Walking out of time (Part I)
There were many people on Burton Street, but William was not one of them. Instead, he was in the street before, Walnut Road, slinking in and out of shops. He was trying to clear his head and work out how he was going to return the money he didn’t have, that he’d borrowed from a near stranger, almost a month ago. The latter would be waiting for him and his money in Burton Street in half an hour. Mind you, it was no small sum and the moneylender had a big heart; however, it was hard for William to deny he wanted to clear his conscience and fulfil his duty. He’d like to think he had never failed anyone’s expectations before, at least any outsider’s, and he would like to keep it that way. The moneylender was a friend of a friend, and they briefly met at a party. William had asked one of his older friends for a bit of money to see him through to the end of the month. However, his friend had recently purchased a car, and profusely apologised that he could not help William. His friend then asked his friend to help William out instead. And what could William do? Could he deny the money he so desperately needed to afford his shelter? Out of helplessness he had to accept. If it were a different time, a different place, and a different situation, he would never have taken the money.