A Good Find by Gary L Beer (chrysanthemum read aloud .TXT) 📕

“Save you borrowing from Ingrid” Sheila states simply.
“Partners? If I accept it means that we are equal partners and it does not mean you will become the boss.” Steve warns.
Natalie's eyes light up with triumph; “Partners.” she laughs extending her hand for Steve to shake to seal the deal.
Reluctantly Steve takes her hand and nods in agreement, letting go of Natalie's hand he shakes Sheila's hand; “As long as you behave.” he says firmly.
“Of course we will.” laughs Sheila squeezing his hand hard.

Stef pushes the gate open and looks towards his flat; all is dark as if no one is home and he walks slowly along the path. Simon follows closely behind holding on tightly to his rusty chisel. Lights in the upper flats shine, indicating that people in both of the flats are still awake, Stef looks up towards them and looks back at Simon; “We'll have to try and do this as quietly as we can, we don't want them calling Old Bill.”
Simon nods in silent agreement looking at his watch; “Your neighbours are up late it's nearly eleven-thirty.”
“Oh yeah, the Polish people will be going to work soon, this will be a good time to do this as they make a lot of noise.” replies Stef looking up at the lighted windows.
They quietly approach the back door and Stef puts his hand on the door handle, looking around at Simon he pushes the handle down; the door is unlocked.
“Ready?” asks Stef nervously.
Simon shrugs and smiles; “Go for it Dude.”
Stef eases the door open and steps inside the kitchen with Simon close behind. The door to the lounge is closed and light shines underneath and through the keyhole. The light flickers and flashes and at first Stef, in his stressed state cannot understand what he is seeing until he realises it is the light from the television which has been switched on. No sound penetrates through the door and Stef and Simon walk softly towards it. Stef puts his hand on the door handle and pushes it down quickly and throws the door open and rushes in with hammer upraised.
Several steps in he stops suddenly and Simon bumps into him in surprise; the television shows the same film; Predator, but with no sound. Pitched up in the middle of the room is a big green fishing tent, complete with two fishing rods resting in their stands. Underneath the huge tent a bed chair with bright alloy legs reflect the light of the television, making them appear to be moving. On top of the apparently moving legs a green sleeping bag has been stretched out and inside a fisherman, with a huge bulbous nose and tangled mop of hair snores contently!
Stef looks down at the sleeping form in confusion until the anger at having his home invaded stirs him to shout; “What the hell is going on here?”
Simon laughs behind him as the sleeping form starts to wake; turning over onto his side the fisherman frowns in annoyance and opens his eyes. He stares at the floor his face contorting into strange shapes as thoughts pass through his mind.
“What do you think you are doing?” shouts Stef.
The fisherman startled by Stef's shout jumps in surprise and looks up and locks eyes with him. His face goes pale with fear when he sees Stef standing over him waving the hammer about, as if he is going to use it!
Simon leans forward and tries to peer under the tent; his hair falls across his face obscuring his vision and all he can make out is a pale face with a huge nose and wide eyes.
“My mate asked you a question.” he shouts at the frightened form lying on the bed chair.
“I, I n-needed a roof over my head for a few days.” stammers the frightened fisherman.
“You can't stay here mate, you going to pay for the window you broke? It's called breaking and entering, you'll do time for this.” threatens Stef his face flushing with anger.
The fisherman's face appears to turn pure white in the gloom cast by the tent at Stef's words and he sits upright; “I didn't break in, the window was already broke.” he says defensively.
“Yeah, who broke it?” sneers Stef.
“I dunno, it weren't me, I mended it for you and all I've done is sleep here and use your toilet, honest mate.” the fisherman replies his voice shaky with fear.
Simon looks up at Stef and then looks around the room; “Looks like your normal mess to me Dude.” he says with a smile.
Stef follows his gaze around the room noticing that everything is as he and Nicola had left it. Walking into the bedroom he sees that here also nothing had been disturbed. The mess of old books and paperwork was still sprawled across the bed; exactly as he had left it and he wondered if the fisherman had even been in here. Walking across the room he bends down in front of the wardrobe and peels the carpet back, his passport is lying where he had left it and he scoops it up and puts the carpet back. Putting the passport into his pocket he walks back into the lounge; “All good in there.” he says giving the fisherman a strange look.
“I ain't even been in there, I only looked.” exclaims the fisherman nervously.
“Yeah I can see that,” replies Stef softly as he looks around the room; “you can't stay here mate.”
“Do you want me to go now, or in the morning?”
Stef smiles weakly and looks towards Simon for support, Simon smiles back but says nothing.
“No mate, you can stay here 'till the morning it's only a few hours away anyway.”
“You wanna drink Dude? I'll put the kettle on.” asks Simon as he walks into the kitchen.
Stef feels helpless and trapped, he cannot get violent with this person in front of him; “What's your name mate?”
“Ian.”
“I'm Stef and that's Simon in the kitchen, you wanna coffee?”
“Pleased to meet you, sorry about breaking in I was desperate to get warm, yeah I'd love one thanks.”
“How long you been here?”
“Only a day, I wasn't very well and your place looked empty with the window broken and the curtain hanging out flapping in the breeze.”
“Who broke my window then?” asks Stef his face frowning in annoyance.
“Your back door was still locked as I had to climb through the window to get in and there was a pile of post in your letterbox, I pulled the letters in and let them drop to the floor.”
“Thanks for doing that.” replies Stef absent mindedly as he pictures the Polish couple sorting through the mail and pushing it in his letterbox. Ian had probably done him a favour by doing that and he looks around the room.
Stef's eyes stare into Ian's dark brown eyes; “Where do you normally live?”
“Down at the lake, usually.” Ian replies in a matter of fact voice.
“Down at the lake; what in that?” asks Stef looking at the tent. Ian still lay on his bed chair and apart from sitting up had not moved since they found him.
“Yeah, it's really cosy when the sides are down and it's zipped up, even got two windows I can look out of.” Ian answers proudly.
“What do you do in the winter?”
“Get cold.”
“You are mad, ain't you got a proper house or flat to live in?”
“Not anymore.” replies Ian bitterly.
Stef is glad that Simon walks in at that time carrying three steaming mugs; “I put two sugars in each.” he says as he puts the mugs down on the floor in front of Stef and Ian. Keeping hold of one of the steaming mugs Simon stands up and walks across the room and sits down on the couch. Taking an exaggerated sip he breathes out a sigh of relief and smiles broadly.
“Thanks Dude.” says Stef as he picks up one of the mugs and takes a small sip. Taking his telephone out of his pocket he dials Nicola and tells her they will be back in the morning.
“Thanks man.” says Ian as he bends forward and picks up the remaining mug of steaming coffee.

The grey light of dawn finds Stef outside measuring the broken window, noting down the sizes on his mobile phone he looks around the garden for something a bit more substantial than a carrier bag to block up the window. A dirty cracked oversized square of glass leans against the side of the shed between the shed and the high fence. The ancient shed and brand new panel fences are only separated by a narrow one hundred and fifty millimetre strip of dirt and gravel. The glass is far too large to fit the window and Stef peers the other side of the piece of glass hoping to see more, he is disappointed as there are only a few weeds searching for sunlight in the gloom cast by the shed and the new fencing. Looking around the garden he can see nothing to help, the only solution is to go to a glass shop, but not in this town!
Going back indoors he puts water on to boil and searches the cupboards for something to eat. All he can find is a tin of creamed rice pudding and a tin of mandarin segments in light syrup.
Opening the tin of rice pudding quickly he pours it into a bowl and puts it in the microwave to heat up. When it is piping hot he takes the bowl out of the microwave and pours half the tin of mandarins into the bowl with the rice. Pushing the segments deep into the hot pudding he leaves it on the worktop as he makes tea.
With tea made Stef picks up the bowl and grabbing hold of the mug of tea he walks into the lounge, Simon is now sitting upright staring at Ian who still snores happily in his sleeping bag.
“What we gonna do with him Dude?” asks Simon.
“Chuck him out when he wakes up.” answers Stef coldly as he puts a spoonful of rice pudding in his mouth.
“Do you think he knows any of that gang? He could cause us problems if he does as he knows this place.”
“No, I think he's good and we can give him a lift to this lake he stays at, if he wants one.”
“That might be a good idea Dude, we'd know where he is then.”
As Stef finishes his breakfast Ian starts to stir and finally opens his eyes, panic covers his face for a few seconds until he realises where he is. Looking Simon in the eyes he cheerfully greets; “Good morning mate, feels like it's going to be a good day.”
“You could be right there Dude, wish I woke up that cheerful in the mornings.” he says looking at Stef.
“Must be this fellas lifestyle, morning Ian.” greets Stef.
“Good morning Stef.” Ian grins