Handof Friendship

StorybyMarkLaminng

It’sreallyoddwhen youthink you know thepersonwholivesnext door to youandthensomething likethishappens.

I’dbeengoodfriendswithJohn foratleasttwenty years,butlast summer Istoppedhavingany contactafter adisagreement.

I’dlenthim my supersharpsaw andhehungontoitforagesand eventuallyIpluckedupcourage to ask foritback.

Andthen, ayearlateroutoftheblue heappeared at my doorandactedasif nothinghadpreviouslyoccurred.

John’s next statementleftmeangry and confused.Hewavedhisfinger at meand said,‘Youknowthatsaw Ilentyoulast year Martin,can Ihaveitback?’

Iwasenragedasit wasmysaw,andI thinkif Ilookedhardenough Icouldeven laymyhandsonthe receipt.

‘But youdidn’tlendit to meJohn;it was theother wayround.Whatcolouristhe handleon yoursaw?

‘Red.’

Isighedandthoughts racedaround my mind,‘Oh,God,this wasgoing to be difficultas my oneisred.Hereallythinks it’s his.’

Idon’t know whatcame overme,but ratherthanbe involvedin anotherargument, Igaveinand pretendedthe toool wasindeedhis.

When Iretrieved d the sawfromthegarrage, John’s eyeslitupp, ‘That’stheone.NNow if youeverwantto o borrow it, justletme know,onlydon’t keepitso longnext time.’As Iwasshowinghim outhesaid,‘Youdon’t have achisel Ican borrow?’Ignoringhis request Iasked, ‘WhatDIY areyoudoing?’To my amazementhereplied,‘An ark, what else would Ibebuildingwiththefloodsonthe way? Theend of theworldisalmostwithus; it’s beeninallthepapers.Youneed to get amoveonand buildaboatoryou’llbe washed away.’

Ithoughttomyself,‘Oh,nothimaswell. Irecalledthe recent newswhen anumberofprominentscientistsclaimedthe massivelyshrinkingicecap wasmelting away at analarming rate.Wewerepaying theultimate priceforignoringthethreat ofglobal warmingandnowthefloods were going to coverthe Earth. Panic was buildingasnewsbroke that aleaked documentfromDowning Streetstated thatthe threatwas at thehighestalert. Twoweeks wasall it wouldtake forrising seas to reachtheUK.Iwasfirminmy mindthatthiswasn’t going to happen, butJohn wasthefirstperson to tellme he wasbuildinganark. Next he’d sayhe’d changedhisname to Noah;theman was o off his head.

The next morning Ilookedoutof my front window to seeanenormouslorry blocking the street. Hugeamountsof timberwerebeingunloaded ontoJohn’slarge front garden.LateronIheard the soundofsawingand hammeringand went out to seeJohnbeavering away onsomelengthsof wood. He was securing themwithlong nails and joining thelengthsinto ashape that resembled a boat’shull. I joked, ‘Is this yourark?

Whereare theanimals?’ ‘VeryfunnyMartin. I’msaving myselfand othersfromthefloods.’

Ilaughed,‘Therewillbenofloods,no need foranark.Anyway, areyougoing to getitfinished by Fridayweek?’ ‘Johnnoddedhishead,‘I’llbe ready;more than Icansayfor you.’

Ibegan to worrythatthere mightbe sometruthinthestories.The governmenthadenforcedamedia blackout,soI wasnow getting really scared.Fridaywassupposed to bethe endofthe world, buthowcouldtheybe sure? Whynot WednesdayorThursday?

Withnonews, broadbandormobile signals,itwasobviousthe countrywasin meltdown. We hadnoideaifthe waters were alreadywipingoutother countries.Peopleinour town were leaving theirhomespossibly to seekouthigher ground.

Iwonderedif I’ddonethe rightthing stayingput.ThentomyhorrorI heardan almighty roaringsound.I rushed to the kitchenwindowand wasshocked to see my frontgarden wasawashanditlooked likethe waterwas rising at anincredible rate.

Ihad to getupstairs.Horriblethoughtsof peoplebeing washed away spunthrough my head.Whatafool I’dbeenignoring the warnings.

Then my eyes were drawntoa boatthat hadbecome wedgedagainstthe wallof thehouseopposite. It washellishlyfullof peoplepackedontheupperdeck.Itwas raininghardbut Icouldsee my neighbourJohnwho waswavingmadly at me.‘Martin,youshouldhave borrowed my sawandbuilt aboat.’

My heartsankwhen Isaw hisarkturnto leave theareatosail towardssomeother houses to rescuemorepeople.Why hadI beensosarcasticandunbelieving?John wasleavingme to fend formyself.The water wasalmostashighasmyfirstfloor. Imoved away fromthewindowandsank heavilydowninto anarmchair.Ithought abouttrying to getonto theroofofthe house.Possibly Iwouldhave abetter chanceupthere. Then Iheardanimmensecrashingsound to thefront of my house.Iran to the windowand to my surprisetherewasthe arkandJohnencouragingme to climb aboardsaying, ‘Youdidn’t think I’dgowithout you, did you?’

As Istood onthe wetdeck Iwas relieved to seemanyofthepeopleinourareahad beensaved. John’s handoffriendship wassomething Iwould remember forthe restof my life.

John wasdefinitelythe kindestmanin townandhehad certainly reinvented theark.

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