Neighbour · The man everybody depends on

Darren “Daz” Cole

Everybody calls Daz. He always says “I’m alright.” Behind the door, it’s bills, money, sleep and pressure.

Age: 36
Background: Black-British, South London
Voice: Funny, warm, quick with a joke, and the joke usually arrives just before anything honest can.

I got so good at saying I’m alright… I forgot what alright actually felt like.

Who he is

Darren Cole is proud, loyal, reliable, stubborn, funny, hard-working and protective. Boiler gone? Call Daz. Lift at four in the morning? Call Daz. Locked out? Daz has a spare. He’s the person the whole estate leans on.

What he shows people

A grin, a joke and two words: “I’m alright.” Humour is how Daz hides the pressure. Jokes are like a coat he puts on before going back outside.

What he carries

Behind his front door: bills, money worries, sleep that never quite lands, and a tiredness he’s never said out loud. He’s quietly overwhelmed, and he’s afraid that if he stops holding everything up, even once, it will all come down.

What he’s learning

That the strongest thing a strong person can say is “I need help.” In Twelve Missed Calls, Daz switches his phone off for one evening, the first time in years. By the morning, people have been checking on him. Then he sends Marcus a text he’s never sent anyone: Can’t do it on my own.