Susan entered the room and told me to wake up. I dozed for a little bit then awoke properly. Drinking and smoking the previous night had made my throat hurt. I turned on my laptop next to my bed. I went upstairs and made a cup of lemsip so I could smoke a cigarette without it hurting too much. I went back down, and whilst sipping it checked my email and allakhazam.com. I read through a thread about inequality in the United States. Susan came into my room again and told me to hurry up. I smoked my cigarette, got dressed, packed my bag and we left.
It was humid and raining in London that morning. There was a lot of traffic outside my house and the street was busy with the usual cross-section of people. There were a few men wearing suits covered by heavy coats like myself, some Asian boys standing around outside a Barbers shop, a tramp covered in a blanket outside the Tube Station that was 3 minutes walk from my front door. Susan said "Goodbye" as we approached it and turned towards a bus station down the street. I said "Goodbye" and went inside. I bought a day travel card for the underground and went through the ticket barrier.
The elevator was waiting to go down, already full of people reading newspapers. There was a pleasant smell of water on raincoats and someone's perfume. I read the front of someone's paper and found that an inquest in Princess Diana's death had shown the Paparazzi to be responsible.
(Go!)