Friday, February 25, 2011

3) Blood and Linoleum.




These stories, that have been available on Blogspot for 10 years for free, will now only be available on Amazon at the address above. They are contained in “Vagabon Freak”, the 1st volume of a trilogy titled “The 7 Lives of the Punk Poofy Cats”. I have been the archetypal starving artist in his garret, painting, drawing and writing, writing, writing as if I were some waif crying out in the wilderness. Now I need you, dear reader, to hear my cries and go to Amazon and buy a copy of my book and keep me alive. There you will find my complete tale, from beginning to end, in one place, for you to hold in your hot little hands. When you read it straight through, I assure you, it will blow your mind.
Below are introductory paragraphs and some pictures that I still retain to illustrate those stories, hopefully to give you a come-on to get my book. Thanks for giving me a go, TZ.




Arthur tried to block out his parents’ whining voices, thinking of other families, their care-free strolling and sunny smiles in their crisp white shirts and stylish skirts, the children blond and perfect. He wondered what was wrong with him that he deserved only these grumbling fuckwits swinging like a pendulum between sweet and sour. He swore to himself, “If they start fighting again, I’ll kill myself in front of them, that will stop them in their tracks.”
It was monstrous the violence they’d put him through, unbearable. He quaked on remembering the nightmare of his infancy and prayed to any god who might be listening that it would not be repeated in the oncoming years, or that this second chance at domestic bliss in West Heidelberg be not as insecure.
Shadowy images of the early ‘Fifties drifted back to him, of the flabbergasted tension between his parents that rent all their lives apart. After four years of marriage to Frank, of poverty, domestic warfare and a second child, Elaine had been fatigued, restless and angry. Escaping from her parent’s prison only to be incarcerated in Frank’s, she’d dreamed of a gay life, dancing in the arms of a Bogart-like character, seeing something of the world, not this eternal pushing and shoving in the kitchen.
Frank was no fun, he preferred fishing and golf and boozing it up with his mates in the pubs, not interested in nightclubbing with the wife. Arthur shuddered at the memory of that particular night when his world had fallen apart. His mother had insisted on going out, with or without her husband. Frank’s patriarchal domestic lordship was outraged and his jealousy would not have it.
“My two screaming babies and those of them we share the house with, it’s driving me crazy. Please, can’t we get a baby-sitter and go out for once?”
“No, we can’t afford it! You’re staying home, where you belong!”
“I’m sick of you, you boring bastard! You stay home with the kids if you’re so fucking concerned about them, I’m going out for a drink, I want to hear some music and have some fun!”
“You fucking slut! You just want to meet some bastard behind my back! A good woman would want to be with her kids, not run after blokes like a fucking mole!”
“Yeah, well you’re a selfish arsehole, you don’t mind spending money on your mates but where’s the money for us? I’m fed up, give me some fucking money, I need a fucking break from this shit!”
“Listen cunt, you get nothing more from me, you’ve already spent the housekeeping money on beer, now you wanna go fuck someone on my dough! Well you can fucking keep your slut’s face indoors!”
Arthur was just handing his plate back after dinner, when, nervous of their arguing, he dropped it and it shattered. Frank leaned over and slapped the three-year-old hard across the face, grumbling, “You clumsy little bastard!” whereupon Elaine responded in turn, screaming, “Stop hitting the fucking kid!” They were already sozzled on beer, him a bit slow and her in an Amazonian fury; before he could duck she smashed a plate on Frank’s head and blood seeped into his popping eyes. 

(If you want to read further please go to the WEB address above and buy "Vagabond Freak.")