Cherrypicked stories

Back in the time when my world had unravelled and my life spun away, I was taken to a building, all battleship grey and electric lights, to be fixed up, measured, watcheded and labelled. And in there was Ralph: unapproachable Ralph, the Mad Maori, furious angry and dangerous. He was tough guy big, a natural born lump, they came in mob-handed when Ralph fetched up, kept him by the security door and braced themselves for violence. He could scare people shitless with just a look, pin them to the spot with his energy, but when he rolled up on the wrong side of the door he looked over his new domain and just smiled at his keepers. He dwarfed them all.

Like I said, I've never been in hospital, not properly. There are certain standard jokes to be found in films like "Carry on Doctor or any hospital scene that will always guarantee a laugh. I'm about to go through a classic comedy moment here, I thought to myself as the pretty young doctor tugged, bravely at my jeans to expose my shamefully unwashed buttocks.

Holy fuck! What a week. I'm just getting settled back into scum city when the other day ex-girl friend was waiting outside my block of flats.

The sun shone down over the fresh dew settled on the beautiful autumn leaves. The light gently accentuated every piece of rotting waste, strewn across the street, carelessly left by those with no pride for where they live.

It was that fateful afternoon that the exclusively black cat named - 'Puddy' as a ridiculous nametag betrayed, made its entrance into my life. Cuddly moniker aside the beast had an almost ethereal presence. With its fierce emerald eyes resonating eerie intensity and black outline of exquisite proportions, it was certainly 'otherworldly.' It is said that the ancient Egyptians ascribed to the cat a god like status and 'Puddy' with his sleek graces and his regal manifestation was the living illustration that this was not misplaced.

Regret. People say they have no regrets. I think they are in denial. How do you learn if you have no regrets? How do you change? How do you get it right the next time? How do you progress? How do you get happy? If you have no regrets, you've just stopped feeling your feelings, you've stopped aiming, stopped trying, you're avoiding.

It's Gardener's birthday.

********

She held her hands out like forgiveness for all the sinew and pavement I mounted like a playground, she offered me socks and sleep her eyes gummed shut like my tin of vaseline.