When Jak arrived, the Moonshine was already quite full – it was a Saturday night after all, but she managed to find a corner table with two chairs and a candle. She got herself a rum and coke from the bar. As she headed back to her seat, Jazz brushed past her and spun round to apologise, “sorry, Jak. Carly not here yet? Oh, I tell you what, do you want me to light that candle for you.”
—
“Look,” Sticks paced around his living room, in lecturer mode, “all the evidence of history points to campaigns needing broad tactics. Loose affiliations. Those prepared to take real action all the way down to signing a petition. I’m not meaning to put down you or Donny’s efforts. They’re necessary. But so is something more direct, more forceful…”
“Yeah, but,” objected Carly, “you’re wanting me to help you do something dodgy, illegal…”
“All great campaigns had to break the law…”
“Violent…”
“No, not violent to people…”
“Violent to property…”
“That’s not violence then is it? It’s just vandalism. No worse than spraying ‘Reclaim Oxford’ on a Tesco Express…”
“Yeah, but someone could get hurt, doing what you’re doing. I could get hurt handling the kit…”
“I’ll only activate it on site. You won’t be there, you’ll be chaining yourself to some railing or other…”
“Oh fuck off uncle. Explosives are for terrorists. I’m not a terrorist. I’m a peace activist for fuck’s sake.”
Sticks laughed, “quite a bad tempered and foul-mouthed peace activist!”
—
Jak sipped her drink as slowly as she could. But it wouldn’t last all night. As she got up to go back to the bar with an empty glass, her tutor, Dr Maddy Birch waved from across the room. Jak walked over.
Maddy cheerfully took the glass from Jak’s hand and asked, “what you drinking then, Jak?”
“Oh, I’m meeting somebody,” Jak explained.
“Sure. But they’re not here yet?”
“No.”
“And you’re ready for another drink?”
“Well, I suppose…”
“What is it?”
“Rum and Coke.”
—
“Fuck’s sake uncle, I’m supposed be meeting Jak. Why can’t you give me a lift? Twenty minutes max on a Saturday evening.”
“I’m not your chauffeur, Carly kid. Your social life is none of my business and I intend to keep it that way.”
“What, so you don’t approve of me having a girlfriend,” Carly glared at her uncle, “is that it?”
“Nothing of the sort,” Sticks replied calmly but with an assertive edge to his voice, “I just believe in keeping what’s private, private. That’s all.”
“Right then, well I’ll have to message Jak and check bus times,” Carly pulled her phone out of her pocket and reached for the on button.
“Not in here!”
“What?”
“You agreed not to have your phone switched on in here. Thank you for complying with that so far but I must insist…”
“Oh for fuck’s sake!” Carly put her phone back in her pocket, threw open the front door and kicked it shut behind her.
—
“Come on now, Jak. I did say you should slow down,” Maddy helped Jak sway through the busy pub towards the door, “I’ve booked you a taxi. It should be here any minute.”
“Thank’ou Dr Birch,” Jak slurred, “you’re so ver… ver-y kind. Wez Carly?”
“I don’t know where Carly is, I’m afraid. It does rather look like she’s stood you up,” Maddy held open the door for Jak to stumble through, “but right now you just want to focus on knowing where you are and getting home to bed. That looks like the taxi there.”
—
Carly Marika Griffiths: Soz Jax really late. Uncles fault es a tswat. You still ar Moonies?
She checked her phone for bus times. The next one was due in forty-two minutes. That would take about, what, twenty / twenty-five minutes to Iffley Road then a ten minute walk from there…
Carly Marika Griffiths: See u 75 mins if you wait. No worries if not then see you soon xxx
—
As Jak fell into the taxi, the driver mumbled something about her better not being sick and, once she had straightened herself out and started fumbling with the seat belt, passed her a sweet to suck.
It tasted nice, like sherbet or something she couldn’t quite remember from when she was small. Was it something a nurse had given her in hospital? When had she been in hospital? Did something hurt, was that why? She couldn’t quite remember, it all seemed just out of reach like a dream. All she could remember was that it had seemed vivid at the time – but now was gone. It was all gone.
Streetlights flashed past, faster and faster, forming a tunnel of light like she was in a spaceship in an old sci-fi programme. Then everything was dark like there was nothing outside.
The darkness was soft and enveloping. She could feel herself sinking into it, gently bobbing up and down. And occasionally rocking from side to side. Was she swimming? Or floating? Bright red armbands holding her up as she tried to move her arms and legs? But couldn’t.