PREVARICATING

(Yesterday, prevaricating, not getting down to the second summer project on the plan, reeling from the intense input into Port Brokeferry this past two weeks, and so I took an old story of mine, one that had something in it, and had done ok but was not quite right in my mind. I gave it a new skin and a new voice and now I think I am pleased with it. I think it sings now and the story deserves the voice and the voice deserves the story. For now here's the next installment of Port Brokeferry.)

MAGNUS WAITING OUTSIDE THE BANK

Magnus waited for Eileen. He sat at the bottom of the steps to the bank. Callum stopped to pass the time and to smoke a cigarette. They talked about old Tom and his going away in the ambulance. Callum shook his head. It didn’t mean anything except that he was sorry for Tom.

‘Talked in his sleep, you know. Been doing it for years. Made no sense most of the time. Just broken words. Just sounds that were like words that are chopped into pieces. Could keep it up though. Like he was holding a whole conversation or telling a long story to himself. I asked him about it once and he said I was daft.’

Magnus did not ask how it was that Callum knew old Tom talked in his sleep. Nor did he point out that Callum was already talking about him in the past tense. He looked away up the street to see if Eileen was there. Then he checked his watch.

Dodie Bredwell cycled by, a bag of books on his back and his red scarf missing. He was laughing though. ‘It’s a good night for it,’ he called to Magnus sitting by himself outside the bank. He laughed again and swung away towards 'The Ship'. At least Magnus assumed that he’d find him in 'The Ship' if Eileen wanted to go for a drink after work.

It was getting cooler, Magnus thought. And a wind was picking up. He watched an empty crisp packet blow past, moving as though pulled and pulled by an invisible thread. He looked up and noted that there were clouds shifting across the sky.

‘Locked yourself out?’ joked Athol Stuart. He was on his way to the green where the music was a little louder than before. He could hear a dog barking and children screaming.

Magnus smiled and explained to Athol Stuart that he was waiting for someone. He didn’t need to say who. Athol nodded and returned the smile.

‘Have you seen Martin anywhere?’

Sharon stepped out onto the street. She looked to left and right. She noticed Magnus. She looked away again and then she went back into her house.

Magnus wondered if he should maybe walk to 'The Bobbing Boat' café just to see. He wondered if it would mess things up his calling for her like that. Eileen said Guthrie was a bit odd at times. Kept her longer than the hours of her agreement. Sometimes for no reason, it seemed to her.

Magnus stood up and walked to the green. He saw Athol Stuart talking to Mad Martin. One of the fairground dogs was barking at them. It was tied to the steps of one of the trailers and the face of a blond woman appeared briefly at the small window.

‘Found him,’ called Athol Stuart and Magnus acknowledged him with a grin. Then he turned and walked back to the bank, taking slow steps, looking like he was killing time. He turned the collar of his jacket up against the chill in the air. On the green the dog stopped barking and a song began playing that Magnus recognised. He was singing the words under his breath when he saw Eileen running towards him.

‘Guthrie’s got a woman,’ she said when she reached him. Blurted it out like it was something he’d want to know. ‘He’s got a bloody woman. She came to the café after I left last night. She’s there again now. Fuck!’

Magnus took her hand in his. ‘Sod Guthrie,’ he said. ‘You want a drink?’