The Hole in his Shoe

A Harry Parker Story

Written as a serial - each page is a scene

A new page will be added each week                                                                         

Lost and all forlorn

He  was having a hard time. Well trying to come to terms with the fact that he was faced with redundancy, he might be thrown out of his flat, he did not have any prospects, or skills worth talking about meant that times were indeed hard. Oh, and there was a hole in his shoe. 

He looked out of the bus window, hell, it had started to rain. He wriggled his toe in his shoe, he wondered about the hole, would it let the rain in - metaphorically speaking, into his life?. There was one hope, he had a girl friend who was his saviour, or so he thought. This was the time for his phone to ring, and so it did. He looked down it was from his dad, son, it said come quick your mother is very ill, she may not have long. He stared at the text, he was without feeling, he was confused, how could all this be happening, now, to him.

The bus stopped, he looked out, hell that was not his stop, just a minute he had gone by it, hell where was he now? He saw lights coming from the window of a building. It was difficult to work out what it was.  It might be a factory, the walls were grey and streaked with rain rust. He looked down from the top deck, he saw a familiar figure going through a door. As light beamed out he saw that it was his girl friend, what was going on?

 He clambered down the stairs and leapt off the bus as it started to move off. The building door shut before he could reach it. He stood, uncertain what to do. The rain continued and his foot felt wet. As the bus left the driver turned and waived to him, his face set in leering grimace. On the side of the bus were the words - Your Time is Nigh. At that moment all seemed lost, somehow it seemed to herald the end.

The door of the building opened and a figure in white beckoned him in. He heard music and laughter. He stood in a hall, there were crowds of people milling around, he recognised many of his friends. There on a dais was his girl friend, sitting with a crown on her head. A girl pulled his arm and he looked round, she’s won the lottery, she exclaimed. He turned away, his misery was complete, he had split from her only last week.

He stood waiting in the rain for a bus that never came. The hole in his shoe got bigger by the minute!                

She saw it all! In spades!

Hole in his shoe 2

Fortune in the Stars

            As the bus trundled on the rain gave way to sunshine, slowly emerging from low clouds.  As happens after rain the smell of soil fell upon the nose giving that strange connection to a world at peace.
      The bus stopped by the pier, it had the usual fun entrance containing fruit gaming machines and the like, and there he saw the sign - Peti Lingro Fortune Teller. At that moment a shaft of sunshine fell across the sign, as if it contained a message - from the stars perhaps?  Something in that moment moved him to get off the bus and try his luck.
          He stepped toward the entrance but looked back as the bus departed - the same driver, but a cheery smile on his face as he waved, not farewell, but somehow your luck will change! It seemed a magical moment, and so it turned out, apart from the hole in his shoe!
       The curtains swung to behind him as he entered the booth. Instead of an odour of incense the air was fresh and with that strange smell of the earth.
                       ‘I was expecting you, but not so early.’
        He had expected an old crone done up in gypsy clothes, but no she was a Spanish beauty. A clean blouse high to the neck, a long skirt that she swished over her thighs as she sat down. Dark luminous eyes which seemed to be hiding a hint of sadness, held his gaze
     He was embarrassed and uncomfortable because he had no cash, and he felt somehow that a bond could only be established with some  exchange of value.
                        She smiled. ‘You seem so sad, has the world treated you badly?’
       He fell under her spell, maybe those eyes held a secret he should learn. He spilled out his heart. She listened with languid composure, she leaned forward and held his hand, her smile softened as if she understood more than he could ever apprehend. He heard what sounded like a marching drum and the crack of gunfire, and the wailing of torn souls.
                        ‘You have a lot to bear,’ she said, ‘but only your heart is broken, that can soon be mended.
                       He stuttered,’ Are you going to read my fortune.’
                     She smiled again and replied, enigmatically, ’Your fortune is in the stars. Go forth young man.’ And he did.

     He walked to the end of the pier and there, tied to a staunchen, was and old fishing vessel.

                      A grizzled seafarer looked up, ‘You looking for life at sea, to see the stars young man?’
      He remembered edict of the Spanish beauty, and so he stepped aboard, and a new life began!
         
 
 

Hole in his shoe 3

Come to save you

The fishing boat eased in to the small harbour at Konigsberg as dusk was falling. Lights twinkled from the houses along the harbour wall, a welcome sight after the long trip across the North Sea. It had been smooth enough apart from a light skirmish with a cross channel ferry. He thought that’s the end of searching for  the stars at sea for me.

 The Skipper, if he could be called that, climbed up the ladder onto the quay side and beckoned him up. As if they might be illegal entrants they half ran across the road, under a bridge and turned into a walkway and stood before an old house. The Skipper knocked on the door and it was opened by a small red haired lady, she smiled a welcoming smile and beckoned them in.

The Skipper addressed the lady as Winnie, it would seem as an old friend. A meal of potatoes and meat was put before them, as if she had been expecting them. They spoke together in the soft gutturals of Dutch, with much laughter and more amorous touching as the snaps were consumed. He awoke in the morning to the sound of seabirds to find the Skipper had gone.

Red haired Winnie looked decidedly worse for wear in the morning light, and there was strong smell of alcohol as she moved about the kitchen.  On a breakfast of cold herring and cheese he was immediately sick. He lay on an old settee in a state of near collapse wondering what on earth he had got himself into when there was a knock on the door and an apparition walked in.

‘You English?’. She looked down at him and laughed, ’Oh la la, I see Winnie has been looking after you.’

 She smoothed down her dress. ’Drink this coffee, we must be away.’   

Through bleary eyes he took in the picture before him, the smooth skin, the blue eyes, the blond hair, the long legs the perfect figure. Could this be his girl from back home, Perhaps with her new wealth she had come to save him. 

 ‘I’m Eva, I’ve come to save you.’ 

She looked at Winnie and they laughed together as if conspirators.

 Outside was an open sided van laden with bottles of milk. They sat side by side as she drove off, he could not but notice those seductive breasts on the move as she manoeuvred the van through the traffic. And so he became an ardent milkman, the stars would have to wait!

Eva - not what she seems

Hole in his Shoe 4

Milkman gets the Boot

Eva Bloancamp, for that was her name, had him in enthral. He was enraptured by her. Winnie catered for his daily needs, whilst Eva for his emotional. And so the sail seemed set for the life of a milkman in the small Dutch town - the stars were in his eyes, not in the heavens. And so the days passed, a sublime existence - he learned the ‘clip clip lop clip coop’ of the language, it seemed so easy to understand - clip clop to the housewives brought smiles and laughter - nodding their heads together - Enlistee Ah! And yet all was not what it seemed.

Eva’s love was as of the ice cream kind, lick, lick, so tasty and yet no substance, when the end comes the cornet is chewed up or thrown away! Was she playing a game or was there a little vixen in there. Had he paid attention he would have seen just the curl of the lips and the distained nod of the head. But we all know love is blind. Also Winnie’s attentions were in some way becoming more demanding.

 And so the end came in that thunder clap that has warned of its coming but strikes unrepentantly!

 Whinnied was stark naked, just getting into his bed, not a pretty sight, when Eva un-expectantly called.  The ensuing blow up of emotions would have shamed a North Sea storm. Suddenly Eva’s charm became that of the harlot. Words were used that would have disgraced fishmongers wives. In this coulstrom he was at some disadvantage, he could not understand a word, but it became clear next morning, she was gone! On returning from his milk round, which he had manfully carried out, his cases were on the doorstep and the door was locked.

 He stood with his case at the bus stop, he did not have anywhere to live, he had no money, he had no skills (not forgetting being a milkman), no prospects, and his girl friend had left him - he really was having a hard time. To top it all it looked like rain, and he still had a hole in his shoe!

  The bus came, on the front it said Amsterdam, he got on and sat next to a buxom lady, well made up, of a certain age. She turned to him, he smiled and he said ’Clip clop’. She stifled a laugh. ‘You look so sad,’ she said. For a moment he was stoic, then it came out - my girl has left me and I am destitute. She smiled as a mother might, she patted his leg, ’ ‘There, there, you will be alright when we get Amsterdam, I will look out you.’ 

 Once again it looked as if a bus was taking him a new adventure. Had he looked back he would have seen a brown and cream police car on the road where he lived. He would be less philosophical had he known they were looking for him!

Isabella - Amsterdam Madam

Amsterdam Message Boy

 Amsterdam, a city of canals and bicycles, a homely city, a metropolitan city, a city of urbane style, a city where drugs and sex are tolerated, a city of sin; perhaps!

 The bus drew up at the central plaza by the railway station. Isabella, the lady on the bus, took him to a small hotel in the red light district - better to be in the centre of the action she assured him. He was not aware at the time that she part owned it.

 They had spoken together on the bus. It turned out her English was better than his Dutch! She had explained to him, a simple Englishman, the workings of Amsterdam and its customs - to say he was taken aback was an understatement. He would work in kitchens for a start!

 And work he did. The noise was indescribable - orders arriving from the restaurant, chefs shouting at the under-chefs in languages he did not understand, they all seemed to be from China, or somewhere east.  The waiters all seemed to be Russian, although when asked they always came from the Ukraine, so now he started to pick up other communication sounds - another language in his locker?  His shift was from four in the afternoon until gone midnight. He slept all day and was worn out in a week. Isabella kept a close eye on him.

 One day she asked him to take a message to the manager of a night club, one of the many that specialised in pole dancing and escort services. On announcing he was from Isabella he was shown to the top office. A smooth European man, whom to him was clearly Mafioso, opened the note. Clearly he was not pleased, and a fast stream of Russian was directed at him. He felt powerful arms around him and he was thrown out onto the street. As he came round he found a policeman staring down at him.

 He was in a police station. In his naive way he answered the police questions directly. He was just delivering a message - no he did not know what was in it. Yes he was English - no he did not have any identification. Where was he from? He misunderstood them, and he answered Isabella. This brought a stop to the questions. The policeman looked at each other and nodded their heads. A senior police officer then entered the room; he produced a European identity card and spoke.

 ‘It seems we have other knowledge of your activities here in Holland, take this card, you are now an official resident. We will keep a close eye on you; you may be of use to us.’

 Life was about to get harder. The hole in his shoe nipped him, hard!
 

Hole in another shoe – Episode 49

A new direction

Harry did not take any flight, that was just a subterfuge in case anyone questioned the taxi driver. He was uncertain what to do. He sat in a booth in the airport Stube pondering the situation. It was quite clear his cover had been blown. He suspected that the Chief of Police’s criminal enquiry give him away. Also hiding in a small town was not effective; he needed a big town, and fast. Then he heard an announcement over the airport speakers; ‘Bus leaving for Prague, passenger call‘; why not he thought; he was on the bus to Prague straight away. On each seat of the bus was a tourist information guide; he liked the idea of the cheap student’s area, but it turned out that he didn’t get anywhere near that! As often happens fate took a hand!

He had no idea where he was, so, seeing a young woman who had been on the bus sitting on a bench he approached her and asked;

‘I’m lost, do you know Prague?’

She looked at him suspiciously.

‘Are you English?’ she spoke in accent he recognised.

‘Yes I am, and it sounds as if you come from the north.’

‘I’m from Huddersfield,’ she said.

‘Well shake hands,’ he said, ’I’m from Hull.’

‘Well there’s one for the book, so what are you doing here?’

Harry pondered what to say, he decided to appear mysterious.

‘Well I’m looking for someone; a girl.’

She laughed,

‘well there’s plenty here.’

He laughed with her.

‘No, it’s more serious; I’m looking for her for her father, he thinks she’s been abducted.’

She looked suspicious.

‘You a policeman?’

He laughed depreciatingly.

‘No, I have just been asked to locate her.’

He hesitated,

‘maybe you can help me, if you know Prague?’

She suddenly became a bit more knowing.

‘Maybe I can, but surely its like looking for a needle in a haystack?’

‘Well true, but I think she entertains men, if you see what I mean.’

‘In that case I know where to start.’

Harry looked at her incredulous like.

’Where’s that’

‘In the old town, you know the red light district!’

‘Oh, that sounds dodgy.’

‘Not if you are with me, I work there myself.’

Harry appeared aghast. ’You mean,,,,,,,,,?

She tapped the side of her nose.

‘My names Gilder, by the way. What’s yours?'

He smiled to himself, couldn‘t be better. ‘My names Harry.’

Hole in another shoe – Episode 50

Evening meal a Knockout ending

Prague is a city of 1.5 million inhabitants so Harry’s story of looking for a lost girl was clearly ridiculous. It was a thin story indeed; Guilder did not believe it for an instance but it suited her purpose to go along with it. As always Harry was in deeper water than he knew.

Guilder Clark was a Metropolitan police officer, her operation was to question an informant on a diamond heist in Hatten Garden. To play safe she needed a cover, and a back up; Harry fulfilled both requirements. It seemed the Met were generous with expenses because they ended up at the Ibis Praha in the Old Town. Clearly this is where Guilder expected to make contact with her informant.

Harry just went along, he wondered what their accommodation arrangement might be, but, surprise surprise, they had to share; something to do with the way the expenses could be shown since ipso facto Harry was now ‘working’ in conjunction with the Met! Harry was quite happy with this ‘working’ arrangement!

That evening they went out for dinner, Guilder lead the way, it was quite clear she had been there before. It turned out to a below ground vaulted restaurant with an old world air, very romantic in its way. Harry felt they were on a lovers tryst, but he was uneasy with the closed-in feel; easily trapped he thought!

Harry chose wild boar whilst Guilder had Duck confit, both done in a Czech manner; this was accompanied by a bottle of Czech Riesling. Harry played the charmer and Guilder responded but he felt she was wary of something happening. Harry sensed danger the moment a man walked in. He had a shifty look about him as if some dark was afoot. Then the type that Harry was well familiar with came in behind him, a ‘hood’ in American parlance!

Harry had, with his usual caution, chosen the table so he had his back to a wall, but Guilder sitting in front of him was highly vulnerable! Harry tensed; so far he could see no weapons, but he was not going to take a chance. He casually he got from the table as if he might be going to the toilet. He leaned as if to kiss Guilder. ‘Stay calm, don’t move.’ he whispered in her ear. He walked across the room and turned, positioning himself behind the ’hood’, and waited.

The ‘contact’, approached Guilder, producing a hypodermic syringe; Harry kidney punched the ’hood’ with a murderess blow, stepped across the room wrenched the syringe from the ’contacts hand and felled him a with a karate chop to the throat! He leaned over Guilder. ‘I think its time for us to go.’ With that he lead her out of the of the restaurant stepping over the recumbent forms on their way!

Harry felt a familiar nip in his shoe!

Hole in another shoe – Episode 51

Smooth leaving

Guilder was in partial shock mixed with anger at not knowing what had happened. They sat in the hotel bar with a couple of brandies in front of them.

‘What was going on there, do you know the trouble you could get us into. Who were those men you knocked to the floor.’

She allowed herself a smile although her hand trembled as she lifted the glass to her lips.

’Is this how you usually treat girl for dinner.’

Then she went on.

‘You some kind of Rambo?’

Harry smiled an enigmatic smile.

‘Well I do have some experience in these matters.’

Guilder slammed her glass down on the table making heads turn. Then the anger came back.

‘Experience in these matters, what’s that supposed to mean.’

She looked at him with more meaning.

’I’m getting very suspicious about that chance meeting in that park!’

Harry let her get her anger subside.

‘Guilder, I’m entertaining a lovely lady to dinner, in the place you chose’, he said with some emphasis, ‘and a guy comes in with intent to kill you.’

‘Kill me, piffle, I didn’t see anything.’

Harry laid the hypodermic needle on the table.

‘This was about to be plunged in your neck, so I think you have some explaining to do.’ Guilder sat looking at it for some time.

‘I really have no idea.’

‘Guilder please, you are hardly here on holiday, and,’ he paused for effect, ’what’s this sharing a room together in this hotel,’ he looked her more closely, ’you looking for protection.’

He went on.

’If that’s the case I need to know! I thought you had this place sorted, you know, what’s in the Old Town!’

Guilder stared down into her empty glass.

Harry continued.

‘I came here in the hope of finding a wayward girl, probably in a night club, ‘ he hesitated, ‘or worse. I can do without this.’

He looked across the bar and saw two policeman with what was obviously a plain clothed detective. He went on full alert, this he could do without, any investigation into his life he could end up behind bars. He got up without fuss, casually strolled across the floor and out through the main doors leaving Guilder to her fate!

He walked away leaving his tooth brush behind!

Hole in another shoe – Episode 52

Well met in a Supermarket

It was close on twelve o’clock when Harry departed the hotel, a dangerous time to be out and about in the Old Town of Prague. Right by the hotel was the Namesti Repuliky metro station. Harry caught the last train to Zlinin, basically a suburb of Prague. As always he had no idea what do when he got there.

There was a huge bus station, and a shopping centre with lights all ablaze, and in there, he thought, there is bound to be a café. He bought a coffee and ham and cheese role, and sat at a table and waited for something to happen! An elderly gentleman sat at the next table eating a Czech speciality; basically dumpling stew! He started a conversation aimed at Harry who naturally didn’t understand a word.

After some time a young girl joined the old man, clearly a grand daughter. She had a pizza and can of coke, and sat down opposite the old man and smiled and nodded as he prattled on. Harry sat there just nodding, eventually the girl recognised Harry had no idea what was happening and asked him if he understood, he shook his head, she looked at him, puzzled.

‘You English?’

‘Yes,’ Harry said .

‘You can’t speak Czech?’

‘No,’ said Harry, shaking his head sadly.

She smiled.

‘You don’t know what my dada is saying?’

She looked at the old man.

‘Just as well, he’s telling you his life story. I‘ve heard it many times. ‘

Harry nodded in agreement.

’Your English is very good.’

She blushed slightly Harry looked at her.

’ It is very late at night for you to be out?’ he asked as a question.

She laughed. ‘I come to find dada.’ Then, ’why are you here, in Zlinic?'

She said as if no English would come here.

Harry played for a joke.

’I am running away; from a lady, she want marry me. I got on any train, out of the Old Town, and here I am!’

The girl frowned.

‘That good, Old Town ladies no good.’

Then she brightened up.

'And now you find me.’

The she laughed.

'You marry me then, I like you English. I take Dada home I come back’

Harry waited but of course she didn’t - not immediately! Harry woke with a police baton pocking him in the ribs. He looked up, a man in a uniform standing over him. A big man with a florid face, not, thankfully, Harry thought, not a policeman. Suddenly there was a cacophony of sound, raised voices. It was the young girl come back and saved him from ignominious ejection out onto the street!

Hole in another shoe – Episode 53

Young girl savior?

‘You came back then.’

‘I said I would.’

‘I’m glad you did.’

‘I couldn’t leave you here, you seem lost.’

‘I’m not lost, not now you are here, but what happens now?’

‘Well that’s up to you, have you anywhere to go?’

‘Well I came from the Ibis Inn.'

Harry hesitated,

’I suppose.........’

‘No, no you must not go back to Old Town, you in danger.’

‘Me!’

‘Look here in paper.’

She opened a copy of the Prague Post. 'Stranger fells two local villains in in Groot restaurant.' Local police are asking him to come forward to help in their inquiries. Possibly staying at the Ibis hotel. Then there was description of a tall well built man in his early thirties, possibly English.

She looked at him quizzically.

‘This you?’

Then she smiled.

’You on the run then?'

Harry could not deny that sounded like him.

Her smile turned into a grin.

’And I save you.’

To Harry it seemed that which ever way he turned he always seemed to be being tracked by the police, so much for trying to hide away! He was as in much danger in Prague as anywhere else, he had to get back on the river.

She held her finger to her lips as if to say ‘keep quiet‘.

‘You come with me, quick, I hide you.’

Harry senses alerted. He did not want to get this child into any danger; but, was this a trap?

‘Come we catch Metro. Oh, my name is Evelina’

Well Evelina here we go again, he thought, I hope you know what you are doing?

They got off at Andel, and there in front of Harry was the Vistula river alive with river traffic. His heart skipped a beat; a way out, perhaps! Evelina led him by the hand along a quay and stepped aboard a houseboat.

‘This is home, she said proudly, ‘welcome aboard.’

And then, conspiratorially.

‘You stay here, you safe, Harry Parker.’

He felt a shock at her knowing his name.

She laughed.

’I work at Ibis Hotel!’

Harry was dumbfounded, he was going round in circles, back where he started. Could he trust her? He looked out at the river wistfully, was this to be his savior?

His shoes relaxed as if taking a rest!

Continue with part two