Standing outside the bar, the sun high in a clear sky
Back inside, a few beers. Sitting at the bar. Couple of folk come and go.
And back outside.
Some clouds have drifted in and robbed us of a winter sunset.
So I go back inside.
Eddie has got me a beer waiting.
Best barman in town. And the football about to start
The light steals in through the little windows.
There’s a couple over at the far table. Getting loud.
The guy gets up and walks towards me
Aw fuck I recognise this guy.
“Alright pal, I know your brother Steve”
“Oh aye you’re Pete eh”
He sits on the stool one along.
Beer tastes good, football is on but how the fuck could I get away from this guy.
He used to work with my brother.
Aye cool but.
This guy didn’t do sentences
He did paragraphs.
Each conversation was like an essay.
People don’t want to sit through a 10 minute presentation about your trip to the dentist pal.
And when he moved the conversation on, the guy approached each new topic in exactly the same way.
Introduction.
A 5 step move through the subject
Few different perspectives on the same issue.
Summary.
Conclusion.
All he was missing was the references.
But I think they might be coming.
They’ll be emailed over later.
He circled back, dropping parts he has missed. Making sure to mention his new car. His job.
It’s not a conversation it’s a monologue.
It’s not a monologue.
It just is.
His wife comes over.
She’s just as bad.
Filling in “the missing parts”
I thought this was already fucking forensics.
Now they are arguing over which chair they sat in the waiting room.
I’m looking at Eddie
He’s looking at me
shrugging his shoulders.
I’m just going for a smoke I say.
As I gather up my stuff.
Paul Andrew Sneddon 