Anything for fish?
I was just wandering along the river in St Ives, the way I used to walk back to school after lunch, past the church, along the thicket.
Then I was in the shop, but it was outdoors, on several rocky levels, but covered. I reached the top level. A man, late 30’s/early 40’s comes up close and I notice he has a tiny baby strapped to his chest. I make admiring cooing noises and smile. It can’t have been more than a few days old, looking a bit wrinkly and with thick matted black hair. He asked me if I had anything for fish (the man, not the baby).
I felt a little embarrassed and explained that we would normally, but we just had two packets of Walton and Huffman or was it Blythe and Swiffer?.. left and we needed to restock all the different varieties. He was very gracious and I made a swift exit, suddenly feeling anxious about cash flow and the need for investment in things and where would we get the money to buy stock in time for Christmas?.. There was a new telly we needed for some reason.
Then I am driving. It is a complicated course I take, out of town on to grass, but having to dodge signs, bollards, rocks and other obstacles. I come down a slope and there are soldiers in varying states of wellness, clambering, or lying motionless. They are then zombies but there is blood. Then they are school kids, just lolling about, laughing, messing. I come back into an urban setting and find myself dropping off the grassy slope into a shopping area with a peculiar tiny patch of road with restrictions. I don’t think I went into it, but I am worried.
Soon, I am in a suburban street and I pull up in the drive of a semi. Whoever lives there is up a ladder, fixing a camera above their garage door. They are somewhat familiar, perhaps a celebrity or other public figure? Was it Victor Meldrew? Glenn Tillbrook? Jeremy Leggett? They reassure me they saw the potential road restriction infringement and I needn’t worry. If I get a letter, I should appeal. They have it all on tape.
The alarm goes off and I part-wake. In my bleary state, I continue to worry about the impending fine and try and figure out why I need a new telly. But I need to get up to finish Suma and then to the airport.
Chop chop.