Once back inside, we hang around with Miffy, feeding him some bacon fat. Nothing is said. Nothing. Not yet. Miffy just rolls around and we pat his stomach. I go to our room to try and find out once and for all what stinks in there. It’s not going to be pretty.
‘Yes, I’m awake.’
‘How’d y’ know I was gonna ask?’
‘You always do.’
‘I found out what the smell was.’
‘And?’
Remember when we got that job lot of onions from the fruit shop?’
‘What? The ones my mates stole? Last Christmas?
‘Yeah.’
‘That was six bloody months ago!’
‘A few strays must have got out of the bag. They were under my bed, in the corner, all disgusting and rotten.’
‘Oh, man.’
‘Damn right. I chucked ‘em in the compost, up near the back fence.’
‘Good idea.’
‘I was gonna show ‘em to y’, but they stank so bad, I fully ran out there with ‘em.’
‘Even better idea … Where was I?
‘Next door, returnin’ Miffy.’
‘Oh yeah.’
Change of topic.
‘Are y’ thinkin’ about it?’ I ask. ‘About that Perry character?’
‘Yep.’
‘You reckon we can do it?’
‘Hard to say.’
‘It sounds …’
‘What?’
‘I d’know — scary.’
‘It’s a chance.’
… Yes, but a chance at what, I wonder. Our bedroom seems extra dark tonight. Heavy dark.
I think it again. A chance at what?
5
It’s Friday evening and we’re watching ‘Wheel of Fortune’. It’s rare for us to watch a lot of TV because we’re usually fighting, doing something stupid in the backyard or hanging around out front. Besides, we hate most of the crap on the telly anyway. The only good thing about it is that sometimes when you watch it, you can get a bright idea. Previous bright ideas we’ve had in the midst of TV are:
Attempting to rob a dentist.
Moving the small lounge room table up on to the couch so we could play football against each other with a rolled-up pair of socks.
Going to the dog track for the first time.
Selling Sarah’s busted old hair drier to one of our neighbours for fifteen dollars.
Selling Rube’s broken tape player to a guy down the street.
Selling the telly.
Obviously, we could never carry out all of the good ideas.