Rosa and the Package

The melting snow gave the appearance that the buildings were crying as the drip drip of tears splashed down on to the pavement. It was impossible to dodge the drops so Rosa just moved quickly along the pavement letting the freezing water hit her. Occasionally liquid icicles would find their way beneath her scarf stinging her skin and making her shiver. The thaw might have set in but Rosa was still freezing to the bone. But, the package had to be delivered, so the elements had to be ignored in the name of the cause. Rosa sniffed, at least the cold had had the effect of cleansing her sinuses which had been blocked for months. She moved quickly wondering who was friend or foe, wondering which eyes were suspicious and which were sympathetic. Not that she could do anything about it, she tended to see them all as the enemy, trust no one was the best was to survive. She didn’t trust Igor that was for sure. He believed in hiding in broad daylight and that would surely be his downfall. She just hoped he wouldn’t bring her down with him.  As she entered the bar she could see the camp bastard chatting up some large Norwegian bloke who didn’t really realise he was the object of Igor’s desires. Rosa stood back watching them through steamed up glasses, biding her time, waiting till the old man noticed her.

The Norwegian spoke like his voice was breaking, a stupidly high voice for such a large man that went up several octaves without warning. Igor’s English was heavily accented but his sexuality shone through.

Rosa was angry, Igor was expecting her but had lost himself in the Norwegian’s blue eyes so still wasn’t aware of her presence. The package meanwhile was burning a hole in her pocket, she wanted to get shot of it and to get home to her warm flat but she couldn’t approach him while Bjorn was there, he could be anyone.

Luckily for Rosa she saw the two policemen before they saw her, to be fair they only had eyes for Igor and that gave Rosa time to disappear out of the back door of the bar and back out onto the freezing street. She’d waited long enough to see the bigger policeman put his hand on Igor’s shoulder and knew this was serious, the net was closing in and if they’d got to Igor well it wouldn’t be long before they got to the rest of them. Again she hurried through the drips of the melting snow, avoiding eye contact, trusting no one. She was shaking so much through cold and fear that she had difficulty getting the key in the lock.  She eventually managed to open the door and get inside; the act of closing the door made her feel safer but not much safer. She hid the ‘package’ in her hiding place and then lay on her bed; her heart beating, her body shaking, her ears aware of every sound. She cursed that idiot, had he been paying attention she could have dropped off the cargo and been out of there, but now she was left in possession of the package. But then she supposed better her than the police.