Crap crap crap!
I flew from the bathroom, past the unmade mess of my bed (It's a mess so what? If it bugs you then sue me!) And zoomed into what the landlord calls the sitting room. I call it the box room with a window, which isn't even double glazed for crying out loud! My ass gets frozen every time winter comes round. I swear I'm going to die of hypothermia one of these winters. I ripped the phone off the hook and dialled the number. It took an eternity for them to pick up.
"Raccoon city Subway, admin department" came a deep barking voice, it belonged to Michael Carver, chief of human resource management. Just who I wanted to speak to! Today may not be a bad day after all. "Who's speaking?"
"Hey Mike, it's me Jim," I spoke quickly; hope burning in me for a chance to earn some cash. How I needed it, desperately, that bitch of a Landlord had raised the rent and was looking for cash.
"Chapman?" Michaels deep bark rolling down the line.
"Yeah!"
"Sorry man, but the police are still carrying out their investigation, no work today."
So much for today being a good day
"WHAT! Your kidding right?" I screamed, my heart in my mouth I needed that money so much
"You gotta help! I'm practically broke here! I need my job man.!"
"Look, I'm sorry," Carver, said, calmly "Maybe they'll be finished tomorrow, I'll have someone call over if they are ok?"
Before I could reply he hung up.
Damn! I put the phone down and cast a look around the room; it was a total mess, with pizza, beer cans, and other pleasant things. Normally when this mess gets too much I just hire a maid for a few days until it's neat and tidy. Not right now, I can't afford one. From where I'm standing I can see the kitchen, and it's even worse.
Great! Just what I needed!
"Urgh! MY LIFE IS SHIT!" I roar, letting all the negativity burst out into a rant of unholy proportions. "I've got no job, since those stupid cops can't get their act together and solve these murders quick enough, I've no girlfriend, no money, and to top it all off my apartments a complete and total hellhole! Why me! WHY ME!"
There was a sudden thumping noise from above, I jumped and looked upwards. And heard a muffled roar of "SHUT UP YOU WHINY BRAT!" Mr Meldrew, that moany old git, it's perfectly alright for him to make a noise and rant because he's over sixty and is entitled to it, and I'm not. Usually I argue back at him but today I just can't be bothered at all. I'm having a lousy day and I don't need some old guy's whining about today's' disrespectful youth to help make it better.
I trawl through my disorganised home and get dressed in my work uniform, as it's the first thing I find. I put on my cap and make sure I'm carrying my lucky coin; I've had that coin since I was seven. It's just a good luck charm. I got from my grandpa. He told me that it had the power to change fate, and I believed him. In fact I owe my life to that coin, but that's another story, maybe I'll tell you about it someday.
I walk over to Richmond's, (the general grocers on our street) and bought myself a paper, which had the biggest crossword in it. Here I must confess: I'm a puzzle nut, you give me any puzzle and I'll think to the death on what the answer is. I love crosswords, forget that, I obsess over them and dig into their history. Did you know that a crossword in World War II had answers that were identical to the codenames for the D- Day beach landings? Turns out they were just pure coincidence.
Stop looking at me ok? I know I'm a bit of a freak when it comes to puzzles.
Come to think of it, I'm a hungry freak, a very hungry freak indeed. The nearest place I could think of that wouldn't rip me off and served good food was Jack's, just across the road. It isn't until I cross the street, that I notice how unusually quiet everything is today.
Under any normal circumstances Rowantree Street is full of life, with people going about their business of making their way to their work or whatever. Old man Richmond was surprised to see me, said I'd been his first customer today… I don't understand this so much, has that flu crap become some kinda epidemic? Come to think of it Ricky had said that they were being overwhelmed by people calling in sick before we got our asses kicked out for the cops. Man I've been so hungry lately, and I've been sorta feeling like I'm coming down with something. I decide to visit Ricky after I've had some lunch, he'll be bored shitless too, and I can moan about something without being told I'm a disrespectful brat for once.
I open the door and the warm smoky air mingles with the crisp fall air. Inside, there was no one except for the bar staff, Will, the resident chef extraordinaire and the waitress who every drunk falls for. Cindy's her name I think. I don't really know anyone in here well except for Will (because I once gave him a free ticket for the subway as thanks for getting me off the hook for an unpaid meal at Jack's. Always repay a debt, for a kind deed.) Seems business is down here too. This flu crap must be on the rise.
The bar's namesake, Jack is one hell of a creepy guy. He adores fine wines and I've had it heard that he stocks vintage wine, but only offers it for sale to his best friends. And I'm talking rare stuff too from the eighteen hundreds, Jacks such a freak.
Asides from the two standing over at the bar counter, I was the only person here, Jack around, that's odd, he's always around watching what his customers are doing.
"Whoa-hey! A customer." Came a surprised voice from the back. It was a guys voices, so it could only be Will.
"You guys still serving lunch? I'm hungry." I asked.
"That's the Jim I know, his stomach comes before anyone and anything else." Will joked.
I put my hands in the air as a gesture of surrender, playing along
"You've got my number." I said as I rubbed the back of me head awkwardly. "Any chance of some of your famous bean Soup? I'm dying here!"
Will laughed, a carefree laugh.
"Ok, one bean soup, I'll go cook it up for you." He started to head towards the stove nearby, but then he paused suddenly. He turned back towards me with a deep frown on his face. "Oh, but there is a problem," he said.
"What?" I asked, my stomach crying out in panic.
"Your sure you can afford this right?" Will said, his face completely serious..
Oh of all the people in the world!
I opened my mouth furiously to yell at him when he burst out laughing,
"It's ok!" his laughter trembling through his words, " I know you're gonna pay, I'll get Cindy here to bring it over to you when it's ready ok?" he nodded his head towards Cindy, who smiled and waved in a very cute manner.
With my hunger crisis close to resolution, I settled down and begun to read my paper. All over the front page was Ironsies big fat pig face and that damn line from his speech on TV:
"Irons intends to push for the death penalty"Just the usual crap. Sometimes I don't know why I even bother to buy a paper. All they feature these days is the same rubbish about those murders, as if anyone this side of the moon doesn't know already about it.
By the time I'd finished the article, (They will pay for killing innocent citizens!)
The soup was ready, Cindy brought it over to me as Will had said, and I thanked her. She just smiled again. The soup was good, one of the reasons why I eat at Jacks. Once I'd finished eating, and the bowl had been taken away (by the lovely Cindy), Will came over. We just talked about life in general, I even asked him where the master of creepiness the Jackmeister was (seemingly he was sick from flu also). Will talked about getting me a job here when I told him about my money troubles. What can I say, he's a nice guy at heart, he even told me about his love for Cindy, but it was sad as well as he didn't know how to express it to her. By the time I looked out again, it was getting dark, and I didn't like the look of it, so I decided to stay where I was. I'd phone Ricky later I made a mental note to ask him what the cops were investigating at work as I didn't know.
Eventually, Jack's got some more customers, meaning Will had to go and tend to them. A pair of old, fat, security guards who looked like they couldn't catch a fly, (one of whom looked really ill), came in and ordered a pint along with some food, seems I'm not the only one who likes the food. Not too long after that some thirty something woman came in with a laptop, she ordered some food and just sat over by the window working away on the laptop, evident by the clacking of the things keyboard. With nothing better to do as Will was busy I decided to open up my paper at the crossword section and get stuck in.
One of the fat guys asked for the news to be put on the TV. Some random dribble about some fan on crack that caused mass panic at the football game earlier in the day. Bleh who cares? Damn guy had too much to drink.
Now back to my crossword…
Oh crap! This is a toughie. Damn Damn Damn! I'll just need to think…
I turn my cap round back to front, an old habit when I'm concentrating and it helps me focus. I was so absorbed by the puzzle that I didn't hear the door opening, but that putrid smell doesn't escape me.