At the bus stop.
“I think everyone’s calmed down now, y’know. Since the vote. We can get on with our lives again.”
“Eh, ee don’t cum to mah work no more since that vote happened.”
“It’s all such progress though, isn’t it? We’ll benefit from it immensely.”
____
In a cafe.
“We’re off to the South of France next month to decide which village we want to live in for the rest of our lives.”
“Oh, lovely!” (looking at menu) “”I’m going to have a pudding, you see. So perhaps we could share a starch? And then we could each have our own meat.”
“Agreed.”
(Laying menu aside) “June is a dreadful month here. It’s always raining. I try to pop on over to Dublin on the weekends when I can.”
“But you’re off to Crete again soon, aren’t you?”
“Oh yes. To the same place as always. We feel quite comfortable there.”
____
Outside University Gates
1) “But I can’t decide about Balliol, Mummy. I need a tea first.”
2) “I have to wear this fucking “failed” shirt until dark. Wankers.”
3) “Are you fuckin’ mental? You know what he’s like when he’s on!”
4) (Young man racing up, eagerly)”Hey, do you know where everyone’s having lunch?”
(Two lads glancing slyly at one another) “Oh, sorry mate. We et already with Master Paine.”
_____
At the social
1) “Van Gogh is terrifyingly present in the luminescence of his vision.”
2) “The guy was a boxer–who knows if he could even play the piano.”
3) “We need to make the words delicious and chewable.”
4) “I’m studying German now. At last. In a couple of years I may just give up speaking English entirely. I’m serious.”
5) “I was thinking, it’s been at least three weeks since my publisher said he’d send on that advance.”
6) “Shopping and fucking? Sounds like a good day to me.