Beside the Sea Read Online Free PDF Page A

pee. What time was it? Were people getting ready to go to work? Were they smartening up to go to work? Why? Funny, it annoyed me not knowing who was shaving in there, or who was slapping it all over her face, make-up everywhere she could possibly put it, eyes cheeks mouth, the whole lot, and us stuck in the corridor waiting our turn!
    I’m hungry, Kevin said again like they were the only words he knew, so I decided that was enough, my kids didn’t look like rags or pigs, I’d said that to be like all the other mothers, the ones who look for creepy-crawlies and want everything to be perfect, deep down I thought my boys were gorgeous and what was a bit of cold water going to do for us? I hadn’t come here to hang around while strangers washed their faces!
    We went back to our room and they got dressed, Kevin had always worn Stan’s old clothes, and Stan clothes that were too big so that they lasted, and I’d never noticed that neither of them had things the right size. True, I’m not there when they get ready in the mornings, but now I could see that they didn’t look like the others, two little lads, onetoo big and the other too small. Did they know that?
    We put on our jackets, I gathered up the coins we’d abandoned on the bed and stuffed them into our pockets. I was really disappointed, mind, I thought I had much more, I’d even pictured myself saying Keep the change! to waiters and shopkeepers. I’d seen that done once, and then the person who’s meant to keep the money looks at you like they wanted to kiss your feet, they were definitely going to keep it, that change! There I was thinking I had a treasure… money should be worth what we want it to be.
    I’ve got lots of money! said Kevin, weighing up his pocket, but Stan shrugged his shoulders. Shame, I was prepared to believe it. Once again we left the room one behind the other, slipping through the half-open door, I felt like I’d been doing that all my life – slipping through things, I mean.
    The stairs were easier going this way, but just as dark. Kevin had fun going down with both feet together, I could tell he was happy. Stan looked at the numbers on the doors, the arrows, the emergency exits, Stan always tries to read any writing, everywhere , ever since Year 1 he’s wanted to make everything out, I don’t know what he’s looking for. I was wondering what we would find downstairs, what daylight would do to this town, would we see some pavements at last and some street names?
    Each wrapped up in our thoughts, separated by them, we reached the ground floor without even realizing it and not out of breath, like relaxed travellers , tourists ready to explore the town. Shame there was no one in the foyer, I’m sure I looked a picture with my two boys.
    The town was like the hotel: not deserted at all. Unbelievable how many people there were milling around in the rain, I was stunned. I had no idea what time it was and I didn’t know what was driving these people in every direction. Life, it’s an anthill! People hurry along, they brush past each other, knock into each other, every now and then they swear at someone or kiss hello, How are you? Fine! And then they watch all the others walking by.
    No one was looking at us three, standing stock-still in the rain, hard to know which way to go to find a café. I decided to do what I did the night before: act like I knew what I was doing. What matters is looking like you know.
    The roads were still just as muddy, the ground was sodden but no one paid attention. These people weren’t out for a stroll, oh no, they were trotting along busily, not looking up but not getting lost either. They all looked like they had somewhere to go, they seemed to know the way by heart. I set off at random, in my I-know-what-I’m-doing mode, the kids trusted me and that brought me luckbecause guess what we came to? You’d have thought it was expecting us! The sea, yes, the sea! Bang in the middle of town, now that’s