Eyes gazed out the window, “It hasn’t stopped raining since I got here” I tell him.
“Well, I’d like to blame you miss for all this lovely weather, but I’m afraid this is as good as it gets in England” Tony smirks.
“I like this picture” I direct his gaze upon a framed picture on his wall…the only picture he has hanging up in his small barely furnished studio apartment. It’s a picture of him with another person I do not recognize. A young, roguishly handsome Tony, dressed in an expensive dark suit with slicked back hair. He is standing amidst a stage of some sort with painted backdrop and thick maroon curtains draped either side. Tony is staring coyly at his partner in the photograph, arms outstretched, brimming a smile ear to ear.
“I was in the stage production of Chicago” He chuckles boastfully.
“I'm fond of this picture because it shows that…if you smile enough…” he lowers his voice to nothing more than a dulcet whisper, lowering his head closer to my ear “…no one's going to notice that you don’t know what the hell you’re doing” I turn to face him, in surprised by what he had just revealed. This was a man that, during his peek was revered for his talent, wit and charisma.
I laugh…a giddy childish sort of laugh. I’m reminded of why it was that I had admired him so. I’ll admit that I didn’t whole-heartedly expect him to still have “it”. He turned away and wondered aimlessly around his bare apartment “Ahh…yes!” he retrieves a chair and places it near the foot of his bed. He motions for me to take a seat…“Please”. He sits himself on his own bed. He had an unmistakably English charm about him, polite and well spoken. I sat on the rickety old wooden chair and the floorboards creaked under my weight.
“I’m sorry about the furnishings, or lack thereof…I’m not one for clutter” I nod as I take another look at his surroundings. It was unbelievably bare, but he kept it quite neat. The books that were sitting on his mantle were all arranged smallest to largest and his shoes were each aligned perfectly one next to the other by the door.
“You live here by yourself?” I ask.
“Ahh… Yes, I live here on my lonesome. Have been for nearly 20 years now. Right next to the Thames and all… there’s just something about waking up to the dense smog and rain, the smell of rotting sewage in the morning, it just can’t be beat” I laugh politely at his response and he grins contently at me.
“What about you? Tell me about yourself miss Adams…I hardly know anything about you, but here I am inviting a total stranger into my home. Albeit, a very beautiful, leggy stranger…but a stranger nonetheless” He spoke rather nervously and fast, mumbling some of it under his breath.
“I can’t imagine that I could scare a man such as yourself, Mr. Derwitt”
“Please, call my Tony… and you have no idea just how much, after all you are of the femaleular variety…” he leans in closer to me and whispers “…I hear they have fangs”
“No…” I laugh “…just claws” he takes a moment before realizing I had made a joke. He let out an admirable chuckle.
Sunday, April 10, 2011
Rain - Jow Bates
23:47PM
Godot pulled the folds of his jacket into each other, hugging himself tight against the rain. Torrents of aqua streamed between Godot's fringe and down his face as he curled his neck deep into his chest to keep his vision from blurring. He hurried along the darkened backstreets of Akihabara to stand for a moment beneath the relatively dry shelter of the intercity railway tracks. The drone of the constant rainfall continued around him as Godot released himself from the cocoon of his jacket and began searching through the sodden cavities of his belongings for something to smoke.
The neon lighting from Akihabara's late night displays bled into the pluvious grounds of the city, shimmering as constant downpour distorted their reflected image. Towards the main strip a river of umbrellas fluctuated in and out of pachinko parlours and resteraunts, as people hurried between drier places to be.
The flint failed on Godot's lighter and he spat the damp cigarette from his mouth into a recycling bin marked for PET bottles only, he returned the ineffective lighter to an inside pocket of his black coat and leaned up against the nearest wall. The sound of a passing JR line train shook through the white noise of the rain and caused him to turn his gaze upwards to the rust imbued water that dripped between the tracks over head. Godot felt numb, having no money in Japan was debilitating. He wandered out from the shelter of the railway and ambled on down the darkened streets.
03:34AM
Godot swept his feet
Dampened spirits flew to meet
His aqueous dream
05:22AM
Godot let himself in quietly, the house was dark save for the dim glow of a microwave clock emanating from the kitchen. He carefully removed his damp does and sodden jacket before stepping anxiously into the corridor. She was asleep.
Rain - Pumpkin Sheepshanks
"Hot and sunny, thats all it is every day, hot and sunny" Bill Hicks' quote about the weather played on Ivan's mind. Sat in his five year old Mercedes, he listened to the pitter patter and wished he could enjoy the L.A sunshine like all the other lizards. Instead he waited patiently for his fare to emerge, grateful for technology that bombards the customer with a thousand texts stating the cab's outside and saves the cab driver from engaging in some much needed exercise. Half his life was just waiting, or so it felt. "How could life be so passive?" he asked aloud. he pondered this and came up with the same conclusion his been told a million times before; life is what you make it.
"Sorry I kept you waiting" Said the fare as she shut the back door behind her.
"No problem, town centre yeah?" Ivan replied upbeat, despite the sound of rain slowly crushiong his soul.
"What a miserable day" Said the fare, so unimaginative to talk about the weather so soon, "and it's supposed to be spring"
"drip drip drop little april showers" Ivan came out with almost in song, swerving to avoid a cyclist he saw at the last minute. "There's hope in rain" he said, quoting an episode of fringe he watched the night before.
"I would much prefer hot and sunny every day" offered the fare. Ivan glanced at her in the rear view mirror. In her mid twenties, she wasn't the conventional picture of prettynes but sexy all the same. Looking out of the window at the children on their way to school, the fare thought how life might of been different if her parents didn't force her to have an abortion at 15. Looking at the parent's walking with their children in the rain, she reflected it might not of been a bad thing.
"your not a lizard are you" Ivan asked whilst staring intently int he rear view mirror.
The fare laughed, "Yes, but don't tell anyone, we have to keep the reptillian conspiracy secret."
Ivan laughed, if the girl was a reptilian shapeshifter, she would surely be better looking and not on her way to work in a call centre.
"Did you know, it never rained on russia's parade day, if there were clouds in the sky they would spray a chemical on the water vapours so they fall to the ground before having a chance to form rainclouds." Ivan announced like an educational video.
"I was hearing on the news how rainfall in glasgow had nuclear radiation from the fukishima blast, thats quite scary." said the fare.
"As if Glaswegians didn't have it bad enough already" Ivan scoffed, never a fan of the Scottish, poor tippers in his experience. "Did you want picking up same time tomorrow?" asked Ivan, looking forward to being in the same enclosed space for five minutes again the next day.
"Today's my last day, Im going travelling for six months" replied the fare, beaming with joy.
"Travelling? bit too old for that aren't you?" inquired Ivan, suprised.
"pah, im 19, having to work in a call centre for the last 6 months has aged me it seems" said the amused fare.
"Bet you'll be glad to be leaving" Said Ivan, jealous of the lifestyle his fare was about to embark in. Despite spending his worlking life in transit, it was never anywhere he wanted to go. He had been picking up this fare for the last months and sad as it was, it was a highlight of his day. He felt in love with her since he saw her, but afraid to lose a much needed regular fare, never made a move. The girl smiled at the rhetorical question and Ivan decided he needed to do something drastic in this moment before the opportunity passed.
"Can i come with you" asked Ivan "Thats if your not travelling with other people already, its just i've always wanted to travel, but ive been too content watching life go past to actually do anything that i've wanted. i know im just your taxi driver, but im a nice guy, and travelling is cheaper with other people to help share the costs."
"I wasn't expecting that, as i say im leaving tomorow, I bought my tickets month ago im not going with anyone, i was looking forward to travelling by myself" The fare burst out with what sounded like objections, but stopping to think for a moment decided not to upset the cabbie, she saw something in him she couldn't pin down, "Sure, bring your credit card and get a ticket at the airport, my flight leaves at 10am"
"Really, im sorry to randomly ask to leech on like that, but, if you don't ask you don't get." beamed Ivan, suprised his cheeky question got accepted, "anyway, here we are, enjoy your last day at work. this is my mobile number, im going to go home and pack now, six month's you say were travelling for?"
"That's how much i've budgeted for, what about your home, your job, everything like that?" Asked the fare, not sure if the cabbie knew her name as she didn't know his.
"I'll get it sorted, ring me later and let me know the schedule" Replied Ivan.
"this is mad, but ok. ill call you later." The fare took the business card and tried to gove ivan his money. He just shook his head and smiled
"speak to you later" said Ivan, "are you going to hot or cold countries, just so i know what to pack"
"Hot, good luck getting everything sorted" said the fare. Ivan continued his smile, gave a little wave and began to pull away. Looking at the fare in the rear view mirror as she enetered her work building Ivan drove off in the rain, hearing it as a soundtrack to his overwhelming joy.
"Sorry I kept you waiting" Said the fare as she shut the back door behind her.
"No problem, town centre yeah?" Ivan replied upbeat, despite the sound of rain slowly crushiong his soul.
"What a miserable day" Said the fare, so unimaginative to talk about the weather so soon, "and it's supposed to be spring"
"drip drip drop little april showers" Ivan came out with almost in song, swerving to avoid a cyclist he saw at the last minute. "There's hope in rain" he said, quoting an episode of fringe he watched the night before.
"I would much prefer hot and sunny every day" offered the fare. Ivan glanced at her in the rear view mirror. In her mid twenties, she wasn't the conventional picture of prettynes but sexy all the same. Looking out of the window at the children on their way to school, the fare thought how life might of been different if her parents didn't force her to have an abortion at 15. Looking at the parent's walking with their children in the rain, she reflected it might not of been a bad thing.
"your not a lizard are you" Ivan asked whilst staring intently int he rear view mirror.
The fare laughed, "Yes, but don't tell anyone, we have to keep the reptillian conspiracy secret."
Ivan laughed, if the girl was a reptilian shapeshifter, she would surely be better looking and not on her way to work in a call centre.
"Did you know, it never rained on russia's parade day, if there were clouds in the sky they would spray a chemical on the water vapours so they fall to the ground before having a chance to form rainclouds." Ivan announced like an educational video.
"I was hearing on the news how rainfall in glasgow had nuclear radiation from the fukishima blast, thats quite scary." said the fare.
"As if Glaswegians didn't have it bad enough already" Ivan scoffed, never a fan of the Scottish, poor tippers in his experience. "Did you want picking up same time tomorrow?" asked Ivan, looking forward to being in the same enclosed space for five minutes again the next day.
"Today's my last day, Im going travelling for six months" replied the fare, beaming with joy.
"Travelling? bit too old for that aren't you?" inquired Ivan, suprised.
"pah, im 19, having to work in a call centre for the last 6 months has aged me it seems" said the amused fare.
"Bet you'll be glad to be leaving" Said Ivan, jealous of the lifestyle his fare was about to embark in. Despite spending his worlking life in transit, it was never anywhere he wanted to go. He had been picking up this fare for the last months and sad as it was, it was a highlight of his day. He felt in love with her since he saw her, but afraid to lose a much needed regular fare, never made a move. The girl smiled at the rhetorical question and Ivan decided he needed to do something drastic in this moment before the opportunity passed.
"Can i come with you" asked Ivan "Thats if your not travelling with other people already, its just i've always wanted to travel, but ive been too content watching life go past to actually do anything that i've wanted. i know im just your taxi driver, but im a nice guy, and travelling is cheaper with other people to help share the costs."
"I wasn't expecting that, as i say im leaving tomorow, I bought my tickets month ago im not going with anyone, i was looking forward to travelling by myself" The fare burst out with what sounded like objections, but stopping to think for a moment decided not to upset the cabbie, she saw something in him she couldn't pin down, "Sure, bring your credit card and get a ticket at the airport, my flight leaves at 10am"
"Really, im sorry to randomly ask to leech on like that, but, if you don't ask you don't get." beamed Ivan, suprised his cheeky question got accepted, "anyway, here we are, enjoy your last day at work. this is my mobile number, im going to go home and pack now, six month's you say were travelling for?"
"That's how much i've budgeted for, what about your home, your job, everything like that?" Asked the fare, not sure if the cabbie knew her name as she didn't know his.
"I'll get it sorted, ring me later and let me know the schedule" Replied Ivan.
"this is mad, but ok. ill call you later." The fare took the business card and tried to gove ivan his money. He just shook his head and smiled
"speak to you later" said Ivan, "are you going to hot or cold countries, just so i know what to pack"
"Hot, good luck getting everything sorted" said the fare. Ivan continued his smile, gave a little wave and began to pull away. Looking at the fare in the rear view mirror as she enetered her work building Ivan drove off in the rain, hearing it as a soundtrack to his overwhelming joy.
Rain - Liam Partridge
Sat in a castle, at the peak of a mountain, overlooking the forest surrounding - with a hot brew of herbal tea - our character sits and watches the sky fall and clouds fight one another, casting blows of thunderous impact, striking down from the sky displaying their might. He notices the animals take shelter under rocks and in what would be the shadows, trying to save themselves from the conflict above. Rightly so too, the hail begins to fall heavily... taking skin and fur with it as it falls like tears from the furious forces battling above. Our character however, does nothing. Entranced by the patterns of the raindrops and hailstones falling, he notes algorithms - listening to each individual rain drop and reading it like he was a machine reading binary code.Without moving his head or opening his eyes, the pen held loosely in his hand courses a series of illegible hieroglyphs on the page, up and down, side to side. Scribbling pages and pages of these unreadable notes, our character without hesitation only breaking his noting to sup his now cold tea. As the rain subsides, so does the note taking. The skies calm, as if they were at a point of resolve in solving their differences, unleashing a few more blows before they finish and then calm. Almost immediately, the sun breaks through the clouds (like it has just banged their heads together) and starts to clear up the mess left by the brawl. Animals emerge from their shelters and birds singing become audible again. It is at this point, that our character opens his eyes and regains consciousness, getting a fresh whiff of the damp and sunshine outside to snap him back to reality - his tea now lined with a 1cm film on the top from the period left untouched. He looks at his stack of notes and reviews his scribbles, arranging the sheets like a jigsaw and a collage - each fitting together on one or two sides to form a huge abstract picture. Less abstract than the original hieroglyphs previously would have suggested. On piecing the last sheet in the frame, our character holds this collage of papers up to the window and lets the sunlight shine through it onto the slightly wet stone floor and wall. What we see is nothing special, but what we sense is unreal. A dimension of the room that had previously been invisible, had now come to vision. Like the rain holds the power adds a dimension to our flat reality, expanding space and mind - if you can read and interpret the messages correctly. At this point our character takes two steps diagonally forward and to the left and disappears into the ether. There is no sight or sound of him thereafter, no remains or any physical information - just a resonance, that can be felt every time it rains.
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