Blitz

‘What are you doing?’

‘Shopping.’

Falls pushed the trolley aside, asked,

‘What do you need... everything?’

‘Some red wine.’

‘Oh, I don’t think so. We need to get the essentials.’

He wanted to say,

‘The wine is essential.’

But went with,

‘I’ll wait outside.’

He stood near the off-licence, wondering would he risk going for a bottle? A woman was passing, pulling a girl of eight or so by the hand. She stopped, rummaged in her bag, found some coins and shoved them at him, said in a testy tone,

‘That’s all the change I’ve got.’

And moved on, the little girl looking back, asking,

‘Mum, is that a wino?’

‘Sh... shu... shush, he’ll hear you.’

He stared at the coins in his hand, shock sneaking along his spine. Falls appeared, pushing a heavy trolley, shouted,

‘Give me a hand, eh?’

He put the coins in his pocket. Falls was driving a Daewoo, he asked,

‘This yours?’

‘Belongs to a neighbour, I do her shopping too.’

Opened the boot, began to put the stuff in, asked,

‘You all right?’

‘Never better.’

Back at his house, she surveyed the wreckage, asked,

‘Have you been camping here?’

He sank into a chair, said,

‘Give it a rest.’

She did.

He dozed, was awoken to the smell of cooking. The room was spotless. Falls handed him a mug, said,

‘It’s soup, you’re frozen.’

To his surprise, it was good, awakened his appetite. She provided French bread, slices of meat and he ate it all, said,

‘Christ, that was good.’

She gave a radiant smile. Lit up the whole room and he realised with astonishment that he’d almost never seen her do that. He said,

‘I think I’ll be okay now.’

Falls stared at him for a long moment, considered, then:

‘Yes, I think you just might.’

‘I’m going to sell this house.’

‘Great idea.’

‘You think?’

‘Yeah, who the fuck wants to live in Dulwich?’

‘I thought everybody did.’

He was genuinely astonished. She gave another of the smiles, asked,

‘How many black people do you know? I mean, as friends?’

‘Ahm...’

‘That’s what I thought.’

She got all his soiled clothes in the washing machine, warned,

‘Use fabric softener.’

‘Why?’

‘Jeez... men! Take it on trust, okay?’