Part Sixty-Seven
Timeline:11:18, Friday, 20th April :The Stable Layout
Greg’s spirits were on a high when he came out of the bank. They rose higher still when he arrived back at the stable to find the truck parked outside the open doors to the stable with Ali and Tomas busy measuring and marking out rectangles on the cobbled floor in green spray paint. His plans were no longer ideas in his head, but were taking shape in front of him.
He caught sight of the pallet truck borrowed from Mr. Sprentz inside the stable as he walked in.
“Hi Guys, I see you got the pallet truck. What gives with the painting; fancy yourselves as the next Picasso perhaps?”
From the grin on his face and the light-hearted tone of his voice there was no way that anybody could have taken offence at Greg’s question. Yet it was a sombre faced Ali that broke away from Tomas where they were painting lines to walk over to Greg and snap belligerently.
“No we ain’t painting to amuse ourselves and yes, we got the pallet - truck.” He jerked a thumb at Greg and fixed him with a stern gaze as if he was expecting an attack. Greg’s high spirits tumbled under Ali’s apparent hostility. He glanced over at Tomas, who remained working on the floor of the stable, but had turned his back so Greg could not see his face. ‘What in Hell’s name is the matter with them now?’’Greg thought, but restrained himself from aggravating the situation with a harsh retort.
Ali maintained his stark gaze; his nostrils flared and lips parted enough to show the white of his teeth. Greg coughed.
“Great! What gives?’ Greg asked, forcing a friendly smile he could not admit was warranted.
Ali remained aloof. He dry-spat into the air from the tip of his tongue and replied curtly “Mr Sprentz says you can buy it off him. He wanted two hundred for it, but it ain’t worth that.”
Greg focussed his attention on that news. “ We’ll need to get our own pallet truck at some time. How much is this one worth?”
Ali sniffed “Offer him a hundred and fifty.”
Greg pursed his lips and nodded. “Sounds good to me, let’s do it. Will he take one-fifty do you think?’
“Maybe. But ain’t you first gonna tell us how you got on at the Bank?”
Greg relaxed a little, thinking Ali’s present problem was maybe centred on the banking arrangements affecting them and brightened.
“It all went OK. We’re up and running and I’ve set up the insurances for you, just like we agreed. That’s all four of you for public liability, and you for the electrical technician’s insurance. It’s all ready to roll. All each of you have to do is go into the bank whenever you’re passing and give your contact and trade details to Janie Sugden; who’ll enter it on the forms and it’s done.”
Greg expected at least a pleased response to his news, but both men remained impassive and silent. Tomas walked over to join them. He and Ali looked knowingly at each other, while Greg looked from one to the other. When there was no reaction after several seconds he asked with some trepidation.
“Well aren’t you going to say something?”
“Like what?” Ali snapped
“Like, maybe, ‘thank you’?” Greg’s tone told of his growing impatience. Ali’s response did nothing to quell its growth.
“We ain’t done much talking about this…”
“For crying out loud we talked this through last night, at your place, with everybody there. It was all agreed. What’s the problem now?” Greg’s exasperation caused him to cut across Ali, who stepped back a pace and regarded Greg with mistrust. His body shook as he replied
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The 'Cousins'
General FictionEnglishman Greg Mitchell has served only two Gods in his lifetime- Making Money and Himself. Now at 35 years of age and after his second divorce and loss of his business he faces a future with no family or friends- he does have some money in the ban...
