They All Came Knocking

Fortunately, way up in the attic sound was insulated from the rooms below. Look around the room and you would be surprised how spacious it was. Taking up virtually the whole area the bedroom seemed to meander around the roof timbers. A wide corner had been reserved for the unusually large bathroom that fitted snugly between the roof slopes. From the large dormer window, over the roofs of the houses behind, the sea was just visible crashing onto the pebble stones piling them high against the tall wooden quoins. Seagulls, wi th their continuously annoying squawking, plagued the chimneys, competed with hordes of pigeons for space on what in the bird world might be considered luxury perches. The two-seater sofa, sitting along one wall, looked inadequate in the large space. At that point the wall lacked height as the ceiling followed the line of the rafters. Against what would be the gable wall a wide bed stretched into the room. The covers pale pink. The curtains pale pink. The paintwo...

The pipes banged at exactly six-thirty. A resonating thumping that carried throughout the building most mornings. Trapped air and loosely secured old iron pipes carrying modern water pressure. A bad combination for sure. The cause: it was Derek turning on the cold water to fill the egg poaching pans at the same time as Gloria stood, pulled up her frilly French knickers and flushed the loo. On the sofa Dee stirred. Those bloody pipes. If the dragon ever drops dead they’ll be the first thing I fix.

Was square the best shape for a dining room? Ask Dee and she will tell you. Square and no larger than needed would be her answer. It enabled the tables to be neatly spread around the walls in an uneven circle. Those old wooden tables with a worn out through too much use look. Ring stains lifting the polish. Wooden chairs with the appearance of being snatched from some ancient and now defunct private school.  

Dee smiled. Just recently she smiled every time she came through the front door. From there she could see the reflection of the understairs cupboard door centrally placed in the hall mirror and most importantly her mother did not know. She walked back past her mother who snarled and suspended counting money to sharply say, “Did you see them all drooling, especially that smooth talking Dexter Cramichael . I know what you’re doing and it does not wash. Wear something more appropriate .” Then to emphasise , knowin g Dee would not be expecting it, added, “Please,” with a neat half smile. 

Get dragged off to war at eighteen and there was no option , things had to be learnt and to make them stick they were probably best absorbed the hard way. Come home at twenty-one with no work or prospects and the things that he had not necessarily wanted to learn suddenly became invaluable. Dexter Carmichael lived on the edge. That was one thing he had learnt. How to live right on the edge. After all, take away his early years and it could be argued he had spent almost half his life learning how to do just t hat simply to survive.   How did he do it? Good looks, a tough nature and a smooth-talking charm. Plus, of course, all those acquired skills that meant he could make a reasonable living as a ‘this and that’ man. Do a bit of this. Pick a lock and slip in the back door. Bust a simple safe hopefully full of cash. A rare occurrence it was true but it did happen. Steal a car for a lift home. His clothes? Lifted from a shop. The super posh brogues? Stolen. Easy, pick the lock, t...

Back in the hallway Dee momentarily stopped laughing but then she could not help it. She burst out laughing again. This time even louder, making her double over. The sight of her mother shaking, stomping her feet. Her hair bunched up on her shoulders and that look. She had not seen that look before. Tears leaked from her screwed up eyes. Teeth bared like a snarling wolf. Her rapidly heaving chest and the sound of hissing air. Dee dodged a swinging hand and watched as her mother slumped onto her chair landin g with a solid thump and the words, “I think I’m going to faint.”