It was about 22:50. I’d just finished reading Zygote in Computer Shopper. I placed the magazine down, turned off my light, and settled down to sleep.
Outside, I heard a strange sound. It sounded something like air-brakes on a bus, as a large vehicle slowly edged up. I heard a few voices not far away chatting about something. I then heard somebody say ‘We’ll have to get these cars moved. Who owns them?’ I opened an eye and noticed a faint blue flashing around the edge of my roller blind, then a sudden burst of “NEEENAWWNEEENAWW” from the siren from a fire appliance outside.
It turned out, some enterprising individual had decided to set fire to some trees over the back of the houses near where I live. A fire appliance had arrived, but they were unable to get close enough without moving some cars, so random people were being dragged out of their houses to move them.
As I lay there, I realised how glad I was that earlier that day I’d moved my car anyway, as when I’d arrived home the parking was atrocious, so I ended up parked in a really silly place. When some cars moved, I moved into their spaces, luckily out of the way of where this fire engine was going.
Needless to say, I was a bit narked. Its tradition down our road that if anything happens, half of the neighbours suddenly pop out and stand outside yakking away like demented parrots for the next hour or so, the yakking punctuated by the occasional loud guffaw from somebody. I’m then left laying there desperately trying to get back to sleep.
In a strange twist, the fire was out in no time, and the neighbours got bored and went in straight away. It was all over in about fifteen minutes and I dozed off at pretty much my normal time.
I’m still tired though. Ho hum.