Fast Fiction: Codstipple Bay
Should he have bought the cottage at Codstipple Bay?
Richard Mallinson tells of an unheeded warning.
'If you want my advice, you'll stay away from Codstipple Bay,' the estate agent said when I asked him about the cottage that was for sale.
'Why, what's wrong with it?'
'You'd find out soon enough if you lived there.'
'I'll risk it.'
Before long I'd moved my furniture in and done all the other chores. Also I'd made myself known in the village shop, run by old Mrs Cantell.
Pleased with myself, I smoked my pipe in the tiny garden.
'Mornin,' said a voice. I turned round.
'Is yoo intendin to stay long?'
After spending the day writing letters I went into the garden again. The sun was flopping down over the sea by now.
I lit my pipe. 'Evenin,' said the voice.
This time I didn't turn round.
'Yoo be leavin soon?'
After supper I locked the door, lit the lamp and drew the curtains. The fire was already alight and I settled down in front of it with a book.
'Wot yoo readin?' asked the voice. I held the book up, showing the cover.
'Gah. Wot yoo want te read that fer?'
Next morning I cooked myself a proper breakfast, after which I went into the garden for a smoke. It was the end of March, bright but chilIy.
'Yoo'll catch yore death,' the voice said, 'put yore coat on.'
I went in and put my coat on. Then I fell and cracked my head.
'This baint the place for yoo,' the voice said.
*
'Well, I did try to warn him off,' murmured the estate agent.
'Oh, oim sure yoo did,' said old Mrs Cantell, as if I wasn't there.
But oi were, weren't oi?
