A Merging of Days
29/01/21 12:39
A Merging of Days
The sun was lowering quickly now, and other than the soft light it was casting along 54th Avenue, it wasn’t doing much for Jan. He was beginning to feel the cold in his bones these days. It reminded him he was getting old, he was sure he’d never felt cold in a suit before. Especially with his trade mark hat on. He hated the thought.
‘Please don’t tell me I’m old now,’ he spoke under his breath. There was no one on the dilapidated stretch of the street to hear him. It was always quiet but he found it comfortable there. His spec was recognised by the locals. He always set up his seat in the same place: five doors down from where he lived. He could see life going on down the junction with 24th and the sun lasted longer in the evening than outside his house.
The day had been largely okay. A good average day he thought. He’d had toast in the morning though with bread that was as a stiff as toast before he’d put it under the grill. He’d only spotted the white mould on it with the last bite. He reasoned that he’d eaten 90% of it he may as well finish it off. The milk in the coffee had been beyond help though and he’d had to settle for his reserve of powdered stuff, which he always kept for such emergencies. Shopping day was Friday, and he never did it earlier, as he reasoned precedents were a bugger to start. Where would it stop if you did that? He was all but sure that tomorrow was Friday. He’d know later if his favourite show was on the radio at 8pm.
The shadows from the street furniture were lengthening; it was almost time.
He waited patiently, patting his leg to the beat of a song he always had in his head when waiting for his best buddy. On cue, as the shadow from the streetlight next door, touched the kerb he arrived.
‘Whatcha!’
Jan smiled. The pair of them always started the same way. ‘Howdee!’ Said Jan.
Fred stood in his usual spot. They were wearing the same suit, the same hat. Somehow Fred always copied him. He called him Jin sometimes, which Fred said he hated; ‘Jin and Jan, two sides of the same coin.’
The shadows were moving quickly now. It was the problem at this time of year. Soon Fred would go, leaving him alone to his thoughts. He always stayed until the shadow from the light met the shadow from the bakery or hit the opposite pavement. There was an unwritten law dependent on the time of year.
Fred asked him if he’d listened to Dick Tracy last night. Jan shook his head, ‘That’s tonight. It’s on Thursdays.’
Fred laughed. ‘But it’s Friday, Jan.’
Jan looked at Fred waiting for a tell tale laugh. He wasn’t sure if he was telling the truth or not.
‘It was a great episode, one of the best. A real cliff hanger at the end.’
‘It always is.’ He said. ‘Is it really Friday?’
‘Of course. You’re not telling me you didn’t go shopping this morning?’
Jan squinted down the block towards the wintery sun. Another sign of getting old: not knowing the day of the week.
Sara from the bakery walked down the street towards him and smiled. ‘Wondered what had happened to you today. You normally come in for a chat and a loaf in the morning.’
‘God, it really was Friday.’
Sara laughed. ‘Still is.’ She looked at the shadows on the road. ‘You talking with Fred at the moment?’
It was Jan’s turn to smile. ‘And don’t he look dapper? But not as a dapper as me, of course.’
Sara agreed with him. ‘Gotta go. It’s pizza night and Billy won’t be happy if I’m not back soon. You better be getting in. It’s getting cold.’
Jan nodded. He noticed the shadows had begun to merge in the road. Fred had gone. Jan got up and folded his chair. ‘See you tomorrow.’ He said. Though Sara was by now at the end of the block and Fred gone.
He cursed softly to himself. ‘No Tracy tonight. I’ll have to wait for the omnibus. Must get up early tomorrow for shopping anyway. I’m such a silly coot.’
At home he made himself a cup of coffee with powdered milk. On a scrap of paper he wrote ‘Today is Saturday: GO SHOPPING!’
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WC: 750
Story for Miranda's Mid Week Flash (Week 184) from the prompt photo at the top of the page `