BooksBarbecue
Back Nothing to See Save as PDF
Chapters (57)
  1. Cover
  2. Title
  3. Dedication
  4. Dedication2
  5. 1994
  6. 1
  7. 2
  8. 3
  9. 4
  10. 5
  11. 6
  12. 7
  13. 8
  14. 9
  15. 10
  16. 11
  17. 12
  18. 13
  19. 14
  20. 15
  21. 16
  22. 17
  23. 2006
  24. 18
  25. 19
  26. 20
  27. 21
  28. 22
  29. 23
  30. 24
  31. 25
  32. 26
  33. 27
  34. 28
  35. 29
  36. 30
  37. 31
  38. 32
  39. 33
  40. 34
  41. 35
  42. 36
  43. 37
  44. 2018
  45. 38
  46. 39
  47. 40
  48. 41
  49. 42
  50. 43
  51. 44
  52. 45
  53. 46
  54. 47
  55. 48
  56. 49
  57. Acknowledgements

They went for a walk. There was a garden close to where they lived so they went there. Part of the garden was sectioned off into a scented garden – for the blind, it said. That was where Peggy and Greta liked to go most. They ran their hands through the bushes and the smells rose up to them. Some of the plants smelled sharp and some of them were round and sweet. It was good to be out of the house, and not at the call centre. In the fresh air. They sat for an hour or so watching the other people in the park. There weren’t many but the ones who were there were all different. There were short ones and tall ones, ones with dark hair and ones with light hair and some had children with them, and some were running, and some were on bikes. They wore yellow and black and red and pink. Some talked and others listened. Sometimes people would walk in pairs and not say a word. It was a menagerie. Greta and Peggy could spend hours watching them. The people looked off balance, out of symmetry walking around by themselves, alone. Sometimes it gave Peggy and Greta vertigo, but they always looked at them. They liked to see them.

Greta’s phone vibrated in the pocket of her jacket. It was way too hot for the jacket, but they didn’t want to bring a bag. It was Donna. Were they still up for lunch? Peggy read over Greta’s shoulder as Greta typed back, Yeah. Thanks. Wherewhen? And they stood up and walked home to get a bag each and the other cellphone.

22

22

Donna was sitting at a table near the window of the café. It was busy but she’d managed to get a table for four. Her girlfriend, Mira, was sitting next to her. Mira worked for a large multinational food corporation. It paid well. She had the same degree as Greta and Peggy. She was their age and Donna was younger. Much younger than the three of them.

‘Hi,’ Greta said, and touched Mira on the shoulder as she sat down.

‘Hi.’ Mira reached the hand that wasn’t holding a coffee over to touch Greta’s. ‘Peggy,’ she said, and Peggy nodded back, smiling broadly and waving a comical wave at Donna and Mira. Everyone waved back. Peggy and Greta worked their way into their seats opposite Mira and Donna.

‘How have you been?’ Greta asked.

‘Good. Good,’ Mira said. And Donna nodded too.

‘Sounds like it was a howler last night,’ Mira said.

Greta and Peggy laughed. ‘You know us,’ Peggy said, and everyone laughed because they did.

‘Did you stay out long?’ Greta asked.

Donna looked a bit worse for wear. She nodded sheepishly. Mira pulled Donna’s head towards her and kissed her hair, then ruffled it a bit which made Donna groan theatrically. Everyone laughed again.