What Pegman Saw : A Stray Kindness

Photo credit@  Google’s Pegman took a walk in Edinburgh.

For guidelines and rules for the What Pegman Saw weekly writing prompt, visit the home page.

I rarely write a preface to my work and I never apologize for my muse (or my abuse of the word limit) but this fiction deals with a mature adult subject. I am reminded that kindness doesn’t have to come with a fancy label and we should applaud kindness in its many forms.

A Stray Kindness

by T. Delaplain

That shiner’s gonna need ice. You been out long, got anywhere to go? Come on then, I’ve gotta back door friend at the pub around the corner. He’ll have ice and he’s a sucker for strays.

It ain’t much but it’s mine. You can stay but you gots to earn your keep. The trash man expects a lil’ somethin’ somethin’ in return for leaving me furniture behind. You’ll take care of him on Tuesday and Thursday. You can bring other blokes here after dark, most of the toffs upstairs are afraid to come out after dark. There’s a nosy old queen in 3B who’s a pain in my arse, but he likes to watch so give him a show.

Don’t take less than a tenner from anyone and make ’em beg a little, especially the new ones who ain’t sure yet. I’ve got a rep for romancing ’em a bit first.

There’s a bloke in 3A who always leaves a takeout box on top of the trash and the granny in 2A is always throwing out a coat or a blanket. You can sleep in the left chair but watch out for the broken spring or you’ll be outta business; a boy’s gotta work to survive.