Continue the story.....

[poppy]

where'd you fink your goin'?'

I pretended not to hear him and kept walking. A burly hand grabbed me roughly by the shoulder and spun me round.

'Oi! I was talkin' chew!'

'Get your hands off me, you lout! Major, sort this geezer out, will you?'

Rosie started to cry.

[itsmeagain]

'I verily do say, what what..young man, get your hands off my assistant Jonathan if you please.'

He withdrew a bulging wallet from his inside pocket.

'Now, Mr senior henchman and dogsbody, kindly show me your work before I pay you..After all....

[itsmeagain]

a bulldog, sandy and white, three years in age, black spot behind the right ear, one chipped yellow tooth, otherwise dentally 

Edited November 26, 2023 by itsmeagain

[poppy]

sound, although that was difficult to ascertain as the only tooth visible was the snaggle-tooth yellow one.

Without opening his mouth (as it was a he),  it managed to project a deep menacing growl and everyone rapidly backed off. Excepting Rosie. She was as dotty about dogs as she was about cats.

'Oh puppy!' she exclaimed, 'aren't you just ...

[itsmeagain]

soo sweet and adorable..my oh my daddy, this boy reminds me very much of Archie, the dog of Mrs Fauntleroy of Chertsey, holder of the award for Pooch of the Decade 2018, he.. '

'Naa listen app, bro..we won't uzz manney an we want it naa', said Pontius Brawn, 19, from Brixham.

'Oi.....

Edited November 26, 2023 by itsmeagain

[poppy]

'm not workin' a minut mar till we see tha bangers n mash upfront loike!'

'Ooooo ... I make a lovely bangers and mash,' trilled Rosie. 'I learnt the recipe when I was volunteering at the Dolepuddle homeless shelter. I'll just pop out and get some ingredients. Now, how many sausages would you each like? I'll get some sauce too, shall I?' Rosie beamed around at the assembled workers.

Billy Foreman cleared his throat, but thought ...

 

Edited November 27, 2023 by poppy

[itsmeagain]

it odd that a nice middle class girl like her would sink to the depths of council estate depravity that the lads would, and he said 'no darling, you jass down geddit lav. See look, we'z awl got kids, ann oi don't mean goats..(pausing for laughs, none arrived, just a dull silence)..naa sossidgizz is awroit bat we wants sumfin a lot bettoh ann we wanna it naah..'

'Oh Johnny be a man and a darling and pay...

Edited November 28, 2023 by itsmeagain

[poppy]

the nice men, they've worked so hard!' pleaded Rosie.

'You'll get paid when you've finished the job, not before! Now jog on!' I'd dealt with bozzos like this before and felt I had a good handle on the situation. Unfortunately...

[itsmeagain]

I was not prepared for a sudden left hook to the jaw from one of the plebeian many, leaving me seeing stars for a few minutes. Mind you, all our doddering old benefactor's worries were quickly evaporated,  as 10 scrubbers ran away from the warehouse,  unpaid, and would stay unpaid until such time as we got some answers..which scuzzer decked Johnny Revolting and what type of recompense will said scuzzer pay? 

But on the cat and tea roadshow sailed, with adverts going on Radio London and people being contacted about cat cafe set up etc. 

One morning Rosie announced that the local tabby...

Edited November 29, 2023 by itsmeagain

[poppy]

cat sanctuary for stray moggies was closing, due to the nonagenarian, who had devoted her whole life to their welfare, departing this earthly plane. No doubt her reward in heaven would be an endless supply of Friskies Finest on which to feed her feline friends thus releasing her from the constant worry of 'what ever shall I feed them today.'

'Johnny, it's a Godsend! Let's go and pick them all up now!'

'How many are there exactly?' I enquired a little nervously.

'Oh, don't worry about little things like that! We'll ...

[itsmeagain]

be able to sort it..and I know, chooky chook, aah, I saw you trouser the 800 quid from those plumbers interested in Chaucer the other week..  so money is no object'..and at that, Rosie made plans for 54 felines to be shipped to Rosie's cat and coffee emporium, post haste. 

A week and 3 and a quarter days later,  I was 🚶‍♀️ walking....

Edited November 30, 2023 by itsmeagain

[poppy]

along the Lesser Twaddle River, taking a much needed break from obnoxious workmen, catawauling and skirmishing tabbies who appeared to be largely  unhousetrained, Major Daddy who had far too much to say for himself and ruminating on the trajectory my life had taken. The only bright spot, I felt, was ...

[itsmeagain]

Rosie, aah, dear Rosie, so full of 🌹 rosy promises, fine words, and stolid declarations of love ( of her dad, the kitties, every bugger bar me), and so utterly devoid of common sense that she was wiling to buy sausages  and to buy chips and peas with it, for a bunch of reprobates from Hounslow and surrounds,just because they smiled and popped out some muscles on their arms.

Maybe if I...but then..I am unsure..I dunno..if she really ...

[poppy]

likes me or only considers me a friend ... but she did say I was a nice guy ... and rather sweet ... there might be hope still. Now what do girls like? Flowers! I'll get her some flowers! Roses, her namesake. And maybe a new kitten. I felt more cheerful and went off in search of ...

[itsmeagain]

some begonias, that's it, purple and yellow, that's what I'll get.

Five miles away, Rosie was chatting on messenger to Flora Flaherty , 32, an architect from Streatham, who listed among her loves in life, walking, listening to music, driving, eating cheese and onion crisps, fierce gym workouts, writing letters to the local paper about congestion in the Watford region, travelling to Crete, Paraguay, Antilles, Norway, Sweden, New Zealand, Kuwait, Algeria, Albania, Dar es Salaam and Tokyo, drinking tea, wine, beer, choco milk, green tea, ginger beer, raspberry infused flavoured still water, peach infused fizzy water, watching hurling,rugby, ⚽️ football,  tiddlywinks,  boxing,  and tidying the garden...

'You are a cutie', came the text from Flora.'.wanna meet for a coffee....?...

[poppy]

'May I bring a friend?' asked Rosie, who was online savvy enough to not go meeting complete strangers alone.

'Ummmm .... I suppose so,' replied Flora, who sounded none too pleased.

'Oh goodie! Shall we meet at 'Oh, What a Brew-tiful Morning Cafe'? They do a lovely Japanese Cherry tea and my friend loves a good Chai Skinny Latte, low fat, soy milk, sugar free, sweetened with organic honey and topped with whipped cream and chocolate sprinkles.'(yes, Sean I had to go back and copy that 🤣)

'Okayyyy ...' Flora looked a little dazed, 'shall we ...

[itsmeagain]

. maybe.. [sigh]..your buddy..a he or a she?', came the information request, Rosie imagining the..  

[poppy]

simply marvellous time they'd all have together, sipping their favourite teas, getting to know each other, chatting about peach infused fizzy water, tiddlywinks and other exciting things.

'Oh, you'll just LOVE Johnny! He's such a sweetie, so kind, so intelligent, he adores kitties ... and Daddy. And...' Rosie giggled, 'quite muscly in all the right places. He doesn't know it yet, dont say anything, but I'm rather smitten with him.'

'Erkkkk,' said Flora, 'he's a MAN! I don't like men. Avoid them at all costs. Nasty smelly creatures!'

'Johnny's not smelly!' Rosie was quite indignant, 'Why he showers every day. And he uses this lovely cologne, it smells like limes with a smidgen of mint and strawberries. I could sniff him all day. You'll adore him!' said Rosie, and with that ...

 

[itsmeagain]

,  the agreement was that they would all meet up in Shoreditch High Street next Saturday lunchtime. 

Ignorant of all this, I was looking for colourful begonias and roses for Rosie, and finding the cheaper ones can be a nightmare, you see, Harrods charge a fortune for them and so I went to Cheap Street market, where I got some nicely scented roses for around 3 quid. Happy with myself, I sat on the bus, and my attention was taken by a caterpillar ruffling through the roses.  So taken was I by this, I missed three bus stops, and was just arriving home when a gust of wind blew off my hat, which I had to chase down Home Street, and finally ....

Edited December 5, 2023 by itsmeagain

[poppy]

brought it to earth on the corner of Twiddle and Twaddle Streets, narrowly avoiding being struck by a young lout on an e-scooter and wrenching my ankle into the bargain. I yelled a few choice words at his retreating back and was rewarded with a one finger salute. I jammed the hat back on my head with a stern warning to STAY! and limped back home, clutching the now rather bedraggled bunch of roses.

I handed them to Rosie saying, 'Roses for a lovely rose. Sorry they're a bit worse for wear, I had a spot of bother with the bus and the wind and my hat and an idiot on a scooter.'

'Oh Johnny!' Rosie gasped, 'You ...

 

[itsmeagain]

really ought not to have done so..such an effort.

 made, you are so sweet..', and with that, she planted a sweet kiss on my cheek.

'Oh I just adore roses', she announced,  planting them  into a milk bottle half full of water, and spraying plant feed in for good measure, ' now. Sooty , you know, the one with his itchy left ear, he has been playing bauble games around the Christmas tree here, and over at the cafe, Midge has been eating so much she's put on a gram since yesterday.  Daddy says hello and was asking me a rather odd question..dear Johnny, can you decipher what he meant..?..he said..' any succes yet..? ..or have you been jumping up and down the day after, in the morning..?'

Gulping inwardly, I offered, ' after what..? I don't really..

Edited December 5, 2023 by itsmeagain

[poppy]

know what he's talking about.'

'I don't know either,' Rosie shrugged, 'I'll ask him when I see him next.'

'Talking of seeing him next, where has Daddy been lately? He hasn't been round for days.'

'He's sadly developed an allergy to cat fur, so he's keeping away.'

I suppressed a yippee and hallelujah and tried not to show it. The day just kept getting better.

'Rosie,' I asked, taking a deep breath and throwing caution to the wind, 'would you possibly consider ... sometime in the future ... is there any chance you would ...

 

[itsmeagain]

..let me..ahem...hold you in my arms and ...offer you a real kiss..I mean you are wondrously and divinely scrumptious

Not remotely unctuous

Eyes not bulbous

Hair is really luscious

Not wishing to be devious

That would be atrocious 

Not wishing to  be lecherous

But you girl, are gorgeous.

Give my life a purpose

Let's just be adventurous..'

Rosie evidently thought I was a singer..' a rap artist..oooh how utterly divine!!' , she squealed,...

[poppy]

I just lurrrve wrappers! I listen to 6 Pack and M&Ms and Ice Block in my room, but Daddy always makes me turn it down. He only likes music like Wagner, Shostakovich and Prokofiev. I like them too, but wrappers are such a nice change.'

'Okayyyy... Anyway ...what did you think about my lyrics? I wrote them just for you.'

'Oh, I think they're simply super, Johnny. Wizard, in fact!'

She just wasn't ...

[itsmeagain]

getting it at all, and to cap it all off, she regaled me with Flora Flaherty, architect, who loves fizzy water, and dislikes men..' But you'll be OK Johnny as I did say you're totally charming.'

For once , I needed time to think.

I went over to see how the cafe , cattery, bookshop type  venture was going.

'Well the cafe isn't open yet', said a bloke I didn't recognise,  hirsute, tattoos, 

Edited December 6, 2023 by itsmeagain