Outside

Howard finished his coffee and went to put on his shoes. He used a long shoe horn for his left shoe; he was fine now but still had difficulty controlling his left side. Dolly watched his every move without getting in the way; she was such a good girl.

“Bye now”, he said and closed the door behind him, leaving her disappointed she wouldn’t accompany him.

It was another warm Sunday morning. A few years back, this sunshine would be a rare sight in February, but now it was the norm. Reaching the Coffin Path, he turned left towards the Village. A young boy on a bike drove passed him and braked. He put one foot down and turned to face him. His helmet unfolded and revealed his smiling face. “Hello, Mr Shears,” he said enthusiastically.

“Hello, Young Man” Howard found it difficult to pronounce Kyrylo’s name. “Where are you going in such a hurry?”

“I will meet friends in the Square. We'll watch the match on the big screen. Glad to see you outside!”

“I’m going there too ... You picked the wrong outfit for the day,” Howard said, pointing to Kyrylo’s jacket; Huyton Athletic logo on his chest.

Kyrylo laughed, as he always did with ease, saying, “first Huyton, then Liverpool”.

Howard was very grateful for Kyrylo’s help. The “Young Man” participated in the youth volunteering program of Huyton’s Sports and Culture society and has been helping Howard ever since he had the stroke, mainly taking Dolly for a walk and having a cup of tea with Howard from time to time.

This acquaintance was beneficial for all three of them.

Within minutes Howard arrived in Sherborne Square. The plaza was about to get much busier. The security swarm had gathered there because of Sunday’s match. Flying over peoples’ heads, drones kept the security exits open and annoyed people with lively messages about following security measures.

Howard looked for his friend with his eyes before sending him a voice. He saw a hand waving at him in the crowd.

There he was. Pablo was saving him a seat. Howard sat down, and the two gentlemen exchanged their usual greeting. The blinds on the building facade began to rotate. Fully aligned, they formed a wide seamless screen.

“Is it starting already?” Howard asked in surprise.

“The match is starting in 45 ‘. Maybe they will show some ads”, Pablo said and proceeded to ask, “How do you feel, Howard?”

“It’s good to be outside again, Pablo… And how was your trip to your homeland? ”

Pablo responded, “Things seemed better, but we hardly ever went outside. The weather was unpredictable and extreme” His face looked worried. He tried to say something about Liverpool’s football match, but the local charity ad for the victims of climate change caught their attention, and Pablo never finished his sentence.

Howard saw the anxious expression on Pablo’s face. “Let’s have a pint,” he said, holding his finger on his watch, and two flying waiters were instantly deployed.