Toy yard

Suffolk girl sits on her bed watching shit tv, she has a needle in each hand and attempts to remember how to knit hand warmers with thicker yarn and needles than she needs. She sighs every so often when she gets it wrong and unpulls the already knitted piece. Irish man walks in, his black hat is permently stuck to his head and his beard is always neatly shaven. She looks up at him and smiles.

Suffolk: Hay what's the craic?

Irish: Nothing much, you?

Suffolk: Oh just getting aggrivated as per usual! I can't remember how to knit these gloves.

Irish: You knit gloves?

Suffolk: Well no not really, they are hand warmers

He chuckles to himself

Irish: What's the difference like?

Suffolk: One goes over...

Irish: You know I dont actually care!

Suffolk: I don't care I'm going to tell you anyway

Irish: Alright

Suffolk: Well you did ask me!

Irish: Ok pet, do you have any filters while I listen to this amazing explaination

Suffolk girl chucks the filters at him, he displays a cheeky smile, she isn't put off, he concentrates on the cigarette he is rolling and takes no notice of her babble on.

Suffolk: One goes over your hands, one goes over your hands and fingers, then you have mittens which go over both but aren't so...

Irish: Yeah yeah I know what mittens are

He chuckles again

Suffolk: I had to make sure, you are quite foolish sometimes

He looks offended it is the first time he lifts his gaze from the cigarette

Irish: I could have called you something a lot nastier

Suffolk: I'm fine without!

He picks up the biggest knitting needle in the basket and starts playing with it. Spinning it around his hand then poking her with it

Suffolk: Quit it

Cheshire lass walks in, she is wearing her hair down she always looks clean and fresh, Suffolk didn't remember the last time she saw her look rough.

Cheshire: Hello sweetie

Cheshire lass looks at Suffolk Girl. She looks at Irish man, then ruffles his hair

Cheshire: Hello pet

He smiles giddily.

Suffolk: Hay what's up?

Cheshire: Nothing much just wondering what your all doing tonight?

Suffolk: Nothing much, you?

Cheshire: Thinking about drinking

Suffolk: Solid idea

Cheshire lass walks over to the shelves on the far corner of the room and picks up the my little pony standing on the shelf.

Cheshire: I have one of these

Suffolk: I know I think they should be lovers

Cheshire: Mine's a girl too though

Suffolk: They can be lesbian lovers it's fine

She laughs and starts to brush it's hair. In that moment Cheltnham lad walks in with Norwich boy. They look stunned to all the people in suffolk girls small smelly room.

Suffolk: Hello pickles, whats the craic?

Cheltnham: Nothing much, we where thinking about having a drink down head of steam.

Cheshire: Yeah that sounds cool

Irish: Who else it with you?

Norwich: We said we would meet some people down there to play pool.

Suffolk: Whats going on tonight?

Cheltnham lad picks up the untuned gitaur, he carries a thick head of hair, while Norwich lad has a skin head. Norwich lad picks up the tamborine and starts to make a disjointed beat, Cheltnham boy begins to strum a scratchy melody. Irish man is still twirling the needle, Cheshire lass is still brushing the pony's hair, the shit tv is still playing, everyone is slightly engrossed in their new found toys. The Cheltnham boy snaps us from his gaze on the gitaur and says

Cheltnham: Right whose coming

Suffolk: You going now?

Cheshire: I'll come

Irish: Yeah may as well

Suffolk: Ok well let me finish my row and I 'll join you guys down there.

Norwich: Just leave it, it's not like you can't do it later!

Suffolk: No I need to change, still in pajamas

Norwich boy looks at Suffolk girl and shakes his head, Cheshire lass and Irish boy laugh to this action.

Norwich: You still haven't changed and it is three o'clock. Deary me

Suffolk: Leave me alone it's my day off, I'll see you guys down there!

Cheltnham: Alreet pet! Come on

They all say goodbye and exit the room slowly, the door bangs behind them and Suffolk girl is left with her possessions lying all around the room. She sighs again and finishes her row.

(I have learnt in university if you have strange things in your room people will fiddle with them momentarily, then leave them only to come back later and do the same. My rooms a bit like a toy yard! you are always in everyones pockets, things never stop happening, I wouldn't have it any other way!)

the beginning

Worthers origonal packets laced the floor with broken cheesy puffs and dirty clothes. The stench of old shoes and smoke filled the air, the window remained open and there was peach smelling air freshener but to no success the room still smelt horrid. An empty cup that once contained tea sat next to her as she wrote down things of no consequence and no real use. She listened to Tom Waits who sung about how he didn't want to grow up. She could understand, memories of wanting to be taken away by peter pan to neverland when she was younger popped into her head when hearing his gravelly voice spit out those words.

The day wasn't special or different, she was going to visit the Anglican Cathedral that afternoon with her red haired irish mistress, maybe they could catch the organist playing and sit there listening to him in silence. Then maybe a beer, it seemed aproppriate to sit out side and have a beer as the sky was blue today. Who cared if the air was chilly, it was a blue sky and had been for a week, it was a time to celebrate until the rain comes and ruins their fun.

She was looking round her room trying to see what needed to be changed the pillows needed covers, the room needed a DVD player, things had been broken or runined and needed to be replaced before it was too late and she forgot forever. It was a time of reflection in her life, when she realised the only way to make things better for yourself is to actually make them better. This would be her semester task. No fucking up like last semester. Things could be balanced if you just make the effort to make them balanced...

She glanced down at the empty cup and sighed. She would have to buy more milk, giving her friends the pint she had wasn't the cleverist idea, but milk wasn't expensive so she would make a fuss. She wanted to see her lover. She wanted to see her home. But she was in love with Liverpool, a place of so many interesting little things, full of thriving wonder and beauty, people were friendly and the atmosphere was fresh. She loved her Liverpool very much.