AT HOME
The bus I catch doesn’t go up the hill and when I get off at the corner I catch the smell of fish and chips and I cross the road and call at the shop and buy a fish and four penn’orth of chips. I eat them out of the paper as I’m going up the hill. I really like fish and chips and there’s no better way of eating them than in the open air. They last me till I get to the gate.
It’s half past ten and the Old Lady and the Old Man are sitting with the table-lamp on watching television when I go in.
“Do you want some supper?” the Old Lady asks me.
“I’ve had some fish and chips on my way.”
“You’ll want a drink of something, I suppose?”
“It’s all right; don’t bother; I’ll make some cocoa.”
I go into the kitchen and make the cocoa and bring it back into the living-room and sit down on the sofa at the back and light a cigarette. I’m thinking about Ingrid as I watch the picture4 that’s on TV. I’m wondering what happened that she didn’t come to meet me.
“Where’ve you been?” the Old Lady says in a minute.
“Pictures.”
“By yourself?”
“With Willy Lomas.”
“Willy Lomas? I don’t think I know him, do I?”
“I used to6 go to school with him.”
“I don’t know why you pay good money to go to the pictures when you can see them at home for nothing,” says the Old Man.
“You can’t show colour and Cinemascope on TV.”
“Cinemascope?”
“Wide screen….. bigger.”
“But they’re pictures, just the same, aren’t they?”
I don’t bother to argue about it. The picture’s finished and there’s a toothpaste ad on and I get up and throw my cig-end in the fire.
“Going
up?” the Old Lady says.
“Yes, I’m ready for it. Had a busy day today.”
I say good night and go upstairs. There’s a light in Jim’s room. I go into our bathroom and wash my face and clean my teeth as quickly as I can. As I’m coming out Jim calls me.
“What is it?”
“A letter for you.”
I take it and look at it. I look at my name on the envelope and all at once I begin to get excited.
“Where did you get this?”
“I found it behind the front door. Somebody pushed it in while we were watching television. There’s no stamp on it.”
There’s no address on it, either; just my name.
I shut the door behind me before I open the letter. “Dear Vie,” it says. “My cousin decided to catch a later train and I went with her to the station to see her off. The train was late and it was after half past seven when I got back. I went to where we’d arranged to meet but of course you’d gone. I’m going to be at the same place tomorrow night. (Sunday). I hope you can come. Love,
Ingrid.”
(Adapted)
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