Nobody Wants To Know Him

I - The Fool on the Hill

Wednesday 15th November 1972
Liverpool, England
3.27pm

"Lord! Sorry 'bout that!" I called behind me as I hurriedly jogged past the elderly man I'd collided with, weaving through the bustling crowd. I really needed to hurry up with this, I was already late starting my paper round, and it was only my second week on the job.

It was difficult to suppress the laughter that rose up inside me as I heard him scream profanities targetted at me as I bolted down the path towards the next row of houses.

Turning the corner, the strap of my navy messenger bag caught on the road sign. Just my luck.

I cursed harshly under my breath, muttering to myself as I untangled it. Forthlin Road was normally a pleasant road to deliver down; the residents down there were more tolerable than most.



Walking to the entrance of number 20, I hastily threw a paper down on the doorstep before Jim, the guy that lived there, swung open the door as I was walking back down the path.

"Ta, ______!" He appreciatively called out to me.

I turned around, waving as I walked to the next house. "'Course, Jim. Gotta make sure you're getting yer weekly update, y'know." That made him chuckle.

Only a few more roads to go, and that should be it for today. Probably will end up finishing later today since I started late, it might be dark by then with it being almost winter and all. Seems to be getting dark before four now, meaning ideally I should be back at half three before sunset.

It was three now. About ten more papers and that should do it.

I turned into the next road, delivering the last of the papers. The air was getting a bit nippy now, and I wasn't quite dressed appropriately.

Sure, the long sleeves of my striped red and black shirt kept me warmer than a normal tee would've, and my flares provided more warmth than a skirt, but I were still a bit chilly.

I rubbed my arms as I took the familiar route home, squinting as the setting sun burst through a gap between some trees ahead of me, painting the sky in hues of amber and gold.

The walk home was only fifteen minutes, but I was going to pop to the newsagents to grab a drink before I went home. Hopefully it wouldn't be too dark by then, but you never know.

The chimes rung through the shop as I pushed open the metal door, flashing a grin at the cashier, Timothy. I was a regular here, coming every Wednesday after my round, and we were mates in school, so we were quite close.

"Alright, ______. Finishing late today?"

I nodded in response. "Started late, y'know. Forgot. By the time I remembered, I was already ten minutes late." I reached for a glass bottle of Orangina from the fridge section. Classic.

Tim chuckled at that, shaking his head. "Always were a bit rubbish with yer timings, weren't you? Remember I invited ya to my birthday party at the junior school, showed up almost four hours late. We was packing it up at that point, we was. Ye thought I said two o'clock. Not ten."

Christ, that must've been years ago. I wasn't quite sure how he remembered that in such detail, even I'd forgotten about it.

"Right then, Tim. That wasn't my fault, y'know. Just lemme pay for this, would'ya? Got places to be."

He tapped some stuff into the register, and I handed him my cash and was on my way.

"See you 'round, ______."