Ness looked up from peeling the potatoes. And Ness smiled –
The kettle’s just boiled, love. Would you like a cup of tea?
Oh no. No thank you, love. I’ve too much to do. Much too much to do, love. I best get a move on. Best make a start …
And Bill walked over to the sink. Bill bent down. Bill opened the cupboard under the sink. Bill took out the bucket from under the sink. The bucket and the cloths. Bill closed the cupboard doors. Bill put the bucket in the sink. Bill ran the cold tap. Bill filled the bucket. Bill carried the bucket and the cloths out of the kitchen. Down the hall, out of the house and into the drive. Bill put down the bucket on the concrete beside the car. Bill crouched down beside the bucket. Bill put the first cloth into the water in the bucket. Bill soaked the cloth in the water in the bucket. Bill took the cloth back out of the water. Bill held the cloth over the water in the bucket. Bill wrung out the cloth. Bill stood back up with the cloth in his hand. Bill turned to his car in the drive. Bill reached over the car. Bill began to wash the roof of the car. Back and forth across the roof of the car. Bill washed the dirt from the roof of the car. Back and forth, back and forth. From one side to the other. Back and forth, back and forth. From the front to the back. Bill washed the roof of the car. And then Bill crouched back down beside the bucket. Bill put the cloth back into the water in the bucket. Bill soaked the cloth in the water again. Bill wrung out the cloth again. Bill stood back up with the cloth in his hand. And Bill washed the windscreen of the car. Back and forth, back and forth. Bill washed the windscreen. And then Bill crouched back down beside the bucket. Bill put the cloth back into the water in the bucket. Bill soaked the cloth in the water again. Bill wrung out the cloth again. Bill stood back up with the cloth in his hand. And Bill washed the two windows on the near side of the car. Back and forth, back and forth. Bill washed the windows on the near side. And then Bill crouched back down beside the bucket. Bill put the cloth back into the water in the bucket. Bill soaked the cloth in the water again. Bill wrung out the cloth again. Bill stood back up with the cloth in his hand. Bill walked round to the back of the car. And Bill washed the back window of the car. Back and forth, back and forth. Bill washed the back window. And then Bill walked back round to the bucket. Bill crouched back down beside the bucket. Bill put the cloth back into the water in the bucket. Bill soaked the cloth in the water again. Bill wrung out the cloth again. Bill stood back up with the cloth in his hand. Bill walked round to the far side of the car. And Bill washed the two windows on the far side of the car. Back and forth, back and forth. Bill washed the windows on the far side. And then Bill walked back round to the bucket. Bill crouched back down beside the bucket again. Bill put the cloth back into the water in the bucket. Bill soaked the cloth in the water. Bill wrung out the cloth again. Bill put down the cloth. Bill picked up the bucket. Bill carried the bucket over to the drain. Bill tipped the dirty water down the drain. Bill carried the bucket back into the house, back down the hall and back into the kitchen. Bill put the bucket in the sink again. Bill ran the cold tap again. Bill filled the bucket again. Bill carried the bucket back out of the kitchen. Down the hall, out of the house and into the drive again. Bill put down the bucket on the concrete beside the car. Bill crouched down beside the bucket again. Bill picked up the cloth. Bill soaked the cloth in the water again. Bill wrung out the cloth again. And Bill washed the bonnet of the car. Back and forth, back and forth. Bill washed the bonnet. And then Bill crouched back down beside the bucket. Bill put the cloth back into the water in the bucket. Bill soaked the cloth in the water again. Bill wrung out the cloth again. Bill stood back up with the cloth in his hand. And Bill washed the doors on the near side of the car. Back and forth, back and forth. Bill washed the doors on the near side. And then Bill crouched back down beside the bucket. Bill put the cloth back into the water in the bucket. Bill soaked the cloth in the water again. Bill wrung out the cloth again. Bill stood back up with the cloth in his hand. Bill walked round to the back of the car again. And Bill washed the back of the car. Back and forth, back and forth. Bill washed the back of the car. And then Bill walked back round to the bucket. Bill crouched back down beside the bucket. Bill put the cloth back into the water in the bucket. Bill soaked the cloth in the water again. Bill wrung out the cloth again. Bill stood back up with the cloth in his hand. And Bill walked round to the far side of the car again. Bill washed the doors on the far side of the car. Back and forth, back and forth. Bill washed the doors on the far side. And then Bill walked back to the bucket. Bill crouched back down beside the bucket. Bill put the cloth back into the water in the bucket. Bill soaked the cloth in the water again. Bill wrung out the cloth again. Bill stood back up with the cloth in his hand. Bill walked round to the front of the car. Bill crouched down again. And Bill began to wash the grille on the front of the car. Back and forth, back and forth. Bill washed the grille. And then Bill went back to the bucket. Bill crouched back down beside the bucket. Bill put the cloth back into the water in the bucket. Bill soaked the cloth in the water again. Bill wrung out the cloth again. Bill stood back up with the cloth in his hand. And Bill went from wheel to wheel on the car. Bill washed the four hubcaps of the car. Round and round, round and round. Bill washed and wiped the four hubcaps. And then Bill walked back to the bucket. Bill crouched back down beside the bucket. Bill put the cloth back into the water in the bucket. Bill soaked the cloth in the water again. Bill wrung out the cloth again. Bill put down the cloth. Bill picked up the bucket. Bill carried the bucket over to the drain again. Bill tipped the dirty water down the drain again. Bill carried the bucket back into the house, back down the hall and back into the kitchen. Bill put the bucket in the sink again. Bill ran the cold tap again. Bill filled the bucket again. Bill carried the bucket back out of the kitchen. Down the hall, out of the house and into the drive again. Bill put down the bucket on the concrete beside the car again. Bill couched down beside the bucket again. Bill put the second cloth into the water in the bucket. Bill soaked the cloth in the water in the bucket. Bill took the cloth back out of the water. Bill held the cloth over the water in the bucket. Bill wrung out the cloth. Bill stood back up with the cloth in his hand. Bill turned to his car in the drive. Bill walked over to the front of the car. Bill crouched down by the front of the car. And Bill began to wash the lights on the front of the car. Round and round, up and down. Bill washed the lights on the front. And then Bill stood back up. Bill walked back over to the bucket. Bill crouched back down beside the bucket. Bill put the cloth back into the water in the bucket. Bill soaked the cloth in the water again. Bill wrung out the cloth again. Bill stood back up with the cloth in his hand. Bill walked round to the back of the car. Bill crouched down by the back of the car. And Bill began to wash the lights on the back of the car. Round and round, up and down. Bill washed the lights on the back. And then Bill stood back up. Bill walked back round to the bucket. Bill crouched back down beside the bucket. Bill put the cloth back into the water in the bucket. Bill soaked the cloth in the water again. Bill wrung out the cloth again. Bill stood back up with the cloth in his hand. And Bill walked over to the wing mirror on the near side of the car. Bill washed the wing mirror on the near side. And then Bill walked round to the wing mirror on the far side of the car. Bill washed the wing mirror on the far side. And then Bill walked back round to the bucket. Bill crouched back down beside the bucket. Bill put the cloth back into the water in the bucket. Bill soaked the cloth in the water again. Bill wrung out the cloth again. Bill stood back up with the cloth in his hand. And Bill walked around the car. In the sunshine, in the drive. Bill looked for any dirt he had missed, Bill searched for any spot he had missed. But in the sunshine, in the drive. The car shone, the car sparkled. And in the sunshine, in the drive. Bill looked at his watch. And then Bill picked up the bucket and the cloths. Bill walked back over to the drain. Bill poured the dirty water down the drain again. Bill went back into the house. Down the hall, into the kitchen. Bill put the bucket in the sink again. Bill rinsed out the bucket. Bill rinsed out the cloths. Bill opened the cupboard under the sink. Bill put the bucket and the cloths back in the cupboard. Bill closed the cupboard again. Bill stood up. And Bill saw Ness –