Chapter 1-5
332 Words
Loud laughter greeted Paul
as he let himself in through the front door. He could also hear a TV sports commentator doing his
thing.
“s**t,” Paul grouched, as
he fell over a set of weights.
“That you,
Pauly?”
“Uh yeah.” He didn’t think
he’d broken anything, but was sure there’d be a bruise the next
morning.
“Come through, man. I’ve
invited the guys round to watch the cricket.”
Wonderful. Paul took off his
jacket, but there was nowhere to hang it. Going into the crowded
room, he spotted several members of the local cricket team sitting
on the sofa, leaning up against it, or just spread out on the
floor. “Hey, guys.”
He received a number of
greetings, but mostly they were too interested in the television to
pay him much attention.
“What’s the
score?”
“The Aussies bowled us out
for 190,” Thommo complained. “My grandma could bowl better than
this lot.”
“Your grandma’s in a
nursing home,” one of the guys said.
“Exactly.”
The crowd of spectators at
the cricket ground roared. Paul watched as the camera focused in on
the umpire who shook his head.
“f*****g hell. That was
plumb LBW,” Pete said, crushing his empty lager can and aiming it
at the waste paper basket. It missed, but no one attempted to
retrieve it.
Paul enjoyed watching
cricket well enough, especially the heightened tension of one day
internationals, but maybe he was getting old. He just wanted to
relax, have a meal, do his work and have an early night.
“We ordered a curry,
should be here soon. I got you a lamb biryani, hope that’s all
right?”
“Uh, yeah, thanks.” Paul’s
hopes for a quiet evening were well and truly dashed.
* * * *
At least
I’m not hung over,
Paul thought as he got ready for work on
Wednesday morning. His night’s rest had been interrupted several
times by snores from Pete who had collapsed on Thommo’s floor and
refused to go home.
The “hot” water was at
best tepid. Paul showered quickly. The cold water was the last
straw. He was determined he wouldn’t spend another night under
Thommo’s roof. He’d just have to swallow his pride and ask Trevor
if his spare room was still vacant.
- Writer
