‘It doesn’t look too promising’, says a woman on the bus. I think she means the day not her life. A woman shouts, ‘ ….tell Jim the weddin’s aff….’ and roars with laughter. Flocks of yellow cranes at the dockside in Methil. Paintwork bodyshops and hair salons. A girl on her phone says she’ll be late for her interview. She rolls another cigarette. A man in his allotment sits smoking a pipe. I think of my dad and the rolling of tobacco in the palms of his hands, the woody dark sweet smell of it. A husband patiently explains the rules of sudoku to the woman who thought the day none too bright. She asks ‘…..so why can’t I put a four there ?’ He explains again. ….’But why…..?’. She stops mid-sentence, loses interest and turns to look out of the window. She’s thinking she should have brought an umbrella.
dominique cameron 