Friday, June 10, 2011

the ex

Tanya is sitting on a stub of wall outside the pub, leaning forwards with a wad of cloth pressed to the side of her face. A steady trickle of blood runs out beneath the heel of her hand, curls off the point of her chin, and falls to the pavement.

A policeman stands next to her.

‘Tanya’s been assaulted with a knife,’ he says. ‘She’s got a nasty cut to the left side of her face, but no other injuries as far as we can tell. We’ve got the guy who did it - over there…’ he says, nodding in the direction of a screaming man pinned face-down on the ground beneath a security guard and three other officers. ‘Her ex,’ he adds, then carefully peels off his gloves so he can take out his pocket book.

On the ambulance, we take a look. A grievous work of butchery, laying open the left side of her face from the corner of the mouth to the cheekbone. I clean it up as best and as quickly as I can, then cover it again with dampened gauze.
‘I told him it was over but he wouldn’t have it,’ she says. ‘He took all my stuff. My CD player. My methadone scrip. He tried to get me yesterday but I ran off. I didn’t do nothing.’
She turns in the chair to show me the jagged rip in the back of her jacket where he’d swiped at her: as she turns, the white foam stuffing rucks and rides out of the hole.

2 comments:

jacksofbuxton said...

Oh dear,bust ups and break ups.It's hard enough to leave a partner without them sticking the knife in (literally in this case).

Hope she's ok,hope she gets off the drugs as well.

Do you ever wish you'd studied to be a vet Spence?Or teach?(no,scrub that one.Mrs Jack teaches.She has just as much stress in her work as you).

Cutting hair is a pretty peaceful gig Spence.

You could be my lather boy....

I like the style with this one as well.Short and to the point.

Spence Kennedy said...

Poor Tanya was having a nightmare time of it. Lucky to be alive, actually.

I often think about alternative jobs. Tesco.com delivery driver is attractive at the moment, but I'm not sure I could handle the fruit. I know one paramedic who's leaving after doing a hairdressing course, btw.

Thanks for the lather boy offer. No idea what to expect really - when do I start? And do I get a uniform?

Tried teaching *shiver*

:0)