So, the dead one in the garden? I saw a live one a little later. It didn't look dirty - it wasn't exactly grey. Kind of brown. I thought (hoped) it was a baby squirrel. It saw me through the conservatory window and ran away.
Of course there are rats. There's all that seed and suet, not to mention the cat food and the peanuts.
I hadn't seen one alive or dead since Nat next door poisoned them and there was a huge grey corpse on the patio. I got her to remove it. She'd killed it.
And I'm not too concerned about the rats really. I like rats. I had pet rats. They won't come inside. Not with the cats. My cats would probably be scared but rats don't like the smell of cat urine. Not that the house smells of cat urine. But there is cat urine... anyway....
The REAL dirty rat is the person who beat up James.
James lives on the street, I mean, literally on the street. I've known him for a few years and know his story - he was injured at work, lost the use of a leg, lost his job, couldn't pay the bills and lost his house. Shit story. A real country would have a safety net.
Anyhow, I'd not seen him for ages and I did today. He told me that at four thirty in the afternoon one Saturday in July or August he was there in front of KFC and the Romanian convenience store as usual and some guy came past. They said hello to each other - James says hello and smiles to whoever passes - and ten minutes later, the guy came back, smashed a bottle over his head and started punching and kicking him in the face. The people from KFC dragged him inside and locked the door. Called the police and ambulance.
He was in hospital over night and then went to stay with a friend. For two months, he was too scared to go out. The first time he sat in front of KFC again, he was so scared that he packed up his little rucksack and swung himself away on his crutches as fast as he could go. Did I mention he can only use one leg?
Next time, the people from KFC and the Romanian convenience store and Paul the optician and the drunks on the corner and those outside the off-license all came up to him and said they'd look out for him - not to be afraid. He could go inside if he got scared, he wasn't alone.
James says he's still scared, but he knows people care.
While I was there, one man gave him some money, a woman bought him a drink and two boys came over and handed him a bag of cookies.
Community, eh?
He says there's a place he's applying for where he might be able to get a room. And until then, a few people offer couches or spare rooms.
The guy who did it, apparently it's his hobby: violent assault. He's been in prison a few times but can't resist smashing people up when he gets back out. He doesn't pick on homeless people, no, he's ecumenical - will take on anyone.
Dirty rat.
This, on the other hand, is just a rodent.
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