Chapter 33 — The Woman from the Past

University was now finished, and rather than applying for the new jobs which a degree had opened the door to, I went back to work with John, the bricklayer, who I worked with on and off all through the university years, and even in the previous year, where we'd worked on the White Rose Shopping Centre. John had got a job over in Wetherby building a few houses and wanted me to hod carry for him. The money was good, which was a pleasure, since the last year at university had been tough, and Anna was invariably the only one with a little money.

One week, however, John had missed putting in his bill, and we had to wait until the following week to get paid, and on the Friday, Anna and I arranged to meet John outside SupaSnooker and collect the money. I mention this because it brings to mind the workings and perspicacity of a woman's mind, which I've never really understood.

John had been living with a woman called Julie, who he regularly used to talk about, but I never really listened or thought that much about what he was telling me about her. I'd never met her.

Anna and I arrived a little early, and we waited with Rebecca in the pram in the car park opposite SupaSnooker. John was eternally late for everything and anything, and Anna didn't have time for the man and would constantly berate him at every opportunity. Finally, John's car arrived, and he got out, and a woman got out from the other side of the car. It was Julie.

'Hello, Anna,' said John.

'Late again, John,' answered Anna. 'I hope you've got the money?'

'I have, and there's an extra forty in there for that other job we did on Tuesday, Karl.' He handed me the money, which I took.

'This is Julie,' said John. I didn't really look up, but when I did and noticed this 'Julie', something struck me, and I didn't know what at the time, but it did.

We exchanged a few more idle words and then departed our separate ways.

'You've been with her,' stated Anna.

'What the fuck, Anna! I've never even seen the woman, let alone been with her for God's sake. All I know of her is what John has told me, and that's it.'

'You gave her that look, and she knew, and I knew.'

'Knew what? I don't believe I'm hearing this. I really don't.'

'Anyway, I don't want to know. I don't want to hear her mentioned.'

Ridiculous and totally stupid is the mind of a woman, full of suspicion and trouble. But something in my mind doubted she was. Anna took the money and went shopping in the market, and I cycled off home, as I cycled everywhere then. As I rode home, I began to recall all the stories and tales John had been telling me at work about this Julie, and slowly, but surely, pieces of a puzzle began to snap together.

I only had a couple of minutes to see the woman at the car, and I didn't know her from any other woman, but I did have recollections of stories from John, and it was these idle tales told on a scaffold when bricklayers have nothing better to do that unlocked an event from my distant past.

When I was 18, we used to go out drinking in town and almost always ended up in a basement bar near the bottom of town – I can’t remember the name of it – and this bar was stuck full mostly of Belle Isle characters, of which I was one. One particular night I was out with Paul, a friend, and we got chatting to two women in the bar. It was late, and we were no doubt drunk, but so was everyone else in there, and therefore it didn't matter.

The two women were much older than Paul and I and almost certainly were in their late twenties or even early thirties, and it's common knowledge how much of an attraction that is for a very young man. We arranged to meet the following Saturday in some pub, and to Paul and my surprise, the two women turned up. The night was brilliant, and we all ended up back at 255. The following morning, the two women left, and we arranged to meet the following Friday. That event never happened.