Please note that I am a British female, and I write in British English and vernacular
It was cold outside, and I mean cold. The canal was frozen, the heron sat forlornly on the towpath unable to get at his breakfast which was swimming below the ice. Inside my canal boat, DunModdelin, it was warm, my Webasto was pumping out the heat, albeit at the cost of some diesel. Luckily I had filled my diesel tanks at the service point a few days ago before the cold snap arrived. I was only wearing knickers and a top, I was warm.
I was on the Huddersfield Narrow canal and had planned a trip through the Standedge Tunnel at the end of the week, but if the ice didn't melt soon I would be going nowhere. DunModdelin had enough power to cut through the ice, but that would be at risk to my blacking. The blacking is the protection on the hull of my boat from rust, and the ice would scrape it off if I were to try and power through it. It was bad enough where the boat rocked in the water and the ice broke up at the water line, but that couldn't be helped. Purposefully moving through the water could be avoided, and so I did.
There were a few of us boats moored here on the towpath a few miles from Standedge, but I didn't plan on socialising, I wanted to keep the heat in the boat, and opening the Transom hatch would just let the heat out. If someone came calling then that would be a different matter, but I expected that the other boaters would be of a similar mind to me, keep the heat in and the cold out.
I decided I would clean out the galley cupboards. I would empty them and disinfect and clean them, why not, it needed doing every now and again. There is so little room on a narrow boat that there are rarely unused or unneeded items in the cupboards, but still, dust and grime can build up. I got a cushion and put it on the floor in front of the first cupboard as something to kneel on, saves my knees from the hard boat floor. I started taking everything out of the cupboard and putting it on the floor next to me.
When the top shelf was empty I sprayed disinfectant cleaner and gave the whole cupboard a good wipe over. Everything was wiped before being put back, and I was pleased that I had known everything that was in the cupboard. No surprises for me.
"Yoohoo." Oh, someone was calling. I recognised that it was Arthur from Moonflower a couple of boats down on the towpath.
I grabbed my robe and wrapped it around me and opened the hatch, "quick, don't let the heat out," I called to him.
He appeared and quickly came down the steps and shut the hatch behind him.
"Crumbs Amelia, it is toastie in here," he said as he stood and gathered his breath.
He was wearing a duffel coat which he had wrapped tightly around him, presumably to keep warm outside.
"Well yes, Arthur, I have my heating on, and don't open the hatches unless I have to. With the canal frozen I am not going anywhere."
"Ah wise, I heard that the Canal Trust are going to run down the canal and break the ice, stop it getting too thick."
"Ah yes, good, but I think I will let the ice melt a bit before I move on to Standedge."
"Indeed, me too. I need to get diesel anyway before I move, I am low in my tank."
So he probably doesn't have his heating on I decided, so he wants to come and enjoy my heat.
"Cup of tea?" I asked.
"Please, mind if I take my coat off?"
"No not at all."
I filled the kettle sufficient for two mugs of tea and put it on the gas. I had topped my water, emptied my waste and filled my diesel at the service point. My Gas bottle was still half full, so that was fine. I had a half size emergency gas bottle in the bow locker I could use, but I really only wanted to keep it for emergencies. If I never used it, I would always know it was there if I needed it. Once I got into the habit of using it, then I would never know for sure if it was full or not when I changed the main bottle.
Arthur was wearing joggers and a polo top under his coat. He laid his coat on the steps by the transom, I mentally shuddered, it was just so untidy and manlike. You could keep a place tidy, or you could keep a man, my mother had always said, but never both. I suspected all along that she was right. When I was married my house was never tidy, always something left lying about, it was irritating to say the least, but now I am divorced and my half of the settlement bought me my boat, my income from investments I had made when I was modelling and had kept secret from everyone, were now my main source of income, and it was enough, as long as I wasn't extravagant.
I used to be a model, oh, many years ago before my boobs went south, and I modelled under a different name, now people might recognise me, but they would not be able to associate the name I used now, which is the one I was born with, with my face. Everything now was just a little older, a little fuller, a little softer. These days I supplemented my income with a little freelance work for the government. It paid well, was legal, and kept my brain active, and my home doubled as my office. It worked for me.
I made the teas and passed one to Arthur and took the other for myself, cradling the mug in my hands before the tea was cool enough to drink. I went and sat on the sofa, Arthur sat next to me.
"It is fair parky out there Amelia," he said, "and it doesn't look like warming up anytime soon."
"No, well, I have WiFi here, so, really no need to move. I want to get through Standedge and along to the Llangollen and across the Pontcysyllte Aqueduct. I haven't done it yet."
"I am rubbish with heights, not sure I could cross it."
"I know what you mean, I am not brilliant, but, well, it is a right of passage thing, I have to do it. Hopefully the Chirk Aqueduct before it will be enough of a foretaste of what is to come."
"I doubt I could even do that." He shivered as if at the thought of it.
"Thing is Arthur we live on a canal, Aqueducts are a thing, we have to use them."
"Yes, but there are aqueducts and then there is the Pontcysyllte which is just ridiculous. I can, and shall, avoid it."
"Fair enough. I knew a girl on another boat who hates tunnels and would never do Standedge. And I knew another who hated locks. She absolutely refused to do Bingley five rise. Just wouldn't. The sound of the rushing water scared the hell out of her."
I finished my tea, and saw that Arthur had finished his. I stood up, "well, I must get on," I said as I reached for Arthur's mug.
"Don't let me stop you," Arthur said showing no signs of moving.
"Ah, but you will, I can't work with you here," I said, "Government stuff."
"Right," he said standing, and turning to me he put his arms around me.
I was surprised and did not respond. Arthur squeezed tighter and pressed his lips against mine.
"No Arthur," I managed trying to pull away, his hand was inside my robe cupping my left boob.
I managed to pull back, "no Arthur, stop it."
His hand pushed down from my breast to my crotch, his finger pressing my knickers into my sex.
"Fuck off Arthur," I said loudly, almost shouting.
He pulled away and looked a little sheepish, "sorry" he said and turned to leave.
"Stupid arse," I said to the hatch.
