Ride On

Chapter XIX: Ruby Tuesday

With my legs glistening in sunscreen and a pair of tiny shorts, I got down on my knees and started digging. Screams of toddler torture came from my house as a result of being told 'no' and I only turned up the volume on the portable radio I brought outside with me. It was a song I didn't recognize but it was better than the demonic symphony inside. 

I had bought some flower seeds on my outing the other day and I finally mustered up enough energy to plant them. They were only lilies but I wanted them to grow as healthy as possible and so bought new soil and collected a tin of worms. One in particular kept trying to escape so I put him in the soil first. 

A Beatles song came on and I would have sung along had I not been outside. So I settled for lip syncing. 

I almost had a heart attack when I heard someone clear their throat behind me. 

Our yard is fenced in. But if someone really wanted to they could stand on their toes and look in which is why I always kept my guard up. 

Well, almost always. 

And as my misfortune would have it, there stood the man with the hair and the shit-eating grin. 

And a friend.

Oh shit.

"Oi, Hannah, glad to see you up an' about," Bon said from the other side of the fence. "We heard your radio an' thought we'd pop in, an' lucky us, it was you!"

"Bon says you two met in a store the other day shoppin'?" Malcolm asked. He had a bottle of beer in one hand and a cigarette in the other. His long hair practically covered both his eyes like a sheepdog. "He says you were buyin' knickers or somethin'."

I flushed. So, Bon thought he was pretty funny huh? I shyly walked up to them. 

"Well...Bon almost bought some too." Malcolm raised his eyebrows and glanced at Bon. With that never ending smile he shrugged. 

"Ya' learn somethin' new every day, don't ya', Mal? By the way, this is Malcolm." Malcolm exhaled a cloud of smoke and looked around. 

"Is this your house?" he asked pointing at it. "Jesus, Bon, why'd you jus' show up to her house?"

"It was a lucky coincidence, all these houses look the same." He sniffed and scratched his nose. "We're off to get a meal or two, did ya' wanna come?"

My dumbarse looked around as if he were referring to someone else. Suddenly another scream broke out of my house and a tsunami of tears would follow soon enough. Bon suddenly looked very concerned. 

"Everything all right in there?"

"Uh..." I looked behind me. "I think so, my mum is probably breaking up a fight in there. It's fine." Bon and Malcolm exchanged a look. I brushed my hands of any dirt. "I should probably stay here to help. It's...sort of my job."

"You're workin'?" Malcolm asked. I nodded. "Well done, Bon, got two birds with one rock."

"Ah," Bon mumbled waving him off. "Well if you're busy an' all we'll jus' be off." Malcolm gave me his hand to shake and followed Bon down the street. 

My radio started playing "Ruby Tuesday" as I watched not one, but two whole members of AC/DC walk away. In my neighbourhood, at my house. I amazed myself as I didn't burst into flames. I turned around lost in my thoughts and barely noticed the scattering earthworms making a bolt for freedom.