Me and Grandma by Joe Coles

Me and grandma turned the lights off and took turns on the binoculars. Grandma hissed, “There’s one- top window on the right, I think she’s going to take her bra off!” “Give me the binoculars!” I hissed back. Out in the night a drunk tripped over a recycling tub, and up in my granny’s flat we scanned the avenue for nudity.

A cat dopey from the heat lay in the middle of the road looking for strokers. For the last three summers I had stayed there and when the weather was hot, we got the binoculars out. Grandma knew the most likely times of night, knew the exact temperature of not giving a damn and knew the most exhibitionist neighbours. Drunk on rum we’d perve in slow patience like fishermen. Experts on our craft we’d take her milk float if need be. “It’s almost silent, and they practically give them away second-hand.”

illustration by Sally Stevens