We met by Dunn& Co
the hat people
on the corner
of the New Kent Road

Helen had a faded green dress on
and was carrying her doll
Battered Betty in one arm
her thick lens glasses
were smeary
her brown hair plaited

what are you going to show me?
she asked

have you seen
the pie and eel shop
up the road there?

no don't think so

well this guy stands inside
the shop by the window
and he takes an eel
and cuts its head off
then slits it open
then scraps out its guts
then cuts it up
into pieces ready
to be cooked for pies
I said

she pulled a face
is that
what you wanted
to show me?

yes it's very interesting
and helps you see
how it goes
and is kind
of a biology lesson
without the crabby
old teacher moaning on
I said

Helen was not impressed
I’ll be sick if I see that
he really cuts its head off?

sure he does
and quick and clean
no messing around
and scraps it
into a bin by his feet

Helen held her doll
closer to her chest
and slits it open?

yes he's a quick worker
one slit and all the guts
are scrapped out

enough already
she said

she put a small hand
to her mouth
I hate eels
I hate eel pie
she said
between her fingers
her doll leaned over her arm
its arms hanging loose

so do I
but it's interesting
to see these things

not to me it isn't
she said

ok let's go elsewhere
I said

where?

we could go to The Cut
and look at the market stalls
and maybe get a drink of pop
and an ice cream

she looked down
at her scuffed shoes
I’ve only got 3d
she said

I’ve got 2/-
that'll be enough
I said

she looked at me
through her glasses
her eyes like marbles
ok but we must make sure
Betty gets a drink too
she said

sure
I said
she can share mine

so we set off
from Dunn& Co
at a steady pace

Betty looked unimpressed
bouncing along
in Helen’s arms
one eye hanging loose
her blonde mattered hair

and I listened
while Helen
talked and talked
all the way there.