Coming of Age

The night clung heavy around the winding streets of Sydney, I sit alone in a pavement cafe, one hand occupied by a shot of Jack, the other slowly flicking through the pages of an ageing copy of The Mind in the Making. The silence is unbroken, only distant sounds of the city linguire on the nights air.
Something stirs, my ears pick up a new closer noise, I can distinguish the pants of a dog moving closer, no doubt just another one of this cities lost souls. My mind slips back to Jack, and my fingers again begin to flick, the dog is closer now, almost apon me, his pants echo off the streets tight walls like the booming of a cannon.

"Bloody hell those stairs were a frick'n nightmare, couldn't find a bloody phone box anywhere! Ended up having to go all the way to Circular Quey for Christ Sake!, Want a pint?"

"Yeah why not, haven't been to the bar yet, someone left this whisky here and I thought I'd try out this kind of brooding 1920's PI thing while you were away, thought it might draw the attention away from the fact I was sitting in a pub on my own, guiness if they've got it!

Vince returns around five minutes later with two pints and a consoling look.

"didn't have any guiness I'm afraid, so I got you this, barmaid said it was the nearest alternative, Black llama she calls it"

"black bloody llama"

"Only kidding, its boag or something"

"what time is Chris and Nomes turning up?"

"said about 7, they're going to give me a call when they're close"

"and what about everybody else?"

"As and when"

"Cool! Feeling old yet"

"Are you expecting me to keel over or something"

"well, when you get to your age, the body doesn't function as well as once did, it tends to be a little more suseptible to lifes little complications"

"shut up and drink your pint, hows the arm by the way!

A new voice strikes the air

Helllloooo!