Klempner

“Here…” Juliana places something in the ground… a flat something… “I'm not giving you a cushion, but you can have that.”

On the end of her shoe, she toes it toward me and across the white line. A fragment of paint breaks from the edge of the line.

Stiff-jointed, I stand. It’s not easy. Every movement scrapes flesh and bone against the concrete and I resist the urge to simply roll forward and crawl towards whatever-it-is.

So, I stand: unravelling myself: piece by piece, joint-by-joint, unfolding my body until I’m upright. Then I take the three or four steps to what has become the edge of my world.

Stooping with exaggerated care for my stiff spine, I examine her flat-packed offering. “A cardboard box?”

“It'll get your ass off the concrete.”

“In this damp, It won't last long.”

She shrugs. “Then, I might give you another. If you behave yourself.”

“You mean if I grovel and entertain you.”

She gives me a hyena grin. “That’s the spirit.”

*****

“Can I ask you something?”

Her eyes narrow. “You can ask.”

“How did you come to be in my hands in the first place? Most of the kids were shipped in from the third world or Eastern Europe. How did you come to be in Blessingmoors?”

Her jaw drops. “You don't know?”

make personal collections. I had

don't know why I was in

up your life, but

“My parents

me

off-hand. “Well, in fact, my mother. My father was never there. And when he was, he

“We?”

and sisters.” She licks lips. The eyes slit further. “Are

like to hear

looks away.

me.

face screws

fake a smile, wink at her.“ I’ll show you mine

treat. She made me wear my best dress. My older sister's actually. And she took me to meet a man. He gave

Christ…

My belly tightens…

my nose. “For what it is worth to you, Juliana, I do understand how that makes you feel. For many years, I believed my

eyes to me. “But she

murdered when I was small.

is dull. “Who

“My father.”

widen. “And

end, I killed

laugh is bleak.

Karma. What goes around comes

back in her chair’ eyes me.

you say. Here

Time to move on…

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