I AM AT A CONVENTION. I see James, the paramedic I used to work with in the first aid department. He is sitting next to my friend, Chris. I go and sit with them. I say “Hi” to James and he moves away. I say to Chris, “Don’t worry, he’s only joking,” but James replies, “No, I’m not.”
A young sister asks me to sit with her during the sessions. She seems to like me. I agree and we sit together. I have a cup of tea which I place on the floor and try not to kick over. The girl keeps whispering to me. Her mother is sitting on the other end of the row. She seems annoyed and keeps glaring at us. I get up and walk away. I don’t feel connected to the girl and besides, I’ve arranged to meet my ex-girlfriend, Ava. I see Ava at a distance. She is wearing a red skirt and a pinky-red top. I fly over the audience to where she is sitting and sit down next to her. I ask her if I can go back to her place after the assembly but she doesn’t seem keen.
The next day is Monday. I remember I need to call Ava. My sister appears. She shows me a broken glass and tells me a 4-year old child slashed her with it. I am in a living room. There is a bad smell of dog poo. I check my feet. I am wearing flip-flops. My feet are muddy, but not smelly. It’s boiling hot. My mum comes into the room and makes a fire in the fireplace. Everywhere I look there are mobile phones. I try to find one that works to call Ava, but they are all broken. Eventually, I manage to get through to her. I say, “Hi, I love you.” She says, “I love you too,” but she doesn’t sound genuine.