On Night In Peckham with a Wedding Present
by pauliepaul
Part One
Before we get to that particular night in Peckham, I should really go back a month or two. The details are still a little bit sketchy but one Monday morning I awoke in a Kensington hotel near Hyde Park, sans job, girlfriend and home. I did 'however' have possession of my phone, which had been ringing in and out of my dream for the last sleepy while or more before I woke up.
“Hello”
“Paul, - Paul..”
“That you Jamie?” (my brother)
“Yes, where are you?”
“Last minute cheap hotels . com Kensington - Why?”
“Have you got your bag?”
“What bag?”
“Your bag! A bag you carry! Have you got a bag you carry a lot with you?”
I looked around the hotel room for my bag. The bag I carry a lot with me every where, the bag with my whole life in since I became a citizen of the street, master of all the last minute cheap hotel deals galore.
“You there? Jamie? No, it’s not here, my bags not here, but I don’t know if I had it with me….”
“Paul this women's been calling me all morning. She was banging on about something but I couldn't understand what she was saying. I put the phone down on her twice but she kept calling back. Then I realised what she was saying, 'Timothy', your middle name! She was reading your passport info, who to contact! My name number is on your who to contact! She found your passport! She found your bag!
“Hello my brother said you’ve found my bag thank you ever so much!”
I arranged to meet the lady to collect my bag in Camberwell. I tried to ask her where she’d found it as we talked on the phone, but she couldn’t understand what I was saying. I instinctively headed back to...
“Elephant Rd The Elephant mate cheers.”
In the cab I was trying to piece together what had happened the previous night. Where was my van? My van was outside Corsica. Keys?
I searched my pockets, jeans left right. Jacket inside, hip pocket left right. I searched my pockets over again and again without success until the black cab turned into Elephant Road.
When it passed the ‘Elephant Cars’ taxi office, ( my regular taxi galore) - I had a flash of inspiration.
“Here, stop here!”
“Georgio! Is Georgio working?!”
Georgio had already seen me. He’d been sitting in his car waiting for a fare and now stood beside me with his lovely smile.
“Did I leave my van keys in your car last night Georgio? Please tell me you have my...!”
“I no find any keys… let’s look, come”
Looking down between the passenger seat and hand brake, I saw the most beautiful set of van keys ever in the whole wide world.
After thanking Georgio ever so very much more, I decided to get the bus to Camberwell to meet the lady with my bag. No point moving my van which appeared to be un molested behind the chain in front of the big blue Corsica Studios Shutters.
I was almost in tears as the incredibly kind honest lady handed me my treasured loyal Alpine Lowe courier bag that my ex girlfriend Jenny had bought me as a surprise because - (“This bag’s brilliant!”) she knew I loved it.
The lady opened my bag and I could see that all the valuable content had been carefully carpentmentalised - carpetmentalised - separated and put into plastic bags. That included my birth certificate, £250 in cash, passport as mentioned along with my BA Honours Degree in film studies & mass communication certificate and my licence to become a publican should I ever choose to become one ...
I looked at her in complete disbelief. To this day I still can’t believe out of all the people in all of the Elephant and Castle, my bag containing all that I owned and very much much more was found by her.
She kept on refusing me as I offered a reward. In the end I put 2 x £20 notes into her coat pocket, quickly turned and left with a teary eye.
End Of Part One
“Hello”
“Paul, - Paul..”
“That you Jamie?” (my brother)
“Yes, where are you?”
“Last minute cheap hotels . com Kensington - Why?”
“Have you got your bag?”
“What bag?”
“Your bag! A bag you carry! Have you got a bag you carry a lot with you?”
I looked around the hotel room for my bag. The bag I carry a lot with me every where, the bag with my whole life in since I became a citizen of the street, master of all the last minute cheap hotel deals galore.
“You there? Jamie? No, it’s not here, my bags not here, but I don’t know if I had it with me….”
“Paul this women's been calling me all morning. She was banging on about something but I couldn't understand what she was saying. I put the phone down on her twice but she kept calling back. Then I realised what she was saying, 'Timothy', your middle name! She was reading your passport info, who to contact! My name number is on your who to contact! She found your passport! She found your bag!
“Hello my brother said you’ve found my bag thank you ever so much!”
I arranged to meet the lady to collect my bag in Camberwell. I tried to ask her where she’d found it as we talked on the phone, but she couldn’t understand what I was saying. I instinctively headed back to...
“Elephant Rd The Elephant mate cheers.”
In the cab I was trying to piece together what had happened the previous night. Where was my van? My van was outside Corsica. Keys?
I searched my pockets, jeans left right. Jacket inside, hip pocket left right. I searched my pockets over again and again without success until the black cab turned into Elephant Road.
When it passed the ‘Elephant Cars’ taxi office, ( my regular taxi galore) - I had a flash of inspiration.
“Here, stop here!”
“Georgio! Is Georgio working?!”
Georgio had already seen me. He’d been sitting in his car waiting for a fare and now stood beside me with his lovely smile.
“Did I leave my van keys in your car last night Georgio? Please tell me you have my...!”
“I no find any keys… let’s look, come”
Looking down between the passenger seat and hand brake, I saw the most beautiful set of van keys ever in the whole wide world.
After thanking Georgio ever so very much more, I decided to get the bus to Camberwell to meet the lady with my bag. No point moving my van which appeared to be un molested behind the chain in front of the big blue Corsica Studios Shutters.
I was almost in tears as the incredibly kind honest lady handed me my treasured loyal Alpine Lowe courier bag that my ex girlfriend Jenny had bought me as a surprise because - (“This bag’s brilliant!”) she knew I loved it.
The lady opened my bag and I could see that all the valuable content had been carefully carpentmentalised - carpetmentalised - separated and put into plastic bags. That included my birth certificate, £250 in cash, passport as mentioned along with my BA Honours Degree in film studies & mass communication certificate and my licence to become a publican should I ever choose to become one ...
I looked at her in complete disbelief. To this day I still can’t believe out of all the people in all of the Elephant and Castle, my bag containing all that I owned and very much much more was found by her.
She kept on refusing me as I offered a reward. In the end I put 2 x £20 notes into her coat pocket, quickly turned and left with a teary eye.
End Of Part One
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