flash fiction by geoffrey heptonstall

THIS PLACE, IT WAS MINE

I need to speak to whoever’s in charge. This place was mine. Did you know that? Didn’t they tell you that? A long time ago. This place was mine.  I don’t recognize it now. I’m telling you because I know a thing or two about this place—about any place. I know because I’ve been here. I’ve been there, too. Not like some of them here that have been nowhere. I thought I’d drop by, you know, on my way home. Got an apartment with a view of the park. You should see it some time.

Is there someone in charge here? I need to speak to whoever’s in charge. I’m new. I’ve not been here before. Not that I remember. Are you in charge? Is she the one in charge? Someone must know. I need to speak to someone in authority. There must be someone in authority here. I need to speak to whatever person that is. I’m tired. I’m hungry. And I’m none the wiser. Why is it that wherever you go and whenever you ask a straight, simple question nobody can be giving you a straight and simple answer? There’s no reason in it that I can see. And I’m an intelligent man. I should be in charge.

By rights, I should be in charge here. I’ve been places. I’ve done things—good things, bad things. But the point is that I’ve had to use my head. It seems nobody respects that fact. They treat you like you was stupid, don’t they? I don’t recognize any of it now. It’s all changed. I don’t know what they done. And I don’t know how they have done it. I’ve made a few enemies in my time. That’s how life goes. Not everyone’s your friend. There’s some you can’t trust. Why are people like that? I ask you why are people like that? There’s no need. It’s a great big world we’re living in. Isn’t there room for everyone? I’ve seen places where there’s nobody. Now, if you don’t like people go live there and make room for those who want to be among people we like and trust. Isn’t that right? We all need people, don’t we? At the moment I don’t have nowhere. I’ve been here and there, like. You know, traveling. Here and there. Need to find somewhere till I’m back on my feet. This place was mine. This place was mine. A long time ago. Of course everyone knows me. Everyone knows me. Everyone knows the things I done. I’m known all over the whole world. The things I done have been talked about all around. All over. You’ll have seen me, heard about me. I’ve been on television. You’ll have seen me. I’ve been on television, explaining my point of view. I’ve been on more than once. Tell you something: I’ve never read a book. Do you know that? I’ve never read a book. I have a problem with the words. I’ll tell you what I do: I listen. What I do is I listen. I listen carefully to what people say. That way you learn things. But it’s getting to make sense of what you read, do you see? I can’t somehow do it. I listen, though. Then there was a bit of trouble. You know how it is. There was a bit of trouble. That wasn’t so good. If you get known, as I did, you make enemies. You know how it is. There was a bit of trouble. It’s over now. People remember the good times, though, don’t they?  You can ask about me in quite a few places here and there. Ask at television. They know me. I was on television. I was famous. That must have been four, five year ago. They wanted to know my point of view. So my name is well known. It’ll get you entry, and win you some friends if you say you know me. I’ve had an interesting life. I’ll tell you about it some time.

There’s a lot of ungrateful bastards out there. Grasping, greedy bastards. What I need is civilized company. That’s what I need, of course, a bit of civilized company. I missed that. You lose touch with a lot of things, a lot of people. When I heard about this place I thought my prayers has been answered. That’s all I can say. I’ve seen some places. I’ve seen a few of this lot in them places. But this is class. Not that I’m a class man myself. I’ve lived. I can tell a few tales. There was one time . . . .

Like I say, I’ve never read a book. Do you know that?  Did I tell you? There’s this difficulty I have with the words. So I have never read a book. I could write a few, though. I could tell the world the truth if anyone would believe me. Pride’s important. Lose that and you lose everything. Don’t forget what I’ve said. Is there someone in charge here? This place was mine. I was in charge then. I was respected. I’m known all over the whole world. The things I done have been talked about all around. All over. You’ll have seen me, heard about me. Life can be a devil, though. I put it together a long time ago. I learned how to through living. The best way. The best way. Believe me. I learned through living and through listening. I listen careful to what people say. It’s what people say, what they tell me. That’s how I put it together. In the end it’s up to you, eh? But, at the same time, we all need people. Sometimes. Not always. Sometimes. It’s a question of dreams. We’re all God’s children. We’re all part of the dream. But life? It’s against us. It is not for us. Religion, politics, all of it is against people. I soon saw that. I said that on television. That’s when they came after me. I got them. They could see that they were beaten, the bastards. I got one over on them, and they did not like that. They did not like that one little bit, I’ll tell you. In this life everything has a price. I paid the price. I got them. I got them. But I paid the price. I was in touch with my television friends. I went in person. They stopped me though. They wouldn’t let me see my friends. I said, ‘I’m famous on television.’ Well, they knew all about me, of course. They were waiting to stop me from seeing my friends. I was like a threat, a threat to their power. I’m a good talker. I like talking. I’m a good listener. It’s something I do. Something I’m good at. Everyone’s good at maybe just one thing. Tomorrow’s no good. Tomorrow’s too late. Know what I mean? It is got to be now, tonight. I got to find it tonight. Make a few phone calls. We’ll be fine. Can anybody lend me . . . No, well, I’ve money. I always got money, of course. Money, contacts —I can help. I can make a new start. You can ask about me. They’ll tell you. I’m more important than you think. Not another day. It has to be now. I learn a lot here and there. Life is the book I’ve read. There’s more things, a lot more things. No use waiting in hope, like.  No use in that. It’s dark and it’s cold, and it’s time to go. I know a place. I know a few places. I got contacts. I got contacts here and there, friends in places where it counts. It’s time to go. Nobody holds me down. Nobody. I know how it is. A lot of people try to look like me. You can ask about me at television. They know me. I was on television. They wanted to know my point of view. They stopped me in the street, and filmed me. They could see I was important. They let me speak. People all over everywhere heard me. So my name is well known.

Is there someone in charge here? Don’t ask me who’s in charge. It ought to be me. By rights it’s me. This place, it was mine. Did you know that? All of it was mine.

Geoffrey Heptonstall is the author of “Heaven's Invention,” a novel published by Black Wolf (2017), “The Rites of Paradise,” a full poetry collection, published to critical acclaim in 2020. “Sappho’s Moon” appeared in 2021. Both are published by Cyberwit.