I‘d been clearing the attic all week, getting ready for what I was desperately hoping would be my last house move. You fell out of an old book I thought I’d lost, wearing nothing but a pair of maroon swimming trunks.
Your long legs white, skinny as draw threads, with puny muscles like knots in cotton and a grin to charm the birds from the trees. Straight black hair hung over your dark lashed left eye leaving the right one to twinkle alone into the lens of the camera that loved you, despite your obvious shortcomings.
I started to cry. Memories I thought long dead came rushing back. In retrospect I feel foolish now, the thought of my standing there in that dusty attic alone, with tears dripping off my chin, pictures of the long lost past tumbling one over the other, unasked for, unwanted yet somehow inevitable.
You looked the typical sixties rebel, hair collar length, blue stubble pointed chin. A Lawrence Harvey look alike if ever there was one, quite a dish in fact.
You knew it too, girls just adored you. It was like being married to a film star sometimes.
You never worried about having sand kicked in your face, that sort of behaviour had gone out with Victor Mature et al. The hungry look was in with the emerging Beatles and the late still great Buddy Holly. The Liverpool revolution had saved you. You were fashionable, in the swim; lean mean and hungry the world at your feet.
For some reason you had chosen me to share it with you. I was happy then, content in the perceived knowledge that you would make a great daddy, a wonderful husband; that our love was enduring and would survive anything. How naïve I was then.
Looking at the picture now through a blur of tears a rogue thought struck me, I had always been a Robert Stack fan! Why couldn't I have met someone who had looked like him? I never could stand Lawrence bloody Harvey!
I wondered vaguely what Freud would have made of that.
Comments
insertponceyfre... | November 22, 2010 - 15:18
I love this Bradene - beautifully written. Fatboy has a poem somewhere on here along the same lines, I forget what it's called now, but I think you'd enjoy it
Bradene | November 22, 2010 - 15:35
Thanks so much I was beginning to think I had bombed out with my two flashes today(-; I just went to have a look at Fatboys work I read a few, but will read more later, when my day is a little quieter. Thanks again for commenting. Val
threeleafshamrock | November 22, 2010 - 18:01
Pure enjoyment, pure quality; this is what I have been missing during my 'sabbatical'. Wonderful work Val (as always). I feel my writers' hunger stir again.
Thanks
Chris ;)
Bradene | November 22, 2010 - 18:27
Well I've just returned too after a long time away from ABCtales, I've been doing bits and pieces on UKA but I'm never really sure about my work these days. I think it does happen to everyone at some stage but then there comes a time when you have to decide and be hard on yourself and overcome your doubts and insecurities. I'm just hoping I'm over the worsed. I'm glad you thought this was good enough to comment favourably on. Nice to hear from you again Chris and do keep on writing. Valx
SundaysChild | November 22, 2010 - 19:17
This is beautifully written- keep it up x
Bradene | November 22, 2010 - 19:56
Thanks for the confidence boost I will certainly try. Valx
Silver Spun Sand | November 23, 2010 - 16:41
A joy to read, Val and hey, it does us all good to stand back from ourselves from time to time. That old saying about not being able to see the wood for the trees, certainly rings true, for me at least.
An inspiring and thought-provoking read.
Tina x
barryj1 | November 23, 2010 - 19:30
This brought back fond memories of the psychedelic sixties - in six months I'll be applying for social security. A beautiful piece of writing not just in terms of the fluid and stylish prose but the fact that you told a first-rate story. W. S. Maugham insisted writers create good tales and entertain in addition to writing well, and you succeeded admirally on both counts!
maggyvaneijk | November 24, 2010 - 08:54
I love the sense of history to this piece, beautifully written like the others have said!
Bradene | November 24, 2010 - 10:29
Thanks for that Tina, glad you enjoyed the read. Valx
Bradene | November 24, 2010 - 10:32
Thanks Barry, they do say if you can remember the sixties, you weren't there. Well I remember them, but as I say in my story I was Naive back then (-; Thanks for the great comment. Valx
Bradene | November 24, 2010 - 10:35
Thanks Maggy, well I'm a bit of a relic myself, so it's quite easy for me to write about such things (-; thanks for your lovely comment. Valx