SunnyNose

I was asleep. Until 2 am, when there was a bang – explosion – accompanied by the sound of falling stuff, metal, rock, more. I almost jumped clean out of bed – difficult with my mobility problems. I was convinced, convinced, it was my heating boiler exploding. Flung open the window shutter, half expecting to see a column of flame and smoke engulfing my garden. But – nothing aside from the sound of a million dogs barking. WTF? Sticking my head out into the chilly night air I can see where the noise came from – and there is a man dressed in black clambering over a pile of broken concrete and steel where once stood our slightly scruffy but perfectly usable Multibank ATM. A shout, he looks up, jumps down, legs it. Sound of a car door slamming, engine revving, a tyre squeal and they are off. I just caught sight of the rear end of an Audi, and it is over.

You know I have CCTV. But the ATM is not covered by any camera. All I have is a blurry-cam video of a car whizzing past my house, just before the dastardly deed was done. The police arrive next morning, and take copies of the footage. Apparently there were two ATMs done in one night, using gas bottles as the explosive.

Now, a day later, the space where once stood the link of civilisation between Curvos and the modern world, is empty. The wall has been repaired, the rubbish removed, and a new gate installed in the car park. No idea why a new gate – it is 1 meter tall, not exactly a deterrent for anything other than the lame dogs that wander the night streets. Our village will never be the same. You can almost hear the women in black wailing their sorrows.

Who said life is a village is dull? Two years – one house fire and one loud larceny. Exciting enough for me!