Jan - Pierre's - Petty - Theft

Friday morning coffee routine, same as every other day; a whole french press - two big dollops of sugar- a freshly rolled cigarette out the kitchen window, followed by 15 minutes on the bog whilst scrolling through the morning's news feed; Boris’s new coronavirus lockdown measures, Trump's latest antics, unforeseen financial crisis, we’ve landed on Mars again and the Queen has brought a new dog into the Royal family.

Flushhhhh!!

Check the time, 04:15- a little adrenaline rush - “shit, shit, shitty-shit - I’m late”. Grabbing a Red work jacket, putting on a wireless headset- Spotify - discover weekly - shuffle.

AC/DC’s 1979 classic - Highway To Hell comes on - pushes the bicycle out the front door.

Crunch - swing - creek - slamm!

Going to work at this time in the morning - beautiful? Engaging the pedals - pull up - stand - push down - the bicycle picks up speed - repeat - cool air sizzles his face - burns the lungs - freshhh - wake up - much better than coffee - blood rushing - rhythm - breath - danana - danana -- da’ -- danana! - Interrupt - glyde --- crunch - click-click - crunch - new gear engaged - speed up - repeat - glide down commercial road - empty - no traffic - no people - now flying - the London landscape opens up - feelings bubble up - the sublime loneliness - what? - Gut wrench - not the time for emotions - swallow it back down - breath deep - voice - great! - “I'm on the high---way to hell !!” - Cross road - turn right - there it is - Big and Red - Post office depot - Hell.

Checking in - approaching the little glass booth at the end of the corridor- scuff marks on the walls - the occasional health and safety posters, Red vinyle floor and the brightest strip lights you have ever seen - I’m surprised she hasn't gone blind yet - smile & wave - “Hi Tracy good morning”- she looks up from her phone - still bewildered and lost in some paradise beach on Instagram - her gormless chubby face squints and attempts a cracked smile behind her obviously undersized reading glasses - her gray complexion flushes a glimmer of life as the capillaries erupt with Red warning signs on the hilltops of her cheeks - “hi Jan ! - Good morning - you're a little late again aren't you?” Now she goes on - and on - about how she is going to have to report me - bla - bla - bla - and then she says - “I'm sorry” - patronising sad face - “it's not at all personal” - she says - “you know I think you’re great Jan - but we have to follow protocol” - she switches to a smile - “here you go - today you have been allocated route 34” - Again! - “and your trolly number is XPT-34-555-D.”

“Thanks Tracy, hope you have a nice day” - - - - pick up the work slip - walk over to the corner - scan the Qr code - beeeeep - door opens - repeat the gesture - smile & wave.

Poor woman - sat in that same booth for the past 25 years - following protocol ha! - sigh - god! - people really come here to die. Setting off on route 34 - 112 addresses - every day the same route - pushing trolley XPT-34-555-D towards the first address - people need their bank statements today Jan! - The sun is finally coming up - following Burdett Rd towards Mile end park - the buses make their first round - followed by the bin collection trucks - occasionally the DLR train squeals past in the distance - or a smoky dutch barge - chug - chugging - off towards a new life - somewhere else - every fortnight - what a dream - the man on the boat waves - ignore him - no - don't be so bitter - wave back - wave.

Walking through Vicky park on Groves Rd at 09.30 - stop at: GAIL’s bakery on Lauriston Rd - just over halfway - 50 something deliveries left to do.

Approaching the shop - it smells amazing! - routine treat - £4 sausage roll every day - It's just the best sausage roll in London - 100% - ring- ding - ring - clank.

“One sausage roll please”- Dad used to come here a lot - “Cash or Card?” - “ Card” - “here you go - thank you have a lovely day” - “ yes- mm - thanks! - you too” - ring - ding - ring - clank.

Unwrap - bite down - hot - crunchy pastry - oozing - fatty meatloaf - cooked in white wine - wow - the best! - ok, let's push on.

Angry! - can't stop thinking about Dad - that pr*** ! - grrrr !! - teeth grit - ha! - it is what it is - right? But then again - no! - why am I stuck in this dead end job ? - if it wasn't for - “that selfish pr***!”

It is what it is, “my arse!”

Mum got sick - and what - he just up and left - didn't he - scum! - Disappeared - never to be seen again! - Probably one of those men with a second family or something -

don't want to know!

Now it's just him and mum - she's great - but I'm going mad - actually - I hate it.

he had to quit uni - to help pay the bills - postman - shit!

God! - would have finished this year - an LSE graduate - imagine - looking for my first job now.

haha - when life gives you lemons - but you’d asked for melons...

Now that's bad humour!

Ok, shake it off - last parcel - before the weekend - Red door - n. 67 - white horse Rd - Limehouse - open little front gate - screech - swing - suddenly the door opens - young girl comes out - similar age - “Mr. Postman ! - Hi” - Smile ! - “This parcel was delivered here a few days ago, but it doesn't match our address ?” - “oh ok, well I'll take that back for you now - here's today's post” - hand it over - notice she's quite pretty - “Thanks Mr Postman! “- “ No - thank you - mm - have a nice weekend” - smile - she’s already gone - Slam !! - the door shuts.

Looking at the parcel the mistake is obvious - 67 - white horse street - not road ! - looking up the address online - No matches found - try again - No matches found - no name either, how strange?

Shaking the parcel - no rattle - size ? - mm - must be a book? What book though ?

Heading back to depo - can't stop thinking about the book -

No one knows?

- This parcel will just end up in a pile - later destroyed - no but i can't ! - what if? -haaa - finders keepers ? - no way - this is stupid - Stop it!

Back home for Lunch - 13:00 - walk into the kitchen - mums left a can of beans on the counter with a note - how very depressing - Out for dinner my love, don't wait up, love mum XX

Great!

Back up to bed - sluggishly - up the stairs - taking off his red jacket - thud - thud - thud - the parcel falls on the stairs - pick it up - quick! - bolt - skip - swing - clank- safe-- !

Sat on bed - anxious - thrilled - finders keepers right ?

Deep breath - guilty- tearing - uncover - sigh - nervous chuckles - puts his hand in - ha ! - it's a moleskin - that's nice, why not...

Opening the first page - a handwritten inscription reads:

My Dearest Little One,

Happy birthday

I hope you will find the time to fill this book

With all of your magical stories

At 21 your now a little woman,

Im sure this year will be full of fun adventure

and hopefully a bit of luck.

Love Mum

xx

(P.s be safe little one, I've included a bit of luck, look in the sleeves pocket)

Ha, that's great, no name here - no name on the parcel - no address - it's fine, im fine!

What's this luck thing ? - “Oh - I see” - gently pulling back on the sleeve - the pouch opens - from inside he pulls out a Red scratch card - disbelief - jump up !- pacing around the room - is this it ? haha - do i get melons after all?

Sit at desk - guilt - hands in hair - look around for coin - no coin - dirty butter knife - that will do - sigh - doubt - not going to win - such an idiot - think - think -think - what ? - what? - are you not going to scratch it ? haha - -

Ok - scratch - scrape - carve : - diamond - £5 - ok - not bad - 9 total, need 3 to win - scratch - scratch - fingers crossed- £20,000 - ha - that would be nice! - Scratch - itch - scratch - Again ? - fear - fingers crossed- £20,000 - no way! - nervous - glee - just one more - come on - bag - £100,000 - sh** - hat - £50,000, come on! - anger - flush - diamond - £5 - never gonna happen - sad - such a loser - stuck with - lemon - £10 - haha - wow - that's freaky - hat - £50 - na - hatred - embarrassment - failure - lats one - that's it - how could you ever believe - doubt - scrape - scrape - fingers crossed - hart stop - time stop - scrape - £20,000.