CHAPTER 10
Amina was pensive in bed that night.

“I can just about remember, my love. Being that young---well, younger. Being confused. Not exactly the done thing in our family, comfortable shoes. Must be so much harder when you’re in her situation. I think it’s actually harder for boys, and that’s what her family are still seeing”

I settled myself closer to her.

“Aye, but once you see her. It’s like that Maria was saying: she’s THERE, Three-D, full colour”

“Yes, but the old saying, none so blind? Seen so many girls, and boys, end up losing their family just because they fancy someone a bit, well, more like them”

“You didn’t”

“I bloody well did, love. Early years, anyway. You weren’t there. I couldn’t do anything, I thought, so just did the casual bit. You know: give Mum a call now and again, keep it upbeat. Took a while, but she came round. Eventually. And you know I have cousins that won’t acknowledge me. Lil, well… Lil is just an out-and-out butch, like you. I suspect that Mum would find it harder to take if I was with a girly girl”

“You don’t see me as girly, then?”

“I know you, love, so I know you’re all that, but perceptions important. Alwen’s parents were probably in Uncanny Valley, wanting to see a lad but getting an eyeful of tit, sort of, and no, I haven’t been the one looking down her top. Got my extra pair here…”

She gave me a squeeze, which derailed the conversation for a while. Later, she was still thinking.

“You had a couple of bad ones before our break, didn’t you?”

I settled her head on my shoulder after a sigh.

“Aye, we did. It’s… There are bad ones, and there are really bad ones, and I don’t mean the gory stuff but when, it’s…”

I paused and took a couple of deeper breaths.

“It’s the ones where you get to meet them before you lose them. Not simply another dead body you’re recovering, and I’m not saying that’s pleasant, but a person, one you’ve been talking to”

“You had a better week after, though”

That brought a chuckle.

“Yup! New little man on the block. Reminds me: I need to check court dates, find out when that driver is up. Take popcorn”

“Driver?”

“Oh! Little story, aye? Just between us, but there were some roadworks before where we delivered the baby, and…”

The new run of shifts was rather banal, thankfully, with nothing more serious than a possible case of whiplash in the case of a What’s App Gap driver rear-ended by a slightly fuddled afficionado of wacky baccy, as Tom put it. Far more of a police matter, of course, and our old friends Barry and Bryn were all over both cars like a rash in stab vests and Hi-Viz. Mr Whippy had roadside recovery, and Mr Wacky’s car was seized for a collection of police-related reasons, so our job was limited to fitting a neck brace and delivering the warm and talkative body to St Dai’s.

When I say ‘talkative’, I mean that he was still texting prolifically while in the back of our vehicle. Even with the notice Barry had served on him warning of six points and a two hundred quid fine. Not our worry, but given his age, I suspect his licence was young enough for those six points being enough to see it revoked. My sympathy tank in such cases is always empty, so oh dear, how sad, never mind.

I suppose the most serious case, or rather potentially so, was at about eleven one evening, at the Chippy Lane/St Mary’s junction, where a seriously refreshed Spoons regular was so engrossed in his plastic tray of doner kebab that he clearly had no spare brain function left for things like checking for traffic, and had hailed a taxi in an unconventional and unrecommended way.

I suspected he may have sustained lower limb fractures (shit; I’m thinking like a bloody official incident report) so Tom and I secured both legs before sliding the board underneath him and getting two coppers and a couple of Bouncers to lift him up and onto the trolley, which was when the bastard puked on himself. He gave us three more but smaller loads on the way to St Dai’s, but I had a bowl ready by then. It’s still a smell that gets to me, though.

Just another wonderful evening in the cultural heart of our ancient nation’s vibrant capital city, or some such.

Tom was laughing as we drove back out in lurk mode, after we had wiped down the inside of our wagon to get rid of a few traces of vomit.

“What’s funny, you?”

“Ah, Jen: just thinking how lucky you were he got that bouncer with the puke and not you, and then I remembered that New Year’s Eve”

“That girl in the stupid shoes and about three hankies worth of clothing?”

Yup. The one who’d also eaten a doner in both directions. At least your man didn’t stick his tongue down your throat”

“ICK! ICKY ICKY ICK ICK!”

“Yup. It was that”

The joys of our job, I thought, then remembered William and Natalie, and life felt so much better.

Amina and I were back in the Smugglers a couple of days later, but not on a quiz night. We’d followed Alwen’s lead on that street food place, so the pub was just a sit-and-relax session as our meal settled with the added bonus of nobody pointing and muttering at my beard shadow. We went to the Powell Bar, of course, as it was usually the quietest spot in the place. Lil was working that night, Ox for back-up, as Marlene was off in the disco room using her tongue to flense customers. As I ordered my drinks, Lil nodded towards the far corner.

Alwen, the Alicia girl and two young men. They were all squeezed onto one bench as Alicia did things to a laptop. The conversation was animated, one lad’s arm around her waist while the other sort of supported himself with a hand on Alwen’s shoulder. She, in turn, seemed to be supporting herself with a hand on his knee, so fair’s fair.

I looked back at Lil.

“Clive and Matthew, love?”

“I believe so. Been here about three hours, looking at photos, I believe. Not really drinking”

She shrugged.

“You know Marlene understands, aye? Safe space for us, them, as long as nobody takes the piss. They’re eating us out of crisps, though. And that Grant’s been in tonight, sends his regards”

“Gay trans man?”

“Yup. Looking happier these days, so decent news”

“Heard from your Jen?”

Lil set down the glass she’d been polishing, looked across to my wife, then back at me.

“Amina’s stirring the pot, Jen”

“Ah. She told you about the job search, then?”

“No. My Jen told me; Amina’s been discussing it with her. Now, I know we were, well, but that was years ago. She doesn’t have a claim on me now”

I shook my head.

“Not that, Lil. We discussed it, aye? Both of us… Start again. You and your woman are bloody well-suited, and it would be a shame for you to not have all the chances you can get. It’s just, well, neither of us wants to lose you, and her skills are transferrable”

“So are mine!”

“Aye, but then you’d be living in bloody Crawley, and we’d probably never see you again. And there’s another reason”

“Which is?”

“Your Jen never talk about coming home?”

“Ah. There is that”

“Talk to her, love. Make it a joint decision, a real one. Distance can be a real passion killer. Anyway, I think I should have a closer look at this Matt”

I swiped my card, then delivered the drinks to our table.

“Jen’s being open and honest with Lil, woman. No more sneaking, okay?”

She shrugged, utterly unrepentant.

“Don’t need to sneak no more, then. You sort it with Lil?”

“Think so, but we’ll have to wait and see. Now, that Matt is over there with Alwen, so I am going to see if they want to join us, if you get my point”

“I do. I’ll shuffle some chairs”

“Got your tablet in your bag?”

“Yeah---why?”

“I think they’re looking at holiday snaps, so it gives me an excuse”

“Ah! Got you”

She busied herself with her little slab as I strolled over to the other table, giving a little finger wave as I approached.

“Hiya, Alwen, Alicia, and whoever you two are. Sharing photos?”

Alicia nodded, smiling happily.

“Yup! We usually go off to the mountains with Nana, so we’ve got a load of photos, and some of Clara’s in-laws”

She chuckled.

“Well, not exactly in-laws yet, but you know what I mean. Anyway, this is Clive, and Matt, and this lady is Jen, one of our paramedics”

Clive’s jaw dropped.

“Jen? Work with a Tom?”

“Yes. How do you know?”

He was shaking his head, a huge grin in place.

“Small bloody world! I mean, look---”

I held up a hand.

“This sounds like it’s a bit of a story. My wife and I are looking through our own holiday snaps; why don’t you join us, and we can share?”

They gathered up their jackets and bags, Alicia unplugged her laptop, and we settled once more around the longer table Amina had found. I made the introductions, then held up a hand.

“Let’s get Clive’s story out of the way first. You were saying?”

He laughed once more.

“Look, I know these others through Uni. Where ‘Licia and I met, and her Nana has already done the full Stasi job on me, so Yes, I know about her, so, well I can see you’re the same, Jen”

“Er, no. I have what is called polycystic ovary syndrome. Does hormone stuff”

Amina interrupted, as usual.

“And she’s gay, so she’s very different to your girl, who we assume isn’t”

Then she brayed with laughter, before adding an anecdote about Scott and Omar, one of them saying to some newcomer that if the other wasn’t gay, he was a bloody good actor.

“Anyway, anyway! Jen says you have s tory, Clive, so I’ll shut it for a bit. Go on”

The young man grinned at Alicia, then winced at me.

“Sorry, but, well, hear me out. I’m from Swansea, so I’m in halls over here for Uni. Had a visit from my brother last week. With my sister-in-law. Who is called Natalie”

I couldn’t help the “Shit!” that burst out, and he nodded happily.

“Yes. I’m an uncle now, largely thanks to you and Tom. It’s just that Natalie said the medic had been a trans woman, and, well, sorry. If you want, I’ll let her know. ‘Licia?”

“Yes?”

“Where were we? Hint: I think we’ve seen enough of your perving slab, Matt and me”

“Okay, then. These are from the folk club we go to. This is Clara’s Ish and his Dad”

I recognised the pair, and then it was Matt’s turn to laugh.

“Oh dear, I shall have to let Tod know he’s out of luck in so many ways!”

The lad grinned at the rest of us.

“Got the hots for Clara, he has, and when I tell him exactly how big he is, oh dear once more. How tall’s he, ‘Licia?”

“Um, about six foot three or four, I would guess. Hang on…”

She scrolled through what were clearly her ‘Perving Slab’ shots before coming up with a picture of a family group. A gorgeous oriental woman was standing by a little girl wearing a sort of rucksack with a toy bear in it, while the older man from the previous picture held the rope as the younger man did something energetic on a rock face. He was in a ‘muscle’ vest, and said muscles had corners on them, and those corners had more corners. It was like a picture from one of my anatomy textbooks.

Amina pointed at the screen.

“Is her teddy wearing a crash hat?”

Alicia nodded, waving at my wife’s tablet.

“Yes. Carolyn climbs almost as well as her brother, and the bear goes with her. They’re a very together family”

I glanced at Alwen, and she was not looking happy. Matt saw it, and slipped an arm round her waist, drawing her to him for a kiss to her cheeks.

“There’s years ahead, girl. They’ll come round”

She turned her head to kiss him gently on the lips.

“They’ve had years, Matty”

“You never know”

“Ah, well, I’ll wait for the pigs to take off. Amina?”

“Yes?”

“Got any embarrassing ones of Lil? Or incriminating; doesn’t matter which”