In the Flicker of an Eye

Nobody Notices: A Tale of the City

Nobody noticed.  Just the flicker of an eye as they walked by; the flicker of an eye and he was already forgotten…

He wasn’t begging; he didn’t need to. There was always money when the boats docked. It was enough; enough for booze, cigarettes and lunchtime hot-dogs.

Nobody knew him. Sure, there were acquaintances; everyone has acquaintances on the street; the drop-outs, down-and-outs, the heartbroken, the broken and those like himself; those there by choice. Nobody really sees a bum (other than children). It was a good place to hide, watch and wait.

The word was they were looking again and, while he didn’t trust rumours it paid to be careful. He knew any number of holes where he could go to ground for a while, places no-one would ever find him.

He kept cash and clothes in safety deposit boxes around the city in case he needed to run. He hadn’t had to yet. Three years and they hadn’t found him (he touched the wooden door-frame), yet.

He'd very nearly revealed himself when Alice died. It had been front page news given her connection to him and the pain of her passing had almost cracked his resolve and had seen him weep uncontrollably for five straight days; weeping into a bottle like so many others on the street.

He never visited her grave. They would be watching.

He would see her at the end.

They never noticed him, just the flicker of an eye and he was already forgotten…