Flood

In the third week after Francis moved in, there is a terrible rainstorm. It starts on Wednesday night and keeps coming all day Thursday. When Francis gets home from work on Thursday evening he discovers that the sunroom roof is leaking and his bedroom’s flooded.

—Bloody hell, he says, standing in the middle of his damp rug.

—Bloody hell. His voice gets louder. —Bloody bloody bloody.

—You sound like my father, Cody says, coming into Francis’s room.

—It’s bloody soaked, says Francis, his voice under control again. —It’s leaking all over the bloody place. Look.

– 22 –

—Oh shit, says Cody. —Whoops.

—What do you mean? says Francis. —Did you know about this?

—No, says Cody, —Of course not. I just mean, you know, bummer.

—Bummer, says Francis. Bummer? Look at this. Bummer? It’s fucked. It’s soaked. My bed —He goes to his bed and wrings out a corner of the sheet, —my bed is fucking soaking. Where am I going to sleep?

As soon as the question is out there they both avoid looking at each other. Cody backs out of Francis’s room and down the hall.

—Well, she calls from the kitchen, opening and closing cupboard doors, not looking for anything, just needing the covering noise, —You could always stay in my room. I won’t be home till late.

—Uh, calls Francis from his room, pulling his bed out from the wet wall, —yeah. Well I might have to.

—That’s fine, calls Cody. —I’m going to work now—um, see you later.

—Bye, Francis mutters. —Bloody, bloody hell.

Francis drags his mattress onto its side and turns the heater towards it. He checks it every fifteen minutes. It’s getting drier, but not dry enough.

Cody stays after work for a special coffee with Gene.

—Go easy on the brandy, says Gene. —Cigarette?

—Love one, says Cody. —Thanks.

When Cody gets home the lights are all out. She opens her bedroom door quietly. Francis is in the bed, on his side, asleep. She gets her T-shirt and goes to change in the bathroom.

Francis opens his eyes. He hears Cody brushing her teeth. He moves further towards the edge of the bed. Cody gets into bed very carefully. She lies on her back as far to the other side of the bed as she can go, her hands crossed over her chest. She tries to regulate her breathing.

—Neither of them moves a muscle all night. Neither of them gets much sleep. Francis gets out of bed at 7 am. Cody stretches out at last. She swaps her pillow for his. The rain stops.

*