LONDON

          "I'm just an ordinary man," said Aaron in a low almost whispery tone.

          "The **** you are," growled Kevin slamming his glass down on the bar. "The **** you are."

The faces around the crowded bar turned, making Aaron edgy. He gripped Kevin's arm, "We'll talk tomorrow, somewhere more private." Kevin snatched his arm away in defiance, and without further acknowledgment, he re-engaged his drink. 

‘Alcohol, the quickest way out of town,' was something his Dad would repeat many times throughout Kevin's childhood, but it was only since the divorce that the meaning had registered.  

Kevin was tall, lean and good looking with a twist of lemon. His peers at IBM believed he had a brilliant future, but at twenty four the future hadn't come quick enough for Natasha.

As ‘the way out of town' wove its magic, the torment inside Kevin's head faded to a dull unimportance. The same thoughts still occupied the space, but with the sharp edges gone, they swam over and under each other like surreal fish. 

When did Natasha make her move? How did Aaron know so much detail, and what the **** did ‘smart mines' have to do with the price of eggs?

Kevin's next recollection was being woken outside his house by a taxi driver.

"Five pounds please" the young black driver said in a polite tone. Kevin suddenly woke and sat upright in the back seat. "Sorry, I don't have any money pal" he said, spreading his arms out in a nail me to the wall gesture. "The ***** took it all" 

"Don't give me a hard time mister, the fares is five pounds."

"Are you an African?" asked Kevin.

"I am" the young man answered.

"And what's your name mister African man?

"My name is Joseph."

Kevin reached into his wallet. "Well Joseph, I'll give you double the fare if you can answer me one simple little question."

"I'm sorry sir, but I can't gamble with the taxi fare."

"I'm not asking you to gamble Joseph; I'm asking you to answer a simple question." Joseph looked for a moment like he was going to lose his cool, but after taking a deep breath he thought better of it and asked. "What is the question?"

"The question is," said Kevin, pulling a ten pound note from his wallet. "****...I've forgotten the question. Hang on, I've got it. The question for ten pound is... What is a smart mine?"

"A smart mine is the opposite of a dumb mine" answered Joseph. And then quick as a flash he snatched the tenor from Kevin's hand.

"Wait a minute... that's not an answer. It doesn't have to be the Oxford dictionary, but something a little bit closer than ‘the opposite of dumb' would be appreciated."

Joseph smiled. His teeth and eyes illuminated against his ebony skin. He'd seen something in Kevin that he liked. Working the taxis to pay his way through university, Joseph had been in London for almost a year without hearing a single reference to ‘land mines.'

"My country is Angola" he said, "and it is home to more than ten million land mines, most of which have been categorized as ‘dumb.' The living victims of these mines number almost ninety thousand. The super powers have recently developed what they call ‘smart' mines. These are either biodegradable, or can be disarmed electronically. Unfortunately as smart as they might be they still cannot discriminate between a soldier and a child."

As Joseph spoke, a flicker from a street light betrayed a tear in his eye.

Kevin had been struck dumb. Metaphorically sat on his arse, he realized that this wasn't about scoring points, and he also realized that the passion and pain in Joseph's words were forged from real suffering and real experience. Kevin couldn't bring himself to ask the pressing questions that would stir up more pain; instead he reached out and his hand. "Joseph, I love you man, and I'm so sorry for your pain. I know I'm a little pissed, but sometimes you have to be pissed to see what's staring you in the face."

Kevin then started to sing. ‘We'll meet again don't know where, don't know whe..." He stopped just as suddenly as he'd started. ‘Sorry Joseph, forgive me, I'm pissed."

Letting go of their handshake Kevin opened the door and stumbled onto the pavement. After gathering his bearing and what was left of his dignity, he stood upright. "Goodnight Joseph" he said looking at the now empty street. "Goodnight my friend."

The matrimonial king sized bed, was now reduced to an empty pit, that hadn't seen a change of sheets since Natasha had left. One second Kevin was falling with familiarity towards the pit, and the next second he was up to his chin, in perfect greener than green grass that had been manicured to his exact chin height.

In the distance he could hear the voice of his father, ‘Kevin, this way?' Kevin looked down at his own naked body. His feet had deformed to four times their normal size. He heard a different voice call out "step on the smart ones." He looked to where the voice came from, and sitting like a ball on the grass was Natasha's head. As she spoke he took a step towards her but a light breeze rolled her head away. Another voice from behind him called, "step on the limbs, it's the safest way" the voice was his own, but on turning he saw only grass. He heard a loud ticking and looked down to see a bodiless hands, each clutching a hedgehog. "Gotcha... gotcha," cried the hedgehogs. Kevin was now running scared and naked in the endless mine field where several more hedgehogs were now jumping under his enormous feet and calling out "gotcha... gotcha." He felt one of the hedgehogs depress under his weight and there was a single sickening click followed by a sudden jolt. Sitting bolt upright in bed, he reached for what he thought was now ringing. He hit and pushed every possible part of his alarm clock before finally realizing that it was the fire alarm on the outside the building. He could hear doors banging. He opened his apartment door and was met with a much closer reality.

"Kevin, what's happening..?" he heard her say. Kevin had dreamt about moments like this? Sally, his gorgeous neighbour, was standing in the open doorway of her apartment, and with all the innocence of a child she was wearing nothing more than her bra and knickers.

He hadn't dreamt he'd be saying "put some cloths on, we have to get out of here."

When they reached the exit, there were a dozen or so tenant congregated on the pavement. Some of them were and stood half asleep inside their dressing gowns while others were smoking and sharing conversation. Mr Riley was pacing back and forth complaining. "I have to be up at six. It's four thirty for god sake. What the point of going back to bed. I know I won't sleep." Seventy four years of age and he still worked every day. "They think it's a false alarm" someone said, "something to do with the computers." Kevin was stood semi comatose on the cold pavement when Sally, as if a child would to her daddy, linked his arm and snuggled up to him. What should he read into this? It felt warm. It felt better than warm, it felt exciting. A thousand promises came with the tender and warm touch of her body and his finer senses registered a little of the magic that had been missing for what seemed so long.

Kevin and Sally were the youngest of the residents in the apartment block, and I guess there was a bond for that reason if nothing else. "Blame the computer," said the first of three firemen to appear from the basement. "Every one can return to their apartments and enjoy what's left of your night" Kevin felt disappointed as Sally unlinked his arm and with what appeared like casual indifference, silently and robotically returned to her room.

When Kevin returned to his room the light was flashing on the answer machine. ‘Who on earth..?' He thought, as he pressed the play record button.

"Good morning Kevin. I hope you enjoyed the entertainment. Who's the new girl? She looked cute from where I was sitting."

"You bastard..." Kevin heard himself say as the message continued. "Saint James Park at mid day. Feed the ducks. I'll find you." The message ends.

Aaron was always the one to have the last word. They were ten years younger when they first met at University and Kevin was still naïve enough to believe that he was up to Aaron's games. He was attracted to Aaron, or so he thought, for intellectual reasons. Kevin, himself a brilliant student, saw Aaron as something else again. Aaron was a ‘thinker' in the bigger sense of the word.

The fire alarm was a message and Kevin knew that Aaron had a bigger agenda in mind.

"This isn't kids stuff anymore." Aaron had said earlier. "If you step through this door with me Kevin, we'll shake the planet"

Kevin was committed to making a difference. They'd talked many times about international politics and the futility of playing ‘their game'

Aaron had only ever put one man on anything that resembled a pedestal, and that man was Michael Collins. "He knew," Aaron had said, with an unusual outburst of passion. "It took eight hundred years of playing their game but when Collins came along, ‘he knew.' Collins had seen good courageous men slaughtered while playing ‘their game.' He knew, just as sure as eggs are eggs, that the only game you can control is ‘your own game.'"

Kevin's head had been in turmoil all morning. ‘No one is holding a gun to my head he'd told himself. ‘I can simply say ‘no.' But he also knew that ‘no' would take him through a different door, a door that led to regret. Kevin wanted to make a difference, but he would have to work much harder if he was to find the courage to join Aaron.

His train ride from Edgware to Leicester Square had been uneventful until he reached Chalk Farm, where there was a ten minute delay due to the power supply, but ten minutes was hardly a heart beat for a London commuter. Kevin was on three weeks stress leave from IBM and with no current love life to speak of. He figured that limbo was limbo.

He'd no sooner managed to conjure up the start of a fantasy that included Sally, when the train started to move again.

Kevin sold his car after Natasha had left. ‘I'm nearly twenty four and life is passing me by," she'd said. And he'd felt like his world had suddenly ended. Kevin's world was London and London could manage quite well with one less driver, he'd told the young woman who'd bought his Mazda.

Leicester Square was a good fifteen minutes walk to Saint James's Park, a distance that well suited Kevin's exercise plan.

The weatherman had forecast an early morning shower clearing to a warm spring day but it would be Kevin's taste for coffee that dictated his route to the park.

He left the lid on his paper cup and headed for Trafalgar Square.

The time was eleven thirty as Kevin sat on the edge of the fountain. There wouldn't be a race of people he thought that weren't represented on any given day in Trafalgar Square.

He tried hard to block any thoughts of his upcoming meeting. His latest plan of action was to avoid rationalizing and to rely solely on his instinct. But he knew Aaron well enough to know that today would have to be decision time.

Kevin felt his libido being seriously tormented as the spring sun opened its flowers to show them off in all their seductive splendour. Shoulders, arms, skin revealed. Flirting breasts danced braless under cotton. Legs, necks, skirts and heavenly movements all appeared designed to torment, honey traps were everywhere.

I wonder if the pigeons can see any difference' he thought, watching an African woman posing for picture beside a white man. Cars, buses, trucks, brakes, horns, screeching tyres, fluttering and swooping pigeons, a distant band, footsteps, children screeching and the splashing of water, were all playing their part in the cacophony that was the sound of central London. Was there ever a moment when silence visited the square?

At the edge of the lake, Aaron had taken refuge from the sun under a large weeping willow. His companion was a Roddy Doyle novel, ‘A Star Called Henry.' Aaron was so taken with the central character ‘Henry Smart' that he decided to read the book a second time. Aaron had left the family farm in Kildair at the age of sixteen; the day after his father's funeral. The youngest of six brothers he had plans that didn't include shovelling horse **** for the rest of his life. The day that he had left, he owned the cloths on his back, the price of the boat-fare to England and a burning desire to leave his mark on the world. He had worked the bars, dug the trenches before achieving a master's degree in computer science, and without working one single day in the industry he became financially secure at the age of twenty four by selling his software sampler invention to Microsoft.

"Spare the price of a cup a tea mister." Kevin turned with a start to see

Aaron sat smiling under the willow.

"**** Aaron you picked a strange place for a private meeting." He offered Kevin a cigarette.

"Let's just get on with the business" said Kevin, with tension in his tone. Aaron sighed at his sharp attitude. There was a pecking order to be observed. Aaron would humour and he would cajole, but he would always have the chair.

"Before I tell you any more" said Aaron, "I need to know whether you're in. This isn't kids stuff anymore. I can tell you that my plans don't include physical violence." Why didn't that statement make Kevin feel any easier?

Aaron stood up and with the flat of his hand he swept the grass and dust from his trousers "I'm going ahead with or without you Kevin. If you're not in, then just tell me now and they'll be no hard feelings." There was a further tense silence as Kevin waited for his instinct to make his decision for him. Aaron pressed the issue by walking out from under the willow. Kevin jumped to his feet.

"I'm in..." he called excitedly. "Now for god sake, tell me what I'm in for?" Aaron swept his thin coppery strands from his forehead and embraced Kevin. He knew Kevin's talent, and even though he would have gone ahead without him, it wouldn't have been with the same confidence he was feeling now.

"Let's take a walk and I'll tell you what you've let yourself in for. By the way, how did you enjoy the blackout at Chalk Farm?" Kevin stopped in his tracks...

"I can't believe it. How did you manage that one?"

"It's not who you know Kevin me old mate, it's what you know."

"So" asked Kevin, "what's the deal with the land mines?"

"Its simple, we're going to stop them. Me and you Kevin; imagine that? We're are going to stop the land mines"

Up to two weeks ago land mines didn't even raise a flicker in Kevin's brain cells and if the truth was to be told he still couldn't even claim to be passionate about the subject.

"Why land mines?" Kevin asked.

Without answering the question directly, Aaron produced a large yellow envelope and handed it to Kevin.

"What's this?"

"It's the best answer I can give. It's your air ticket to Angola. Every soul on this planet should visit Angola at least once in their life. What has happened in Angola is a crime against humanity."

Your flight to Luanda leaves tomorrow. Your visa has been taken care of and you have a four p.m. appointment at the Edgware clinic for inoculation."

In the ten years that Kevin thought he knew Aaron, he'd never seen the face he was now looking at. His cool pale Celtic exterior had been replaced by a look that was frightening in its intensity. " **** Aaron, it's all a bit James Bond, and not to mention short notice. What about clothes? I'm going to have to spend the night in the launderette."

Kevin could see that Aaron meant business but he was still being bowled over by the speed of things. "I'm out of breath just thinking about It. Why can't I fly out next week?" Standing eye to eye with Kevin, Aaron reached out and took hold of his hands, the intensity in his voice lifted. "We have a long journey ahead of us. In just one week in Angola, one thousand men women and children will suffer the horrendous affects from an encounter with a land mine. Don't tell me that you're prepared to wait a second longer than you need to. The details are in the envelope. Just think about it as a holiday, and cheer up. There's plenty of fun planned for later."

Fun, what's that? Kevin thought, as he walked back to the train station. His body ached for a drink but his mind told him there was too much to do.

He picked a carriage on the train, where an old woman and a young girl were sat far enough away to give him the privacy to open the envelope. He tipped its contents on the seat between himself and the window. There was a half inch thick wad of new one hundred US dollars bills wrapped in a white paper band. He quickly put the notes back inside the envelope. A typewritten letter explained his itinerary including hotel and transfer in Luanda plus the appointment for yellow fever and cholera inoculations at the Edgware clinic. His ticket would be waiting to be picked up on his arrival at Gatwick. There was also instruction to memorize an emergency telephone number, although it didn't give any details about who the contact was.

Kevin didn't know quite what he felt, but he'd said "yes"' and he was a man of his word.

"For better or for worse...... until death we do part." Natasha's shallow commitment to her marriage vows had galvanized his own resolve that his word would be his strength. He would carry his commitments as he carried all his loyalties, without question.

He met Sally again on the stair to the apartment; in what he naively thought was coincidence. She was to die for. Her natural light brown hair was pined up to show off diamante earrings and delicate matching necklace. Her perfect figure wore a seductive black strapless chiffon dress.

"Kevin, what do you think?" she said playfully pirouetting to his approach. How could he tell her what he thought? He wanted to leap on top of her and would have gladly died on consummation.

"You look absolutely beautiful Sally." he said diplomatically. "What's the occasion?"

"A girl friend from the office is leaving today. Were going up west for a meal, you should come with us Kevin, it'll be a gas." She was flirting with his arm again. He politely declined. Her perfume, her warmth, her voice, her energy, it was all so seductive that he felt awkward.

"I can't' he said. "I'm going away tomorrow for two weeks to Angola, and I have laundry and things to do tonight..." He was so embarrassed that he'd mentioned his laundry. Blushing he pushed past her and continued up the stairs. 

She called after him... "Maybe coffee, if you're still up?" He turned and looked at her. She wore the face of a child that wanted to be shown affection. He couldn't find the words to meet her. Was she making a pass? Could she possibly be interested in him? "I'll look for the light under your door" she said, turning and playfully dancing down the remainder of the stairs. 

Throwing his laundry into a plastic bag he berated himself. Why couldn't he be like Aaron? Aaron would never have been so uncool.

Kevin's self image was that of a nerd. He did wear glasses. He was a computer genius. He did have the big job with IBM. The reality of the matter was that Kevin was a tall lean good looking very sensitive guy who cared about people. A computer genius was simply something he was.

The clouds looked ominous as he took the fifteen minute walk up along Edgware road to the launderette. Kevin hated the launderette but for now it was a necessary evil.

Six machines ran down the length of the two opposing walls with two large dryers at the far end. Four older women and a young girl were sat chatting on the plastic chairs as they waited for their washing cycles to run.

Kevin arrived at the first available washer on the left and threw his dirty cloths into the front loader before quickly closing the door. "You could have put them in with mine, sweetie," a middle age woman said cheekily. Kevin gave a token smile.

"It feels like it's going to belt it down" said another of the women and she had no sooner spoken than the heaven opened "I told you" she said "I can feel it in my bones" Kevin brought his current read along with him. (The Map That Changed The World) He was looking at the pages to avoid conversation when the thought struck him, ‘changed the world.' What do people mean ‘changed the world.' Aaron had used the term ‘shake the world'. Presuming they all mean the world of mankind and not the physical planet. Does that really change? "Your smalls are dry. Do you want me to fold them for you, sweetie." Her humour had missed him completely.

"Sorry" he said snapping out of his thoughts, "I was miles away."

"I hope you don't have far to go," said another middle aged woman "It's still belting it down out there." Kevin threw his socks and underpants into the plastic bag, gave the ladies a shy smile and disappeared out into the rain.

"Hey taxi," he called waving his plastic bag. With light on and wipers working overtime the taxi pulled over. Kevin climbed into the back seat and told the driver his destination. "Do you remember me?" asked the driver.

"I kind of do" said Kevin "Joseph isn't it?"

"Yes my name is Joseph. I remember you, because you kindly gave me a five pound tip. You were a little bit drunk I think."

The conversation came flooding back to Kevin. "You're from Angola?"

"Yes" said Joseph "and you asked me about land mines"

"Would you believe me Joseph, if I told you I was flying to Luanda tomorrow?" Joseph was silent for a moment before replying. "I would find it to be amazing if you told me that, but I would have no reason to doubt you."

"Well Joseph, I fly from Gatwick tomorrow morning. First to Addis Ababa, then after a small stop over I will continue on to Luanda."

"I am very envious of you." said Joseph, pulling up outside Kevin's apartment block. "Can I ask you how you are getting to Gatwick airport?" 

"I was going to phone a taxi"

"Would consider my taxi?

"Why not, I have to be at the airport for eight, so why don't we say seven o'clock from here."

As Kevin climbed the stairs to his apartment his thoughts returned to Sally. Was she teasing him? Should he leave the light on? What was she doing at this very moment?

It had taken less than fifteen minutes to throw two weeks supply of essentials into a ruck sack. And satisfied that he had mustered all the important items, Kevin took a can of beer from the fridge, switched on the TV and sat back with his feet up on the coffee table. The television flickered less than two yards from his face but he was miles away. He'd been on the usual cheap holidays to Majorca, Cyprus and Portugal, but Angola was going to be something else.

‘This is serious stuff,' he thought, feeling the pressure of his commitment to Aaron. And while still in deep thought the can of beer was replaced by another can of beer and then another can of beer until finally with the television ablaze in front of him, he dropped off to sleep. 

It was eleven thirty p.m. when Sally arrived back on the landing. Her silver and black sling back shoes were being carried in her hands alongside her matching purse. She noticed the strip of light under Kevin's door and knocked gently.

The sound of the television was covering any possible clues as to movement inside the apartment. Using the heel of her shoe she knocked again. This time Kevin was jolted from his sleep.

Sleepy eyed, and with no idea that more than two hours had passed since he'd dropped off, he turned the door handle wondering who on earth could be at his door.

"Sally" he said, confused. "I thought you were going out?"

"I've been out," she said smiling at his silly confusion. "It's eleven thirty. I thought because your light was on, that we had a coffee date?"

"I'm sorry, I must have been well away. Come in and I'll put the kettle on. How was your night?"

Sally answered, telling him that the restaurant had been double booked, and how after an argument with the manager the party fragmented leaving herself and a girl friend overdressed in a local pub being leered over by a bunch of dirty old men. Her words were just a blur to Kevin as he searched frantically through the cupboards for the coffee that he'd forgot to buy.

Sally moved close in behind him and placed her hands gently on his waist. Startled he turned and looked at her.

"Don't worry about the coffee" she said reaching to kiss him gently on the lips "we can have that later." She then reached and kissed him again.

This time there would be no confusion as her moist lips opened in search of a positive response.

In spite of this very moment being scripted straight out of one of his favourite fantasies, he pulled back.

"I'm sorry" he said, holding her away. ‘I'm really sorry."

Sally quickly picked up her purse and shoes. "I'm the one, who should apologise" she said, looking embarrassed and wounded, "I'm sorry that I read us all wrong. Please forgive me?"

"There's nothing to forgive, Sally" he said reaching out the same hand that only seconds earlier had spurned her. Ignoring his gesture, she wished him a safe trip and quickly left the apartment.

‘What is your problem?' he asked himself angrily. He'd wanted to explain, but explain what? He couldn't leave things as they were, he really should clear the air. After crossing the landing he knocked on Sally's door and waited with no response.

After knocking a second time the door opened and Sally stood front of him silent and injured. He didn't say a word. Instead he reached out and kissed her on the lips. Sally pulled back confused, but he stepped forward and kissed her again. This time she responded meeting his passion with her own frenzied assault. Hot wet lusty tongues lashed wrestled and probed as fingers frantically searched, unbuckled, unclipped, clawed and pawed in search of flesh. With his pants around his ankles Kevin lifted Sally's petite frame off the ground and pushed her hard against the wall. Panting she reached for his pulsing manhood. She went wild for him. "Yes... yes...yes" she screamed. Kevin reacted, savagely groping and tearing at her panties pulling them to one side while brutishly forcing his entry. Sally gasped with delicious pain as she impaled on his searching length. Her hips begged and reached insatiably as he humped and thrust like there would be no tomorrow. She rode him stride for stride like he was a wild stallion and the longest minute was still alive as Kevin pumped his hot climax inside her. Frantically she clenched her teeth and with her arms clinging around his head she rode out every last twitch of his ejaculation.  Exhausted, sweating and gasping for air, they collapsed onto the cool timber floor, clinging so tight, that they each could feel the others heart beating.

Sally knew instantly that this was different. It was the first time in so many one night stands that it wasn't over when it was over; this time it was just the beginning. Together as if mind reading they looked at the open door. Kevin thought it strange to hear himself laugh. They looked at Kevin's pants around his ankles and they both laughed loudly. They kissed and laughed again, this time laughing at their own imagery. Kevin felt like the weight of the world had been lifted.

"What about that coffee?" she said, as her finger traced the contours of his mouth. "You have coffee?"

"Yes I have coffee."

"Maybe I shouldn't, I really need to sleep." He touched her nose with the tips of his fingers. "You have the most perfect nose" he said, "It was your nose more than anything else that attracted me to you." Their bodies were spent by now and lay somewhere detached from their minds but their faces were only a breath apart and their eyes were having the most intimate of conversations.

"Sleep with me Kevin. I need you to sleep with me tonight" Sally's words struck him. The words ‘need you' struck him. Kevin hadn't realized how much he'd ached to be needed.

He kissed her lightly "I'll have to take a shower and collect my things,' he said, pulling his jeans back up. He helped Sally to her feet and kissed her again.

"Please don't be long" she called after him.

In six hours the taxi would arrive. Kevin didn't care, he was happy for the moment. Tonight Kevin realized that there was only one step between misery and ecstasy. He would take his opportunities when they presented. Tonight when Kevin returned to lay with Sally he had become a man again. She felt good as she snuggled up behind him. "You do like me don't you Kevin;" she said, in a sleepy voice "I mean its not just sex is it?"

"I like you very much," he said turning to her.

Sally was the first to fall asleep. It would be another hour before sleep took Kevin. In that hour he had watched every detail of her as she slept. ‘Perfect' described the air as it passed over her downy upper lip. ‘Perfect' described the soft childlike snore that lifted her chest and softly put it down again. ‘Perfect' described the moment and ‘perfect' was how Kevin felt as he fell in love and fast asleep. 

Keyword: smart mines

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