TRIP TO THE HERBALIST SHOP 1955

A SEVEN YEAR OLD BOY AND GIRL GO TO THE HERBALIST SHOP IN LONDON IN 1955

And I had to pass that bookies runner man Helen says after leaving Baldys shop this morning and he looked at me with his dark eyes frightened me but Mum said I was being silly he wont hurt you she said but I thought that he might and anyway I got home all right with the shopping and Mums change and I did get it right and Baldy said what it was and it was the same as me and that was good Benny smiled at her in her faded red dress and green cardigan her hair in two bunches her eyes large behind her thick lens spectacles what are you getting at the herbalists shop? Benny says rattling coins in his jeans pocket liquorice sticks and sarsaparilla probably she says looking at him wondering what else there might be there are you going to get that too? she says expect so he says knowing he will but hating to commit himself in case he sees something else he might like better they walk along by the bombsite behind the Trocadero cinema pass bombed out houses walk pass a snoozing tramp looking at him then away in case he wakes up and speaks to them and Helens mum said not to speak to them you never know what they might do and she said about something she had read about a girl and a tramp on some bombsite and it frightened her after her mum said that is it far? Helen says looking back at the snoozing tramp no not far Benny says well cross under the subway to the other side and then down by the railways station and down further he says she likes it when Benny tells her things it makes her feel safe and not out in a big world quite so much they come out by the cinema and walk down the subway into the echo sounding voices and footsteps and Benny sings out of tune but his voice echoes along the walls and the roof and he laughs and she smiles but doesnt sing shes too shy to sing out he races ahead come on Helen lets ride our pretend horses gee up gee up he calls Helen runs behind him riding her pretend white horse holding on for dear life as it gallops along by the wall trying to catch up with Benny hes ahead of her slapping his horses rump get along there horse he calls out Helen is behind him her horse is less used to racing wait for me she says dont leave me behind Benny slows his horse down and waits for her to catch up to him sorry about that he says my horse doesnt half go when it wants to they walk on their horses vanishing into the tunnel walls they come out and up the other side and he takes her hand in his up the last few steps and says just a bit along here then down by the railway station she feels his hand holding hers not too tight just enough to be safe in case some one tries to snatch her off as her mum said be careful no one dont snatch you off the streets Ive read about it but Benny has her hand and it is warm and she thinks of the time he picked her up once when she fell over and grazed her hand and she was crying and he took her home having bandaged her bleeding grazed hand with his handkerchief(grey once white but clean he had said)and he held her other hand all the way home that time and her mum had said what a good boy he had been and she had boiled his handkerchief to get the blood out for him they pass the railway station entrance and along the road a bit more and he says I can draw my six-shooter now in seconds from my holster it used to get stuck but now I tie it with string around my leg and it keeps it there and makes drawing my gun easier I saw it on TV in Gunsmoke and it is a good idea Helen says nothing shes not seen the TV programne she hasnt got a gun she sometimes holds Bennys guns but she thinks theyre frightening espescially with caps that go bang now he says Ive got two guns my old man bought me another the other night she listens because she likes it when he tells her things about himself or his life or home Ive got another doll she says Mum got it from a jumble sale she said it was sitting there all lonely so she thought Id like it and I do its got dark curly hair and red lips and when you tip it over it goes Mama Mama sort of voice they come to the herbalist shop and he releases her hand(just in case mates of his see him holding a girls hand and think hes gone all soft) whats the doll called? he asks I call her Debby because I like the name Helen says good a reason as any I suppose Benny says my mum wanted to call me Anthony but my old man said it was an Eye-Tie name and so they called me Benedict instead but most call me Benny suppose you could have been Tony Helen says yes guess so he says smiling Tony on his lonely but Im with you so you cant be lonely she says holding his arm tight as they enter the shop smelling the herby smells and lots of glass jars with all sorts of herby things in and bottles and tins come on then Benny says what are you having? she looks around her the glass jars seem so many and bottles all colours and she says you choose for me Benny you know what I might like or drink ok he says walking to the counter with Helen on his arm now let me think.