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This archive story is brought to you by the author of Maggie's Milkman and Extraordinary Rendition.
It was Marky who saw it first; he always had keen eyes.
‘What the fuck is that?' he screamed pointing at the brownish shape lying on the side of the road around 29 metres ahead of us.
‘Looks like a soldier’s helmet’ said Tarq; it wasn't a bad first guess.
‘Or a giant snail's shell.’ I said more in hope than any thought I might be right, I mean why would there be a giant snail's shell by the side of the road? Mind you why would me there be a soldier’s helmet come to that, or a dead armadillo?
‘It's got legs,’ said Marky, again the first to spot what we were looking at was a living thing or at least it had been. We circled it nervously wondering what it could be. We'd seen dead dogs and cats and hedgehogs on the street that circled the park. We'd even seen a squirrel that had been hit by a car, but never anything like this.
‘Is it dead?’ I asked, hanging back a bit, Marky liked the macabre but I was less keen.
‘Very!’ said Marky
‘You sure?’ said Tarq,
Marky looked around, saw a stick and poked the creature to prove his point. Tarq and I jumped as the body spasmed but it was just some weird reaction of the armour, the thing was certainly dead.
‘I think it's an armadillo’ said Tarq; building up the courage to have a closer look. Tarq was the brains of our little group.
‘An arma what?’ said Marky. He was more the brawn.
‘An armadillo’ repeated Tarq, ‘they come from South America, Paraguay I think.’
Marky and. I looked at Tarq amazed by his knowledge.
‘You fucking swot ‘said Marky.
'I just listen in school.'
'Swot,'
‘So what's it doing here’ I asked no one in particular, just trying to diffuse the tension.
There was silence for a moment,
This archive story is brought to you by the author of Maggie's Milkman and Extraordinary Rendition.
It was Marky who saw it first; he always had keen eyes.
‘What the fuck is that?' he screamed pointing at the brownish shape lying on the side of the road around 29 metres ahead of us.
‘Looks like a soldier’s helmet’ said Tarq; it wasn't a bad first guess.
‘Or a giant snail's shell.’ I said more in hope than any thought I might be right, I mean why would there be a giant snail's shell by the side of the road? Mind you why would me there be a soldier’s helmet come to that, or a dead armadillo?
‘It's got legs,’ said Marky, again the first to spot what we were looking at was a living thing or at least it had been. We circled it nervously wondering what it could be. We'd seen dead dogs and cats and hedgehogs on the street that circled the park. We'd even seen a squirrel that had been hit by a car, but never anything like this.
‘Is it dead?’ I asked, hanging back a bit, Marky liked the macabre but I was less keen.
‘Very!’ said Marky
‘You sure?’ said Tarq,
Marky looked around, saw a stick and poked the creature to prove his point. Tarq and I jumped as the body spasmed but it was just some weird reaction of the armour, the thing was certainly dead.
‘I think it's an armadillo’ said Tarq; building up the courage to have a closer look. Tarq was the brains of our little group.
‘An arma what?’ said Marky. He was more the brawn.
‘An armadillo’ repeated Tarq, ‘they come from South America, Paraguay I think.’
Marky and. I looked at Tarq amazed by his knowledge.
‘You fucking swot ‘said Marky.
'I just listen in school.'
'Swot,'
‘So what's it doing here’ I asked no one in particular, just trying to diffuse the tension.
There was silence for a moment,
‘Must have been someone's pet,’ said Marky,
‘Who the hell has a pet armadillo?’ asked Tarq, still spiked about being called a swot.
‘Well I dunno if they’re pets, do I?' It was Marky’s turn to be defensive. 'Up until three minutes ago I didn't know they even existed.’
‘Might have escaped from a zoo. ‘Tarq said.
‘Who the hell has a pet armadillo?’ asked Tarq, still spiked about being called a swot.
‘Well I dunno if they’re pets, do I?' It was Marky’s turn to be defensive. 'Up until three minutes ago I didn't know they even existed.’
‘Might have escaped from a zoo. ‘Tarq said.
‘Hey. Clever clogs where's the nearest zoo, Bristol?’ Marky nearly
spat the words. ‘So it escapes and comes all the way here? Cross the Severn
Bridge and everything?’
This was typical fro Tarq and Marky, I am not sure they really liked each other and were always bickering.
‘Stop it you two, what are we going to do with it?’
‘Call the police’ suggested Tarq.
This was typical fro Tarq and Marky, I am not sure they really liked each other and were always bickering.
‘Stop it you two, what are we going to do with it?’
‘Call the police’ suggested Tarq.
‘Take it home and dissect it?’ said Marky.
‘Hey!’ I said, ‘how about we phone the Echo?’
‘The Echo? ‘Marky said incredulity on in his voice.
‘Yeah,’ I said, the Echo, ‘it’s not everyday someone finds a dead armadillo in Barry, is it?’ This kind of stuff is front page news.We'd be on the front pages.’
‘Hey!’ I said, ‘how about we phone the Echo?’
‘The Echo? ‘Marky said incredulity on in his voice.
‘Yeah,’ I said, the Echo, ‘it’s not everyday someone finds a dead armadillo in Barry, is it?’ This kind of stuff is front page news.We'd be on the front pages.’
Both of my friends nodded. They were keen.
‘Who's got ten pee?’ asked Tarq.
‘We need two, one for directory enquiries.’ I said.
We dug in our pockets and found the necessary coins and sent Tarq off to do the business, meanwhile Marky and I stood guard over our discovery.
‘Who's got ten pee?’ asked Tarq.
‘We need two, one for directory enquiries.’ I said.
We dug in our pockets and found the necessary coins and sent Tarq off to do the business, meanwhile Marky and I stood guard over our discovery.
Five minutes later Tarq came running back.
‘They like it, they’re coming?’ he panted. And that's how Tarq, Marky and I appeared on the front page of the South Wales Echo under the headline.
Nice story :-)
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