Com[a]

There's always the sun

This morning, the sun is a gaping wound in the sky, sucking in the crayon blue sky like a whirlpool. And I'm trapped on the corner of our street by a gang of neighbourhood cats. They want me to buy them some fags. They have the money and a note and everything, but it doesn't seem right somehow.

Down on the highstreet, Agent Dave lights a cigarette with two lighters at the same time,
tries the doors of each car in turn, as he heads towards his own. His right arm is in a cast and when he walks, it is as if he is about to attack every person that passes him by. And as he heads for his car, he tries the door of every other car in turn. And even though it's his own car, and he has the keys at hand, as he opens the door, he glances sharply about him with a practised 'I'm really up to no good' gaze. Head down beneath the wheel,
with the keys in the ignition, toying with a non-existant set of wires. And then he...s off,
just two doors down, to park outside The Pint and Fist Fight.


Fault

I am staring down at the bands of industrial-strength pink rubber that cover the knees of my jeans, attempting to work out how long they have been like that. When I remove my jeans, I find that somehow the rubber-bands are still there, securely encasing my knee caps.


I put a spell on you

It's Friday again, and I'm staying with Even because my electricity has been cut off. Even doesn't pay for her electricity, there's something wrong with her meter, you don't have to feed it, it just keeps going. We haven't had a meter man call in decades, not that Avon would let one in anyway. I'm lying next to Even, with my hand covering the space where her pajama top has risen up, just a small oasis of naked skin.


Counter-weight

The little girl from across the hall who does my shopping is explaining to her younger brother about the new system of pullies that she has installed at the foot of the stairs. She says that it will enable them to hang even bigger dogs than before. They don't seem to have any visible form of parent.


Sweet Tooth

In T-shirt and boxers, snorkel and mask, I'm taking a bath while Even brushes her teeth.
"I beat someone up once. Just once." I tell Even. "He was picking on my brother, and he's... he's a few years younger than me see... so I found this kid,.. I was only about eight or nine I think, and I dragged him all the way across the school and flushed his head down the toilet."
"What a lovely story," Says Even through her teeth, bubbling toothpaste.
"I thought so... anyway, a couple of years ago, I'm walking home and this guy comes up to me and starts picking a fight... it's the same kid and he still remembers and he's really serious about doing me over. I was gutted! Really, really embarrased I mean, I'd seen him around a few times and he was a total thug, really stuck up, a real attitude he's got. Hadn't changed a bit. And I was just really in shock, and he starts hitting me and his punches were surprisingly soft. I ended up getting him to the ground, yelling at his to sort himself out, leave me alone, and he had this look in his eyes, something really not normal - really kind of loving and vulnerable, like he was kind of enjoying it."


Bubble and shake

The temptation to switch on the TV is too much, but it's been feeding on my time, and I've been falling asleep to its tune every night for the last week. TV is a one way street, and I'm going the wrong way. It seems, illogically, that it's easier to keep going than to try and turn around.


Springtime for Hitler

Snubbed by the younger woman he's been stalking, Dave carefully empties the remains of both of his lagers out onto the dancefloor around her feet. Those stacked, Star Trek style boots must be difficult to steer at the best of times, and it's only moments before they are slipping from beneath her, and she's hitting the floor with an impressive bass thud.


Knee Caps of Doom

I'm talking about two years ago like it was last week. That's me. The skin around my eyes is kind of silver. And that's me too.

More soon

Rollo