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

and now dry clothes and goes into the bathroom to get changed out of the ill fitting track suit.

Stef goes into the bedroom and searching under the bed pulls out a large flattened cardboard box. Walking back into the lounge he reassembles the box and gets a roll of parcel tape from the chest of drawers. Securing the bottom of the box with the tape he turns it right way up on the floor and sits back down on the couch with a thoughtful expression.
“Why so worried Dude?” asks Simon as he walks into the lounge wearing his dry clothes.
“Now we’re back and I’ve calmed down I feel really scared.”
“Scared of what Dude?”
“The police for one; but I’m more scared of the owners.” he says in a shaky voice nodding towards the table of money.
“I was trying to say that at the river Dude.” Simon says with a tone of impatience to his voice.
“Yeah, well I been thinking since then, ‘specially ‘bout changing it to dollars, just get the feeling I’m gonna lose it all.”
“Bit late for those thoughts Dude.”
“Yeah let’s hope no one saw us.”
“The rain certainly helped, we got no worries Dude.” Simon says in a positive voice.
“As long as we play it cool and keep our heads down, how about stashing the money for a while and see what happens?” asks Nicola from the doorway where she had been listening.
“Yeah, give it a month or so.” agrees Stef nervously.
The look on Simon’s face shows he does not agree with this thinking; he is behind with the rent and owes for gas and electric; and he’d not had a decent drink since he got back from the states.
Nicola and Stef do not see the look on Simon’s face and Nicola talks about putting a thousand to one side before they hide it. Stef disagrees with her saying that he needs a new car and how it would be good to take a few days off work now that they can afford to pay the bills. They start to argue; Nicola is more in favour of keeping spending to a minimum and to carry on life as normal, for a month or more. The ringing of the doorbell stops the arguing and they all look at each other with real fear in their eyes.
Simon is the first to realise it is the pizza delivery and laughs as he picks up two twenty pound notes and goes to the door to pay.
“Pizza delivery.” says the delivery boy stating the obvious as he has three pizza boxes in his hands.
“Nice one Dude.” says Simon handing him the money and taking the boxes from him.
The delivery boy takes out of his pocket a blue cotton bag that is full of change.
“Don’t worry Dude, have a beer on me.”
The delivery boy looks at him in surprise; “Thank you Sir.” he smiles.
Simon does not give him any opportunity to say any more and shuts the door with a bang.
“Grubs up.” shouts Simon as he turns and walks back towards to where he was sitting.
“I’ll have them.” says Nicola holding out her hand.
Simon looks surprised, but obediently holds out the pizza boxes for Nicola to take.
Nicola walks into the kitchen and almost immediately returns with two plates, covered in pizza slices!
“I don’t want them greasy boxes on my furniture thank you.” she says as she hands Simon a plate of pizza.
“Fair enough.” laughs Simon as he takes the plate from her hand.
Silently she passes the other plate of pizza to Stef who mumbles a ‘Thank you’ before he takes a huge bite.
Nicola goes back into the kitchen and puts water on to boil; loading her plate with pizza she goes back into the lounge and taking a slice as she walks bites off a huge mouthful. Stef and Simon eat quietly and soon consume all of the pizza, Simon gets second helpings from the kitchen and Nicola and Stef persuade him to make more coffee.

It is nearly midnight before Simon opens the front door to leave; Stef is close behind carrying the holdall with Simon’s money. It being so late, Stef has offered to take the money in his car to Simon’s flat whilst Simon cycles home.
Simon retrieves his bike from the front of the house and pushes it towards the front gate; “See you there Dude.” he says to Stef happily and cycles in the direction of the seafront. Having no lights on his bike he has no choice other than to ride along the seafront, or walk as the police are very strict about that sort of thing in this town.
The light from the new moon and few stars that show through the cloudy sky does little in helping Simon see the way and he cycles slowly in the darkness. Reaching the seafront he pedals harder along the concrete road on top the sea defences; lights on the beach in the distance show fisherman casting their lines to a rising tide.
Simon feels relaxed and overjoyed at his new found wealth and rides along on auto pilot, his thoughts a thousand miles away as he enjoys a tropical sun and palm trees.
“Hold it there mate.” shouts a voice from the darkness and a huge figure appears before him.
Simon puts on his brakes as hard as he can and skids to a stop within a few centimetres of the huge individual.
“Where you come from mate?” asks the same voice from behind him!
Simon turns quickly to see a dark figure approaching him, as the figure draws close Simon hears a noise from the left indicating there are more than two!
“Where you from?” asks the man in a louder voice; the man only looks to be about one and a half metres tall and has a thin face that matches the skinny frame underneath the thin raincoat, blonde hair shows beneath a bright red baseball cap.
“Who are you?” asks Simon indignantly; even though he appears surrounded he does not like to be pushed around.
“We are looking for our friends, two men and a girl on bicycles, they should have been home hours ago have you seen anyone?” asks the little blonde haired man not answering Simon’s question.
Simon feels the fear rising from his stomach as he tries to answer the obvious lie.
“Have you seen anyone?” demands the man.
“No, not seen anyone mate, been round me girlfriends, she lives up there.” says Simon indicating his head towards the distant shape of houses on the hill; “Ain’t no one between here and there.”
The little man stares at Simon, and Simon feels that the man does not believe him.
“You live ‘round here?” he demands.
“Yeah, down in the town mate and I gotta get up for work in a few hours.” Simon looks expectantly at the little man who nods to his giant friend.
Standing aside so that Simon can pass the huge man, the man stares at Simon intently with what looks like hatred in his eyes. Simon’s stomach feels like it is turning upside down under the fierce gaze and he puts his head down and starts to cycle slowly away.
“If you see them, you let ‘em know we are looking for them.” shouts the little man as Simon rides towards the bright lights of the town.

Simon cycles quickly when he is out of sight, but not before hearing the engine of a car start up from near where he had just been stopped! Putting his head down he keeps just ahead of the following car getting glimpses of it as he races around the street corners. Cutting through an alley he manages to lose his follower amongst the back streets. and arrives at his flat to find Stef sitting outside waiting impatiently; “You took your time, thought you got lost.” says Stef sarcastically.
“It’s really dark Dude and had to take it real slow in places.”
Stef grumbles a reply and gets out of his car, opening the trunk he pulls the holdall out and drops it by Simon’s feet. Simon visibly jumps and looks around nervously; everywhere seems quiet and deserted and he relaxes a little.
“Jumpy ain’t you?” laughs Stef.
“Only a bit Dude.” replies Simon getting off his bike, he leans it against the concrete wall of his small front garden and picks up the bag, taking out his keys he unlocks the front door; “You coming in Dude?” he asks.
“No, I’m gonna get back, keep ya head down.” he says as he gets into his car feeling that Simon appears more agitated and is not telling him something. With a worried frown he closes the door quietly and starts the engine and drives slowly up the road.
Simon throws the holdall into the hall and getting his bike pushes it inside and shuts the door. Struggling up the stairs with the heavy bag he unlocks the door to his flat and enters quietly. Walking softly he goes into the lounge and putting the holdall on the floor walks to the window and peers out nervously. The street appears empty and deserted and Simon relaxes, until he sees a bald headed man in a bright green T-shirt, long khaki shorts and battered brown work boots turn the corner into his road and walk towards him!
Simon leans back from the window his heart pounding loudly, how could he know? Simon had cycled fast and really thought he had lost the car following him, meaning they may not have seen Stef.
Peering out of the window again Simon looks down the street; the bald headed man is making no secret that he is looking for someone or something as he brazenly peers into houses and up at windows. Releasing the curtain Simon steps back into the room his heart beating fast. Looking down at the holdall of money his mind racing, Simon thinks what he is to do. In agitation he paces around the room now too frightened to look out of the window. Walking into the kitchen he fills the kettle and turns it on. Getting a cup from a high cupboard he puts it next to the boiling kettle and spoons in sugar and coffee as the kettle boils. Walking back into the lounge he nervously approaches the window, still too scared to look out he sits back on the couch and unzips the holdall.
The sight of the money in its neat bundles makes him smile and laugh; reaching into the bag he pulls out several bundles and laughs louder shaking his head as if in disbelief. Feeling more confident he stands and approaches the window; gently he pulls the curtain back enough to see out and nervously he looks down the road.
The road is empty, in both directions and Simon smiles in relief as a wave of tiredness sweeps through him. Leaving the holdall on the floor he goes into his bedroom, stripping off his clothes he gets in between the sheets and closes his eyes.
Sleep eludes him