I opened the door and there she stood.
'remember me? The lady you almost ran over in the fog all those months ago?' she said,
clouds of smoke wafting from her mouth as she spoke.
'uh, yes. I wish you'd called first. I need a week to tidy up. But since you are here
you'd better come in.'
Joni waded her way thru the yarn that was blocking the hallway.
'SHUT IT!' I screamed at the dogs. 'BRAD! STOP!'
'ahh, ' said Joni as she reached out to Brad.
'NO!' I said, 'wait for him to come to you. He doesn't know you.'
'I feel so blue, ' she said as she lit another fag. 'People think i am a bitch but
really
I am just a woman of heart and mind. But, ya know, I have to be tough. It's dog eat dog
world out there.'
'Here, have some tea.' I said, placing a hot mug of tea in her free hand and an ashtray
under her other. 'just let me put the dogs away, they'll get you dirty. It's been a
rainy
night.'
Her eyes fixed on her painting of herself i have hung on the wall.'Oh, i just love to
paint. But people just want me to write songs. Like I have nothing better to do than
wirte
songs for ageing children. Shit, i bet no one said to Van Gogh, 'paint a starry night,
again, man'.'
'no,' I said. 'if they did he probably wouldn't have heard anyway.'
She shot me a look and said' I think I understand. I just wish they could see me from
both
sides, now. The painter and the muscian, the fiddle and the brush.'
'More tea?' I offered.
'I shouldn't have come,' she sighed.
'Oh no, you are quite welcome. Just don't tell that lot on the list I am so untidy. I
don't want to appear tawdry and cheap. Besides, this is really something. People will
be
envious.'
'what happened to this place?' she enquired. 'oh my my'.
'well,' I spluttered, 'we haven't been here long and .....'
'it's a shame, it's a crying shame', she said forlornly.
'it's not that bad. the cleaner cmes in tomorrow.'
'no not that, I have to go.' and with that she got up and went to the door.' We should
stay in touch.'
I closed the door behind her, thinking to myself, 'I wish people would bloody call
before
they just drop by.'
--
bw
colin
[EMAIL PROTECTED]
http://www.geocities.com/tantra_apso/index.html
