A dim old fashioned pub in late afternoon/early evening. In walks an unemployed man, down on his luck. The barman looks up from the fridge he was restocking as the door bangs shut. He closes the fridge door and stands up.
Barman: Alright D. What will it be?
D: Pint of lager please mate.
D rummages around in his blue jeans front pocket. He pulls out a five pound note and a hand full of change. Looking down at his hand he shakes his head gently and chuckles to himself. The Barman has reached up and retrieved a pint glass and is now pulling the pint of lager.
D: I remember when you could get two out of this and be blind drunk off twenty pound.
Barman gives a small laugh as he hands over the pint and takes the note. He turns and walks to the till.
Barman: Yeah, those were the days when this place was full every night. Now I have to put on entertainment and special offers to be full three days a week. An’ that’s not to mention the blind eye I have to turn now.
Barman is now back at the counter and hands over the change and is looking at the table of four youths in shirts and pants with their heads down talking quietly and in small bursts.
D looks around while taking a sip of his pint.
D: Is C in yet?
Barman hands on the edge of the counter looking slightly depressed.
Barman: Yeah, he’s ‘round the far side. Away from them.
Barman throws a discussed look at the table of four.
D: Cheers.
Barman goes back to the fridge he was restocking.
D walks around to the other side of the bar, pint in hand. As he reaches the other side he is greeted by C playing pool with an eighteen year old skin headed youth in a plain white t-shirt, braces with black jeans and black army boots. C has just won and throws the pool que onto the table.
C: Pint of lager, not one of those wanna-be-alcoholic drinks you lot drink.
Calling after the skin head.
An’ bring it here.
D: You’re in fine form.
Nodding at the pool table.
C looking around for his pint glass and sees it on the table near the pool table. Motions that they are to sit down.
They both sit down at table, both take a drink.
D looks at C. He notices that C looks rougher than usual. His hair shows a hint of grey, clothes are not ironed and slightly dirty.
Skin head walks over with his pint and puts it on the table roughly spilling some. He walks away without saying a word. C watches he walk away and waits until he is further away before speaking.
C: Fucking NAZI thug. He’s joined the bloody BNP. Remember when he first came in?
D nods while swallowing a mouth full of lager.
C: Nice lad he was. Heading off to uni this year. Now look. Bloody government jacks up the price of it, he can’t afford to go, so joins the BNP. Wankers.
D: Thats a shame but what the hell is up with you. An’ don’t blame him.
C takes a drink. He pauses and looks around and sighs.
C: Wife’s gone. She went Tuesday, took the kids too. Said she couldn’t do it anymore. She was sick of supporting me while I mopped around the house. I then told her she wouldn’t have the house if it wasn’t for me and what about when she was off work after having the kids an’ I was supporting her. That didn’t help. She blew up twice as bad. Said she wish she had never met me, that I had ruined her life.
D: Shit man. That’s harsh. Do you know where they are?
D looks slightly guilty as he takes a drink. C doesn’t notice.
C: That’s not the best bit yet. While I was at the Job Centre having my money stopped, she came back and cleared all their stuff out. Won’t return a single phone call or text now. Bitch. So I cleared out the joint bank account. If she wants out now she’ll have to talk to me.
C lets a small smile creep onto his aged face before he finishes off his first pint. D is still sat looking slightly guilty.
D: So they stopped your money? Thought you had those interviews this week?
C swaps his empty glass for the slightly spilled one.
C: Yeah, I did. Spent all that time getting ready for them, updating my CV and all that. Went to them. Did everything else they asked for apart from apply for the one job they gave me. Tossers. Told me that it would have to go up for review. I knew what that meant. Got the letter today. Six months on suspension. Still got to go in every week though if I want to get some money after that. So I said sod it and didn’t go in.
C lets out a small laugh that is etched with desperation then takes a large mouth full.
C: So what’s new with you?
D: Same old shit just a different place, name and suit.
D still looking guilty but more relaxed now takes a drink.
D: Found my old job at the office. Got an interview, even knew the feller that was taking it. Thought that was it after two years I had a job. Got the phone call today.
Putting on a female phone voice
We are sorry to tell you that your application this time has been unsuccessful.
Speaking normally
So I asked why. Do you believe this? She said that they had decided to fill the vacancy internally. I could have done that job with my eyes closed. Instead they are moving someone in who has probably never done it before. So I asked about the job this person was leaving.
Putting on the female voice again
They are being moved from a department that is being down sized.
D finishes off his pint and then checks his watch. C still has half of his left.
This country has gone to the dogs an’ it was on it’s way before Europe split, but I must be off got to go let the Plummer in to rob me blind. You in tomorrow?
C: Yeah bout seven. Got to beat the kids in here.
C nods at the group of four at the table across the room. All get up and head slowly towards the pool table.
D: Cool, see you then mate.
D gets up and starts to walk away. C shouts after him.
C: Remember to hide the good china.
D and C both laugh. D waves as he carries on walking and nods at the Barman as he leaves.
Comments