He set off briskly down the road.
Si’s parents’ house was at one end of a red-brick terrace.There was a small front garden with a tiny lawn and a tree strung round haphazardly with fairy lights, but no off-road parking.A security light flashed on when he approached the front door, nearly blinding him.
Zig rapped on the door and got his face ready to smile.
The bloke who answered was middle-aged and a lot shorter than Zig was expecting.Si was, like, six foot and then some, but this guy was shorter than Zig’s five ten (Five nine if you’re lucky, Sunshine, his dad’s sneering voice told him).
The bloke was frowning.“Evening?”He sounded doubtful.
“You’d be Mr.Greczik, right?”Zig said cheerily.“Si’s dad?”
A blink.“Yeah, that’s right.Have we met?”
“Nah, I’m just up from London.Me and Si was mates when he was working there, a few years back?I was hoping to look him up while I’m in the area.”
Mr.Greczik’s face cleared.“Right!Come on in, then, no need to stand out in the cold.Di, love?”he yelled over his shoulder.“It’s one of Simon’s old friends.Put the kettle on.”
Thank God.Zig eyed the line of shoes in the hall and kicked off his Converse, then followed Si’s dad into a small living room.There were photos everywhere of a little girl—Shit, that must be Si’s sister.Zig hadn’t seen a photo of her before, but he’d never forgotten Si, a few pints in, crying as he told him how she’d died when he was small.There were no pictures of Si himself that Zig recognised.
“He still lives round here, right?”he asked.
“Oh, no.”Something must’ve shown in Zig’s face, as Mr.Greczik’s eyes went wide.“I mean, nothere, here.He’s got a flat in town.Wanted his independence, but that’s young lads for you.”
“Kettle’s on,” a female voice said from behind Zig.“Would that be a tea or a coffee?”
Zig turned.“Blimey, I can see where Si got his height from,” came out of his mouth with no assistance from his brain whatsoever.But seriously, Mrs.G must have been six-foot tall, easy.She was a looker, too, even at, what, fifty or so?Dark hair, still thick and lush, and big dark eyes like her son.“Did you used to be a model?”
She grinned.“And who says I’m not still one?No, my lover.I’ve always worked in admin.Pay’s not so good, mind, but you can eat what you want.Oh, that reminds me, are you hungry?I can do you some eggs and bacon in a jiffy.”
Even as his stomach rumbled, something about her whole-hearted welcome made Zig feel exposed and raw, and he had to clear his throat.“Yeah, that’d be great.Cheers.Decent of you.”
“Oh, it’s no trouble.And I know what young men are like.I swear, the weekly shop doesn’t cost half as much since Simon moved out.You’ll be wanting his address, I expect.”She spoke over her shoulder as she headed out of the living room, presumably to the kitchen.
Zig could have cheered, although he wasn’t sure whether to follow her or not.
“Let me write it down for you,” Mr.G said, deciding for him.“It’s right in the centre of town.He’s got a flat over a shop—you know the sort we get round here.”
Not as such, no.“What, like groceries?”
Mr.G rolled his eyes with a chuckle.“Nothing so useful.Incense and magic tricks.She knows her stuff, mind.”
Zig was rapidly losing the plot.“She?”
“Esme.Simon’s landlady.She owns the shop.You watchDragon’s Den?”
“Uh...”Zig was a bit out of touch with what was on the telly.“Is that the one where small business owners try to blag money out of people who’ve made it big?”
“That’s the one.She’d fit right in on there.”He didn’t specify which side she’d be on.“Now come on, you sit yourself down.Oh, and I’m Bob, by the way.”
“Zig.”He took a seat on the squashy sofa, having to shift a couple of tapestry cat cushions to find room.
Bob settled into what Zig had already pegged as his armchair—the one with the TV remote on the arm.“Zig.That’d be the eyes, right?For Ziggy Stardust?”
“Yeah.”
“Bit before your time, I’d have thought.”He laughed.“Before mine, come to that.I was never much into Bowie, but my sister used to have his posters all over her walls.How long are you in Glastonbury for?”
“Not sure.Kinda thinking of moving out of London permanent-like?”Zig smiled encouragingly.
