The Lift

Management found Mae packing up her book stall. We had parked just round the corner.

“Would you like a lift?”

“That would be lovely.”

We went ahead to move our coat off the passenger seat. There were crumbs in the fold. We brushed them out with the edge of our hand.

Mae came round carrying a box. Nell followed with another.

We opened the boot.

“There’s one more,” Mae said.

It was a shallow box of large books. We carried it with a hand under each end. In the boot it would have had to stand on its edge, so we put it on the passenger seat.

“Shall we wait for you?” we asked.

“We’re going along the canal,” Mae said. “Nell knows a place that does tea.”

Nell took off her apron and folded it into her bag.

“You could leave those by my desk,” Mae said. “I’ll sort them on Monday.”

We shut the boot.

“It’s a nice walk,” Nell said.

Mae put her hand on the open window. “Thank you. I was wondering what to do with them.”

They set off towards the canal. We called after her.

“Shall we leave them by your desk or under it?”

Mae turned and walked backwards for a few steps. “Under, if they’ll fit.”

She caught up with Nell.