels and went to the bathroom. He stood under the shower for a long time. He had never felt this clean before, which off course he had, but it seemed like such a long time ago, since he had had a shower, where he didn't have to clean the cockroaches off the soap first. He wrapped himself in the towel and went to put on his jeans and T-shirt. They could do with having the past washed out too, but that had to wait. First he needed to find a shop and get some food. He could not keep spunging of his new found friends. He went into the lounge, "Good morning Julia, thanks for the towels". "No worries, I've got too many anyway. Let me know if there is anything else I can do". John wondered what kind of conversation her and James had had about him this morning. Him moving in with just a small sports bag was bound to create questions, but Julia left it alone. "is there a shop near by where I can pick up some bread and stuff?", John asked. "There's a small corner shop down the far end of the road, but I'm going to the supermarket later if you want me to pick something up for you, or you can have a lift?". "Thanks, I'm sure the corner shop will be ok for now". Julia trew him a key as he was leaving, "you'll need this at some point". John put the key in his pocket and walked out into the sunny road.
It was a nice street with threes along the road, and flowers in the front gardens. John was back in his house the morning Josephine disappeared out of his life. The had had breakfast on the patio, planning a weekend to the Lake District, but as it turned out, it had all been a lie. By the time John returned from work, Josephine had cleared out his life. John had compeltely hit the floorboards, so when cheques started bounching at his bank he had been to distressed to deal with it, and by the time he missed his third work deadline, his boss had lost patience and he let John go. From there onwards Johns life at just been a downwards spiralle, untill today. Or maybe this was only an illusion? John picked up a toothbrush, toothpaste, some bread and jam and a box of tea.The walk to the shop and back had brought Johns hunger back, so he didn't bother toasting the bread, but just put some jam inbetween two slices of bread, while the water was boiling for the tea. By the time the kettled had boiled, John was on his second jam sandwich and Matthew appeared in the kitchen. "Morning. I'm Matthew", Matthew put his hand out to shake Johns, "John, hi". "James says you don't have any belongings. What happened to them?". Matthew was not even half as descreet as Julia or James had been, but somehow John didn't mind. "I got ribbed off yours ago. Haven't really had oppertunity to replace anything yet", John replied. "Do you work?", "Not at the moment", "A mate of mine might need someone to help renovate this old nightmare of a house he just bought, if you are interested", "sure". Matthew picked up his mobile and called his friend right there and then, and 10 minutes later John had a job, starting Monday morning. John had never done any renovating before, but Matthews friend didn't seem to care, so why should John worry. "See you later!", said Matthew as he disappeared back into his room. John mad another jam sandwich and took it into the lounge with his cup of tea.He flicked the TV on. Pope John Paul II had died.After breakfast, which was more like lunch, timewise, John walked towards the sea. The Pope had died, and John had gotten a new life. Untill yesterday Johns life had still been cockroach infested, and now the Pope had died. It was not that John was particularily religious, or political for that matter, but he had shared a name with the dead pope. John found himself at the marina which was buzzing with life, not surprisingly with today being only the 5th day of summer in an otherwise cold and wet spring."John, over here!", someone was yelling. "over here!", John saw James waving his arm like a mad. James was only male at a table of 5 girls. "Come and meet the crowd. Do you want a beer? Lu is getting a round in". One of the girls looked at James with a pretend surprise painted on her face, "I am?", she turned to John, "pull over a chair, I'm Lu. A pint of Stella ok?". John didn't protest. By his second pint he felt part of everything and when Lu kissed him on the cheak before she left it felt as if she had done that a million times before. "hope to see you again, soon!", Lu winked at John, and she disappeared."Lu likes you", announced James, when he and John headed back to the flat in the dusk. John was surprised, "you think so?". "Why else would she invite herself around to watch the game on Tuesday?". John never watched football, never had.
"Coffee's on!". Matthew was hollowing through Johns door. "If you hurry up, Julia will give us a lift". John found a cockroach clean T-shirt in his bag, grapped his jacket and went to the kitchen to poor himself a cup of coffee. As if he did this everyday he greated Matthew and Julia with, "I'm ready when you are", while he gulped down the hot coffee.Julia's car, if you could call it that, looked like it was older than John felt after a sunday afternoon/evening of pooring beer down his throth, but it started after only 3 attempts, and Julia drove like she had been brought up with this car, adjusting her driving to it's every whim.They stopped in front of what John in his privious life would have classified as a dump, but now looked like a potential palace.A short, bodybuilder type, with shaved head approached the car as John got out. "Hi Matti, how's life?". He didn't wait for an answer, "You must be John, glad to have you on board, my name's Tony", he said, while eyeing John up and down. "Have fun", Matthew and Julia said in unison as Julia pulled back out onto the road and drove off.Even though Tony was shorter than John, John felt intimidated by Tony. "You're not affraid of spiders I hope. This house is full of them", Tony introduced while he showed John around. John soon realised that Tony did as much talking has he did working, and he was a hard worker, but he didn't expect any reply, so John and him soon found a rythm, and by the end of the day they had stripped the whole first floor.Tony gave John a lift back and John headed straight for the shower and straight to bed. He slept like a baby.
It was a nice street with threes along the road, and flowers in the front gardens. John was back in his house the morning Josephine disappeared out of his life. The had had breakfast on the patio, planning a weekend to the Lake District, but as it turned out, it had all been a lie. By the time John returned from work, Josephine had cleared out his life. John had compeltely hit the floorboards, so when cheques started bounching at his bank he had been to distressed to deal with it, and by the time he missed his third work deadline, his boss had lost patience and he let John go. From there onwards Johns life at just been a downwards spiralle, untill today. Or maybe this was only an illusion? John picked up a toothbrush, toothpaste, some bread and jam and a box of tea.The walk to the shop and back had brought Johns hunger back, so he didn't bother toasting the bread, but just put some jam inbetween two slices of bread, while the water was boiling for the tea. By the time the kettled had boiled, John was on his second jam sandwich and Matthew appeared in the kitchen. "Morning. I'm Matthew", Matthew put his hand out to shake Johns, "John, hi". "James says you don't have any belongings. What happened to them?". Matthew was not even half as descreet as Julia or James had been, but somehow John didn't mind. "I got ribbed off yours ago. Haven't really had oppertunity to replace anything yet", John replied. "Do you work?", "Not at the moment", "A mate of mine might need someone to help renovate this old nightmare of a house he just bought, if you are interested", "sure". Matthew picked up his mobile and called his friend right there and then, and 10 minutes later John had a job, starting Monday morning. John had never done any renovating before, but Matthews friend didn't seem to care, so why should John worry. "See you later!", said Matthew as he disappeared back into his room. John mad another jam sandwich and took it into the lounge with his cup of tea.He flicked the TV on. Pope John Paul II had died.After breakfast, which was more like lunch, timewise, John walked towards the sea. The Pope had died, and John had gotten a new life. Untill yesterday Johns life had still been cockroach infested, and now the Pope had died. It was not that John was particularily religious, or political for that matter, but he had shared a name with the dead pope. John found himself at the marina which was buzzing with life, not surprisingly with today being only the 5th day of summer in an otherwise cold and wet spring."John, over here!", someone was yelling. "over here!", John saw James waving his arm like a mad. James was only male at a table of 5 girls. "Come and meet the crowd. Do you want a beer? Lu is getting a round in". One of the girls looked at James with a pretend surprise painted on her face, "I am?", she turned to John, "pull over a chair, I'm Lu. A pint of Stella ok?". John didn't protest. By his second pint he felt part of everything and when Lu kissed him on the cheak before she left it felt as if she had done that a million times before. "hope to see you again, soon!", Lu winked at John, and she disappeared."Lu likes you", announced James, when he and John headed back to the flat in the dusk. John was surprised, "you think so?". "Why else would she invite herself around to watch the game on Tuesday?". John never watched football, never had.
"Coffee's on!". Matthew was hollowing through Johns door. "If you hurry up, Julia will give us a lift". John found a cockroach clean T-shirt in his bag, grapped his jacket and went to the kitchen to poor himself a cup of coffee. As if he did this everyday he greated Matthew and Julia with, "I'm ready when you are", while he gulped down the hot coffee.Julia's car, if you could call it that, looked like it was older than John felt after a sunday afternoon/evening of pooring beer down his throth, but it started after only 3 attempts, and Julia drove like she had been brought up with this car, adjusting her driving to it's every whim.They stopped in front of what John in his privious life would have classified as a dump, but now looked like a potential palace.A short, bodybuilder type, with shaved head approached the car as John got out. "Hi Matti, how's life?". He didn't wait for an answer, "You must be John, glad to have you on board, my name's Tony", he said, while eyeing John up and down. "Have fun", Matthew and Julia said in unison as Julia pulled back out onto the road and drove off.Even though Tony was shorter than John, John felt intimidated by Tony. "You're not affraid of spiders I hope. This house is full of them", Tony introduced while he showed John around. John soon realised that Tony did as much talking has he did working, and he was a hard worker, but he didn't expect any reply, so John and him soon found a rythm, and by the end of the day they had stripped the whole first floor.Tony gave John a lift back and John headed straight for the shower and straight to bed. He slept like a baby.
posted by Sparkling at 10:00 AM
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