Monkey Wrench by Liza Cody Page A

about when you’re running. Running doesn’t occupy the mind like weight-training does. Running gives you the hump.
    I had the hump by the time I got to Mandala Street.
    Crystal was not on her stall so I went to the Premises. She was coming out just as I got there.
    She said, ‘Oh Eva, I was going to fetch you. Queenie’s in a bad way.’
    I went in.
    Everyone was there. I was all amazed because the place had changed so much. The shop floor had been swept out and there was a light. In the back room I found fat Mandy, Kath with the bosoms, a little boy, and a plumber.
    Kath said, ‘Cup of tea, Eva. Milk and sugar?’
    â€˜Yeah,’ I said, blinking. They were boiling water in an electric kettle. The plumber was on the floor with his head under the sink.
    Kath said, ‘This is Stef’s kid, Marlon.’
    A bigger kid came in saying, ‘I wanna biscuit.’ He stopped when he saw me. He stood for a minute with his mouth open. ‘Hey!’ he said. ‘You’re Bucket Nut, ain’cha?’
    â€˜Don’t be so fucking rude,’ Mandy said. ‘This is Eva.’
    â€˜Who’re you?’ I said.
    â€˜Stu,’ Mandy said. ‘He’s Kath’s eldest.’
    â€˜Can I have your autograph?’ Stu said. ‘You’re nearly famous, aren’t you?’
    â€˜Less of the “nearly”,’ I said.
    â€˜Stop strutting, Eva,’ Crystal said. ‘Queenie and Justin’s upstairs.’
    â€˜What the fuck’s happening?’ I said. ‘Everyone’s here, and it ain’t exactly discreet.’
    â€˜You heard of squatters’ rights?’ she said.
    â€˜No,’ I said. ‘When you and me was roughing it, squatters had rights like donkeys had feathers.’
    â€˜Well,’ she said, leading the way upstairs, ‘I thought, “The more the merrier.” Like, the more of us there are in here, the more “in” we are, the harder it’ll be to get us out. And it’s ever so dampdownstairs, so we had to get Justin and Queenie up to a smaller room we could keep warm. And we needed power and water so Kath brought her feller. He’s quite handy. And some of the market people helped too.’
    â€˜You told them?’ I said. ‘Shit, Crystal, they’ll dob on us.’
    â€˜They’re mates of mine,’ she said. ‘Mates don’t dob on mates.’
    Crystal didn’t used to have any mates at all. When me and Crystal teamed up, even her own sister wouldn’t take her in.
    There were two bedrooms and a bathroom upstairs.
    â€˜We thought the front room was best for Justin,’ Crystal said.
    Who the fuck was ‘we’? That’s what I wanted to know. It was supposed to be my premises, my gym. It was supposed to be Crystal and me.
    I was going to ask, but she opened the bedroom door. Inside was Bella, Stef and Justin. There was a big mattress on the floor and Justin was in bed. Last night he only had a sleeping bag. Now there were sheets and pillows and he looked warm and comfy. He was eating soup out of a china bowl. Stef was holding the bowl.
    â€˜You landed on your feet,’ I said.
    â€˜I’ve been incredibly lucky,’ he said. He looked at me out of swimming pool eyes.
    â€˜He ain’t well,’ Stef said. ‘Eat yer soup, Justin. You got to keep your strength up.’
    â€˜It’s Queenie,’ Justin said. ‘It’s Queenie who isn’t well.’
    Queenie lay at the end of the mattress. She looked half dead and barely breathing. There were two little fur balls cuddled into her stomach.
    I squatted down to look. I didn’t touch her or the little fur balls. You got to be careful of dogs who just had puppies. They don’t like strangers butting in.
    Justin was right to be worried.
    Bella said, ‘I don’t think she’s got any milk.’
    Queenie looked sunk in on herself, like a dusty old fur coat