Free In the Shade of the Monkey Puzzle Tree by Sara Alexi Page A

you five weeks’ money in total and I have been here five days.’
    ‘ You have paid me nothing. You are a burglar and I am going to scream and say you manhandled me unless you leave.’ The look on her face tells him that her position is set, she knows she has him over a barrel and she is not going to relent in any direction: steely, hard, cold, unfeeling, defensive. He swallows.
    There ’s no way he can win. When he was handing out the leaflets, shop owners came out asking him what he was doing and the moment they heard his village accent, they treated him as if he were stupid, or trouble, sometimes both, threatening him with the police. Now here is the poor little widow, or spinster, whatever she is, ready to scream her make-believe evil, an Athenian who owns property here. He has no chance. If she accuses him of manhandling her, the police will be forced to take her side. They can’t let a violent attacker of old ladies free to strike again. He might be taken to jail to await a court date. His eyes dart around the room, looking for something solid of which his mind can take hold. He has heard that it can take up to two years for a case to be heard. His fists start to shake.
    ‘ That’s not right.’ He feels slightly dizzy, as if the blood has run from his face, his ears buzzing.
    ‘ That’s life,’ she replies and opens her mouth as if ready to scream.
    His knuckles show white as his fists clench. He can feel his briki of anger about to overflow. The whites of his eyes grow wider. Taking shallow breaths, he tries to keep control. Stepping towards her, his hands raise. The look on her face, he wants to wipe it away, do evil to her as she is trying to do to him.
    ‘ Poutana !’ he explodes as he turns on his heel, letting out his own growling scream as he walks from her and the building. The safe thing to do is to leave, keep walking but then again, he wants to go back and take what is his from the thieving mad lady. He stomps to the end of the block, overwhelmed with the injustice of her having all his money and his things, even his found furniture, and he marches back to the house again. By the time he gets there, he has considered and realises he can do nothing. Anything he does will only make the situation worse.
    He storms off again. He goes around the block and back again with the same thoughts twice. Maybe he could go to the police so he is the one complaining about her? But that would not put the money back in his hands and what good is the furniture without a house to put it in?
    On his second turn around the block, he sees the old lady shuffling around the side of the building with a young couple. His brisk pace brings him close. As they turn the corner, they are just metres away.
    ‘ I will be charging you from when you said you would take it which was a week ago,’ the old lady says. ‘I cannot be expected to lose money because you were not ready to move.’
    ‘ Oh no, we completely understand. Thank you for keeping it for us. It is perfect,’ the man replies. Theo puts his head around the corner, where he can see the woman has stopped to look down the grating above one of the flat’s windows. The old lady struggles with the key around her neck.
    ‘ The rent has gone up since we wrote out the contract a week ago, as it has more furniture now. Two weeks in advance, and for damages.’ In her tight fist is what looks like a flyer covered with scribbled notes.
    Theo stops breathing. Lights flash before his eyes. His stomach twists into a knot. His body gasps for breath and his pulse begins to race, thumping in his chest as if it will explode. The old lady ’s lines are well rehearsed, as if she has said them a thousand times before. His eardrums might burst, the beat of his heart is so loud.
    He looks around and finds a branch that has fallen from one of the sickly trees. He grabs it and would like to run at the old woman, wield the branch in front of her face. The couple spot him and edge behind