Part four 

Pugdeon had realised long before he was an adult that the thing about the life he knew was that the sweetest moments were easy to recognise. The memories he kept, thought Pugdeon were like the little lights he had strung around his small inner city courtyard.

At night in the place where Pugdeon lived it was dark. The neighboring buildings towered over his stout cottage and if it weren't for the sprinkling of lights one could imagine one was no where. In fact, sometimes when he wasn't feeling frightened Pugdeon did. He would stand at night and close his eyes. The city hum was muted. Subtle echos that reverberated off the high concrete walls and the tempestuous city wind that swam around Pugdeon removed him from the world. He was no~one, no~where.

When he opened his eyes however and for every time he stopped to notice, those lights, surrounded by the deep darkness were beautiful thought Pugdeon. Their glow was soothing, and they oriented him. They reminded him that he was someone, somewhere.

There were many times like that in Pugdeon's life. Moments that were comforting. Reminding him that his existence was worthwhile if only for the joy of experiencing them. When he was six Pugdeon would run through his neighbors washing hanging on the line. The feel of the cool damp on his skin and the smell of Mrs Chin's freshly washed sheets made him happy. And temporarily cool during the long summer afternoons. Those memories nourished Pugdeon's soul.