A FEW MINUTES

He was sitting, crying on the steps of the registry office in Corn Street.
‘Why are they walking past me?’ he said, red face tears on cheeks. ‘They don’t even look at me.’
I stopped, looked at him.
‘Can I talk to you a minute?’ he said rolling a cigarette.
I sighed, reluctant, wanting to get home, ‘Okay,’ I said. ‘What do you want?’
‘I want you to listen to me.’
He said, ‘Why don’t they listen to me?’
‘I expect they want to get home put their feet up watch the telly,’ I said.
‘I can’t bear it, the way they walk past and don’t even notice me.’
‘They think they’ve more important things to do,’ I said, ‘than give you their attention.’
‘They’re horrible,’ he said. ‘Bastards,’ shaking his head.
He rubbed his eyes with one hand the other holding the cigarette he’d finished rolling.
‘I’m going to kill myself,’ he said.
‘That just limits your options,’I said. ‘You can’t do anything else if you do that.’
He looked at me, I wanted to go, I’d had enough.
‘I expect to see you on the streets the next few days,’ I said and gave him what change I had left after having been tapped for two pounds a few minutes earlier.

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THE CLOSER

‘I don’t know why they don’t close the door,’ he said closing the door to the Cotham Road South launderette after a man’d just left with his young son.
‘Born in a field,’ I said.
‘I don’t think it’s that,’ he said, ‘but I thought they’d be more intelligent round here. It doesn’t make sense to leave the door open, it’s not as if it’s fresh air with the road right outside and all the traffic going by.’
‘They’re not taking responsibility for their actions,’ I said. ‘It’s like those people who drop litter and expect someone to clean up after them.’
‘I saw you closing it earlier,’ he said.
‘It irritates me when people leave doors open,’ I said.
The man himself had arrived just after I’d loaded two washing machines. He walked round by the dryers and out of view where, later, I saw him in the corner writing in a notebook rested on a surface with several carrier bags. I didn’t see him do any washing or drying and he left and came back a couple of times while I was there.
When I’d finished, folded and put my clothes into the large blue plastic Ikea bag I’d used, I said, ‘Bye now,’ and he said, ‘Bye,’ and I left making sure I pulled the door closed behind me.

THE CALLING OF THE COMPANY MAN

I got a message via youtube about the use of footage I’d taken of the skull and the crocodile being painted on Westmoreland House, footage I’d used to make the film ‘The Wall’. I’d been asked a few months earlier by a representative of the artists who wanted some stills for an exhibition in Leeds and London of their work. I dropped the DVDs I burned for them off at the Here Shop on the corner of Ashley and Stokes as agreed.
This time the request was for the footage to be used by a film company based in Bedminster who’re making a programme about street art and graffiti, mostly in Bristol. It’ll be shown 26th May, ITV West.
I’d texted the rep last night saying ok and he’d texted, ‘Can you make me a copy of the film? I gave mine to someone in Leeds.’
This morning he phoned, ‘I’m on the train,’ he said and the signal and reception was poor so it was difficult to understand what he was saying and I said, ‘It’s difficult to understand what you’re saying.’
I said he could give my number to the man from the film company and within a minute of saying goodbye to Rep, Company Man phoned and I said a time he could call round.
Three fifteen and CMan arrived. I’d prepared everything he might want. First we tried to put it on a DVD but there was too much of it although I made room on my hard drive thinking that was the location of the error...
...then CMan said, ‘You got an ethernet cable?’
The ethernet cable runs from the modem to the computer. I unplugged the modem end, plugged into CMan’s laptop, a MacBook.
‘My daughter’s got one of those,’ I said.
‘They’re the best,’ he said.
An icon for his laptop appeared on my desktop. I dragged and dropped an eight gig file that took minutes to transfer.
‘This is good quality,’ he said then made a phone call. ‘Some of this is really good quality,’ he said, ‘You’d never know it was from a stills camera...er, yeh, almost done.’
I ejected his icon and he unplugged the ethernet cable.
‘If there’s anything we can do for you anytime then e-mail,’ he said. ‘But make sure you say you’re the man gave us the footage so we know who you are.’
‘Thank you,’ I said. ‘I’ll show you out.’
We shook hands and after closing the door behind him but before I’d turned the key in the lock I heard the lift arrive.

A LINE UNDER

I laughed about it with Furst, it seemed ridiculous.
‘Who else was there, that I’d know?’ I said asking about last night’s party I’d not been invited to.
‘Island John, Levi, Shree, Simple...’
‘Yes ok,’ I said. ‘I get the picture. Anyone ask why I wasn’t there?’
‘I don’t think anyone noticed,’ he said, then ‘What’s it like being excluded?’
‘It does feel a bit strange...but really, it’s not the first time.’
‘Why is this different?’ he said.
‘It might be we’ve no contact recently, or the time at the gig I left without saying goodbye, he was talking to a couple of people so, you know...but whatever, I’ll draw a line under it.’

WITHOUT SAYING GOODBYE

CLOCKWORK CLUB

THE LIFE OF THE HOST

STAIRS

‘I’ve got a plumbing emergency,’ I said when I’d reached the bottom of the stairs. ‘My boiler was pouring water the other night and I had to get them in to fix it, they’ve sent someone round a couple of times I’ve missed, and you know what they’re like...’
‘You could wait for weeks or even months for them to do anything,’ she said. ‘Like I had to to get my shower back working.’
‘I’ve got no hot water, haven’t had for a few days.’
I said that I’d left my number in my letterbox so they could give me a ring if they called.
‘You happy with that?’ she said.
‘Not really. I don’t want just anyone getting my number...you know, a neighbour or someone...’ shudder at the thought.
‘Come back if you can,’ she said. ‘But I’m not desperate today.’
The man and woman I’d seen talking in the laundry were stood by the bottom lift door as I passed.
‘It’s not working,’ I said. ‘They had it open on the top floor a few minutes ago.’
I walked through into the corridor...
‘You sure the other one’s working?’ said the man. ‘It wasn’t the other day.’
...out the far end.
‘Well, I hope so,’ I said and pressed the button, the door opened, ‘Looks like it,’ I said.
The man, who like the woman was carrying a laundry basket full of clothes, said, ‘I got a ticket other day parked on a double yellow line outside...’
‘What down there?’ I said meaning the bottom of the flats, where time’s restricted.
‘No,’ he said. ‘Outside the Hillview. Silly really there was a space and it was tipping down with raining. I just popped in to change my clothes and the lift wasn’t working so I had to walk up four floors...’
‘It’s hard work, isn’t it, climbing up those stairs?’ I said.

ASKED

She phoned to arrange a meet.
‘Same place we usually go?’
‘No,’ I said. ‘I’m not going there at the moment.’
‘How about that place round the corner, what’s it called?’
‘Kino’s.’
‘There then?’
‘What time?’
When I arrived she’d ordered for herself. She added my drink then paid.
We sat downstairs.
‘It’s warm isn’t it?’ I said and pointed to the heater in the corner as she looked around.
‘What’s going on?’ I said.
She said. We discussed strategies then I bought the next round.
‘Are you going?’ she said.
‘I’d rather not be asked,’ I said. ‘I hope I’m not. I’d be disappointed if I was because I'd have to make a decision and not be able to indulge myself.’

NO HOT TAP

‘Hello,’ I said. ‘I’m a council tenant and I’ve got a plumbing emergency.’
‘What’s happening?’ said the woman on the phone.
‘Water’s pouring from the bottom of the boiler.’
She asked me where I lived then said, ‘I’ll send a plumber out.’
About half hour later as I listened again to ‘Banter’ on onliine radio there was a knock at the door and when I opened it there were three men each wearing a dark blue council fleece.
‘Hello,’ said the one in front.
‘Come in,’ I said and as they followed me to the cupoard housed the boiler I said. ‘It’s stopped now but I’ve emptied four of those,’ pointing at the washing up bowl resting on the bottom shelf above the floor covered in wet newspapers.
The lead man pulled himself up on the transom to take a look.
‘Your valves gone,’ he said stepping down.
‘What you going to do?’
‘I’ll report it eight tomorrow morning and get the valve and that,’ tapping the thermostat, ‘replaced while we’re at it, seeing as the water’s gone all through it.’
‘Anything I need to do now?’
‘Don’t use the hot tap,’ he said. ‘If you do the level’ll go down and the water’ll run out until it fills again.’
Out of the three of them only the one man spoke the whole visit the other two watching and laughing not looking at me all the while to showing them out.
‘Thanks,’ I said.
‘Tomorrow,’ he said. ‘Eight o’clock I’ll report it. ’Til then, no hot tap.’

THE OTHER WAY

BB phoned to say he had the next two Saturdays off and would I like to get a gig in the cafe on Stokes Croft, ‘The one you mentioned a while back?’
‘Yeh, okay,’ I said. ‘I’ll go down there now, drop a demo off.
‘The manager isn’t here,’ she said when I asked who I’d give the demo to.
‘When will that be?’
‘Thursday.’
She took the cd, said she’d give it to him then.
I went in a couple of days later said to the manager, ‘I left a demo the other day.’
‘Oh yes,’ he said. ‘She said she’d put it in here somewhere,’ searching through some papers underneath the counter. ‘We got your number?’
‘It’s on the cd,’ I said.
‘I’ll give it a listen then text you,’ he said.
‘Okay.’
Saturday I phoned BB.
‘I’ve just been in and he still hasn’t listenened to it, it won’t be today.’
Thursday last my mobile rang, it was BB.
‘He’s got my number and I gave him my e-mail,’ I said. ‘Still nothing.’
As I was telling her this walking down Picton Street yesterday, the manager from the cafe came the other way.

MAKING US WAIT

Me and Daughter were waiting for the lift to come up to go down when all of a sudden I heard the door to the corridor open. I turned saw Jock come through and stand behind us.
‘Hello,’ I said.
‘Alright.’
Pause.
‘Is it the football tonight?’
‘Yeh.’
‘Liverpool?’
‘No,’ he said. ‘That’s tomorrow. It’s United tonight,’ he said. ‘Liverpool have got Arsenal tomorrow then in the league on Saturday then next week as well.’
‘That’s a lot of playing each other, isn’t it?’ I said.
‘It’s all Liverpool have got, well and trying to keep fourth.’
‘Worth a lot of money,’ I said.
‘It is,’ he said. ‘Worth a lot of money.’
‘Like City,’ I said. ‘Ten million guaranteed if they make the Premiership.’
‘I reckon they’re better off where they are, where they’re comfortable, don’t want to do a Leeds.’
‘They might do a Derby.’
A door the flat in the far corner opened and the three of us turned to see the Brother, carrying a black bin liner, through to the corridor without looking up and at us. Jock looked at me and raised his eyebrows and neither of us said anything.
The lift came and Brother’s brother got out.
‘It was you, was it?’ said Jock. ‘Making us wait.’