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Life Begins on Friday
159
had everything vanished
to? From whence had
everything appeared?
Unlike myself, who found
not a trace of an answer,
the man at the reins found
an answer to all questions;
he knew everything. A burly
man, with long moustaches
that joined to curly, greying
sideburns, he inspired both
trust and fear in me. But the
fear was less aggressive than
the curiosity. We advanced,
gliding slowly.
‘What time is it?’
Here was my voice, for
the first time, hoarse and
muffled.
‘How should I know? It’s
early! I was ub at the crack
of dawn. Ain’t you got a
timebiece? Lose it at boker,
did you, the same as your
coat and cab? Take that
there overcoat. I was going
to give it as alms, in memory
of my old ba, who bassed
away last month.’
The coat had bone buttons.
He handed me a bottle,
which was almost full, and
again I saw the crudely
stitched stump of his
forefinger: ‘Have a swig, to
warm yourself ub! If you’re
feeling beckish, there’s
bread in the knabsack.’
‘I drank; it was plum brandy.