Page 25 of The Second Chance Bus Stop

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The Rent-a-Safe manager is the type of person who dislikes unfinished business. Leftovers, burial places without headstones,

to-do lists without ticks. Now that he’s approaching retirement and it’s within his grasp and only days away, he’d like to

leave an empty desk behind, so to speak. He’s looking at it now—this unfinished business—having taken it out of the storage

compartment. Turning it around, holding it up to the light and wishing it would magically disappear out of his hands, as you

so often do with unfinished business. And leftovers. Yes, he’d pushed that dauphinoise to the back of the fridge—arrest him

now—because he felt bad throwing it away, but also would very much like a kebab for dinner. Things magically disappear at

the back of the fridge. Everyone knows that, so who is he if he doesn’t use this to his advantage?

The box arrived on a Tuesday on the manager’s eighth day of work.

It had been sent over from a lawyer’s office, one he didn’t know the name of, but then why would he?

He only dealt with safes and their secrets.

He had to sign for delivery, he remembers that.

It came with a name, a cheque to cover five years’ worth of rent and a ‘Please store this box until collection.’ Like bloody Paddington Bear it arrived with a tag around its neck.

So here he is now. Realising this won’t magically disappear. I could dispose of the contents , he thinks. Yes: cleaned-up, the box could be quite useful. Perhaps for putting newspapers in.

No, no . Empty desk. Law and order, code and conduct. He picks up the phone one last time. Missing a time when people would respond

with their surname rather than a general generic greeting. Everything is general now. Anaesthesia, elections. He heard a news

anchor refer to a political event as a ‘genny lecky’ the other day and that’s that with the world, isn’t it?

He presses the phone to his ear now. He doesn’t have to worry about a hello though, not this time and not that time last year

or that time seven years ago. Because in general no one answers this British number he has on file, belonging to an Edith something.

In general, since 2016, he’s only gotten her voicemail.