Who Do You Go Home To? no.6 / January 22 2007
Returning from our walk this morning, Audrey and I were accosted by a rather stout little man who had a face that looked like someone’s knee.
‘You Napoleon?’ he asked.
‘You’re a policeman, aren’t you? I replied
‘Yes I am, sir,’ he said. ‘How did you know?’
‘You have a uniform on,’ I quipped.
Along with his car, there was also an ambulance parked in the road, and several official-looking people were coming and going from what seemed to be Bernard’s flat.
‘Why do you want to know who I am?’ I asked the diminutive policeman.
‘Well sir, I have a letter addressed to you. It’s from the elderly gentleman in number 28a,’ was the reply. ‘I’m afraid he died, sir.’
In a daze, I took the grubby envelope from him and slowly read the letter inside. It was written in a shaky hand in red ink. This is what it said:
‘My dear Napoleon, I have to go away now and before I leave I want to give you this message. Please pass it on to the world as you promised you would. Thankyou. Here it is: Never anything bloody ever.’
It was signed ‘Bernard Jones, The Knickerbocker Glory Boy.’
I went inside and sat still for an hour.
Filed under Family / Life / Loneliness / Politics / Thoughts
Comments
2 comments on “Who Do You Go Home To? no.6”
Jo Beaufoix / January 22nd, 2007 at 5:36 pm
Dear Napoleon
Graham and I were most distressed to hear of the demise of Bernard.
“Never anything bloody ever.” is an axiom we shall live our lives by for probably at least the next week.
If there is anything we can do to aid you in this time of need then please do not hesitate to ask. Perhaps we could all share a knickerbocker glory together.
Take care
Les familles Beaufoix
Napoleon Fantastic / January 23rd, 2007 at 6:11 pm
Thanks, Jo.
It is a very sad fact that Bernard’s fate is ultimately quite a common one for people of his generation these days. He died totally alone without friends or family. I don’t think anyone had been in his flat for at least ten years. Audrey and I always made a point of saying hello to him though whenever we met him in the street.
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