A house of cards

It was the first chilly night for weeks, rain had been threatening all evening but there was no more than a few drips and drops in the air. The taxi’s engine grumbled nosily as  the car came to a halt and idled by the kerbside. The driver turned on the light and contemplated tuning the engine off as the passenger fumbled in his pockets for money to pay the fare. It was taking far longer than normal and it soon became obvious why. The two people who emerged from the cab were a couple in their fifties, both showing signs of middle age spread and greying hair and both so drunk they could hardly walk.

They lent on each other precariously like two aces forming part of a house of cards. They walked down the street knowing that one slip from either of them and they both would go. They’d obviously had a good evening, they were laughing and giggling like school children on the back seat of a bus.

The male of the species stopped suddenly and looked at his companion.

‘You’re beautiful,’ he slurred and then kissed her sloppily and noisily, she returned the kisses with enthusiasm, her arms all over his back.  ‘Really beautiful’ he said coming up for air.

‘Stop it’ she said giving him a playful thwack. He dropped to his knees.

‘Marry me.’ He said to her through the alcohol. It wasn’t the most romantic of proposals but it was sweet.

The woman howled with laughter. ‘I married you 25 years ago you daft apeth! Now  get up off the floor open the bloody door. Ha ha that rhymes.’ she laughed.

He staggered to his feet and fished in his pockets for keys, eventually dragging them out before immediately dropping them.

‘What are you doing? I need to pee,’ she said.

He stooped to pick them up and then fumbled with the lock. Eventually the door swung open and the couple disappeared, leaving me to wonder just how bad their hangovers would be tomorrow morning.