An Exercise in Style - October's Minni-Series (Confessin')

exercise in style 26

Queneau - French bloke, wrote a book, inspired me. I've explained it all here.

Day 26 - Cofessin'

“Bill, can you meet me down the pub… I need to speak to someone.

“Sure, I’ll be right over.”

I’ve known Bill all my life. We grew up together in the same village, we went to the same school and we both fell in love with the same girl. We would have married her too if she had shown any interest in us.

“Thanks Bill, what can I get you?”

“ I’ll have a pint, what’s up?”

I can trust Bill, even if it’s the middle of winter and snow is falling, even if it’s near midnight he will come out if I call him. I’d do the same for him.

“It’s old Jack, I think he’s gone too far this time; the police are up there.”

“Daft bugger”

“Poor bugger; what can he do? – he’s in love.”

“We were in love, we coped”.

“We were young”.

“You think it’s harder when you’re old?”

“You know it is.”

For a while we both started into our pints.

A few years rushed past.

“Aye.”

“Look, I did sommit stupid.”

Bill looked up. He fixed me with his unblinking grey eyes. Like a wolf he was.

“I got there before the police, I heard him calling her name.”

“What were you doing up there?”

“Never mind that, look he had a knife, he was holding it in his fist and there was a red stain on his sleeve, I thought it was blood.”

“Jesus”.

“It’s ok, it wasn’t; I tasted it and it was wine.”

“You tasted it! Are you insane?”

“I had to be sure. If he had hurt her I don’t know…”

“She’s ok.”

There was something about the way he said it, a sudden confidence.

“How do you know?”

“Never mind that, what did you do?”

“I took the knife.”

“Jesus Frank, it’s evidence!”

“Evidence of what? Desperation?”

“He might have used it!”

“He had”

“What do you mean?”

“He’d carved her name onto the table”.

“You went in?”

“I had to be sure.”

“She’s ok.”

“Nothing’s changed then?”

“I guess not.”

“Coped! Ha!”

“Drink up , I’ll get us another.”

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