Before You Go

Management made tea while Len carried his last box out to the van.

He came back and put the workshop key beside the sugar.

“One before you go,” we said.

Len sat down without taking off his coat.

We asked about the new place. He said it had two windows.

“Both south-facing.”

His cup was empty. He began to push his chair back.

We filled the cup.

Len looked at it.

“Just this one,” he said.

He pulled his chair in again.

He told us where he would put the bench.

We moved the sugar bowl so that he could show us.

At the bottom of his cup, we could see a few leaves.

We picked up the pot.

“I'll rinse this,” he said.

He carried his cup to the sink.

We had risen with the pot in our hand.

Len rinsed the cup and set it upside down on the draining board.

We put the pot down.