60 Second Interview With No.36

    “Ah good day Number Thirty-Six, we are well met this day.”
    “Why are you talking like that, and why are we well met?”
    “I am Number One-one-three, and his is my photographic colleague Number One-one-three b, we contribute to The Tally Ho.”
    “What’s that to me?”

    “Smile” click goes the camera.
    “Why is he taking my photograph?”
    “Don’t worry about him. My editor told me this morning to go forth out into The Village and to never darken his door again. No he didn’t, he said go out into The Village and find me a human story. My photographic colleague observed you having difficulty buying a bag of sweets, and that Number Six bought them for you. Do you know why he should do that?”
    “I…..I don’t know.”
    “Number Six isn’t known for his acts of kindness.”
    “Smile” click goes the camera.
    “I do wish he wouldn’t do that.”
    “Why do you think Number Six would buy you a bag of sweets, not just out of the goodness of his heart I shouldn’t think.”
    “Perhaps he recognised me.”
    “You’ve met Number Six before?”
    “Not here, in another place.”
    “Where?”
    “In London.”
    “London! Go on Thirty-six.”
    “A Mrs. Butterworth approached an employment bureau, she was looking for a housemaid, I applied for the job and got it. Mrs. Butterworth did tell me that it was only a short term appointment, that she would be moving again soon.”
    “So where does Number Six come into all of this?”
    “Well one day there was a knock on the door, naturally I went to answer the knock, and when I opened the door this…..raggedy man stood there. I looked down my nose at this down and out, up and down. It was this man Number Six. He asked to see my mistress who wasn’t in at the time, he asked if he could wait……as though I was going to let some grubby tramp over the threshold!”
    “So what happened then?”
    “I closed the door and went back to my duties in the kitchen.”
    “And the man went away?”
    “He must have done, but a few minutes later my mistress returned, and they were in the lounge together. She asked me to make some sandwiches, and bring them together with cake into the lounge. Well I ask you, when I entered the lounge there he was, this tramp talking with my mistress. If I’d have known I wouldn’t have made my best cucumber sandwiches for the likes of him!”
    “And this man was Number Six?”
    “He wasn’t called that then, he called himself Peter Smith.”
    “An alias you thought?”
    “Well I ask you. I couldn’t believe my mistress concerning herself with the likes of him.”
    “What happened then?”
    “Well I was forced to run this man a bath, the mistress laid out her late husband’s clothes. Then she lent him her car, I couldn’t think what had got into her…..”
    “She was being charitable perhaps.”
    “Well he went off in my mistress’s car and later a policeman came asking questions. He interviewed me, not that I could tell him much, I did give a good description of the man. Then he talked with my mistress.”
    “And then?”
    “Well my mistress said she was going away and that she would like to take me with her. I thought we had come here on holiday.”
    “Here?”
    “Yes.”
    “To The Village?”
    “Yes!”
    “Perhaps I could talk to your mistress?”
    “She’s no longer here!”
    “What do you mean, no-one leaves The Village.”
    “She did, and left me here!”
    “Why would she do that?”
    “I don’t know, but I bet it has something to do with that man.”
    “Number Six?”
    “Yes.”
    “And you think he recognized you from when you both met in London?”
    “Yes, and now if you don’t mind I’m late for work.”
    “What kind of work do you do?”
    “I’m a housemaid, and I’ve got to go and dust and clean a cottage.”
    “Which cottage?”
    “Six Private!”

Be seeing you