Dance the Night

Oh, jeesh, must we?

Nah, can it. No probs. It’s late. Let’s party like we’re in our late fifties.

You mean go to bed early?

Yeah, that.

You remember though? How we used to go out at twenty past ten and dance all night? How we used to get drunk on cheap wine at home then nurse a can of Red Stripe from midnight to chucking out time?

Course I remember. I was there too. You could write a best seller about what we did. Maybe they even did.

I’d read that book.

Yeah, me too. If I wasn’t so darned tired I’d write that book.

What’d you put in it?

That stuff about getting my nose brok. That’d make a good part. Then there’s all the stuff about all the girls. Too much stuff there that’d be rude, though. No one needs rude stuff unless they’re looking for it; if you know what I mean.

No. What do you mean?

I mean, unless they’re in the mood for it and want to, you know …

What.

If they want to release themselves.

Like from prison?

No.

Handcuffs?

No. Look, if I have to explain everything in this much detail then there’s no point in talking to you is there? Sometimes you have to be able to see underneath the words and get to the meaning yourself.

Ah, if only I was smart enough to do that. If I was that smart I’d be able to do cryptic crosswords and win pub quizzes, even when they’re complicated. Best I’ve come is fourth though. Not even in the top three. Not in the money.

Yeah, you are a bit less than smart.

True.

Shall we go to bed then?

Yeah. Out time, out of energy and out of cheap wine.

Actually, as chance would have it, we have that bottle of cheap wine the neighbour gave us when I pruned the tree that you think is yours but is in their garden.

It’s ours. And we don’t. We gave it to the other neighbour.

What, the tree?

No, the cheap wine.

Well, in that case, time for bed.

Yeah.

Goodnight.

What you saying goodnight for? I’ve got to brush my teeth and all of that yet!

Just in case.

Of what?

Well, you know.

Alien abduction? Plane crashing into the house? Heart att …

Stop!

You started it!

Hmm. Okay.

Okay then.

You ever miss it, though?

What?

Dancing the night?

Nah, not really. You?

Nah. Too much like hard work.

Like this conversation.

Hmm.

Eh?

I said goodnight.

Goodnight.