he emphatically flipped the
toilet seat up
it banged against its lid leaned
on the tank
its BANG actually trembled the
floor he could feel it in the soles of his feet
he thought immediately shoddy construction
the toilet wasnt American
Standard
he wasnt that enthusiastic
the baseboards were molded
painted particle board nifty but false
not a lot of money is spent on
rental construction
despite rent paid which is
nearly that of making a house payment
to make a substantial down payment
fine-tuned now
Get ya comin Get ya
goin
an that purchased homes were only a grade above
this was morose
he thought of his grandparents
who came from the Old Country who lived in houses there that were in excess of one hundred
years old
they would throw up(crude -- but was warranted of this travesty -- an theyd agree) if they had to consider these subpar flinty constructions
his grandfathers were carpenters powerfully built men who worked wood in all
aspects they built houses fashioned cabinets made furniture worked all kinds of wood with hand tools
handsaws which had come down to him their
crosscut and finishing saws handles
branded with their initials braces those augers and bits hammers mallets mauls
files long open tool boxes handles running their lengths often placed on the
handcarts and pulled through the city to jobs or hawking work
they wouldnt have owned a power
tool if you gave it to them they were
suspicious that any lackey would think they could do and make what they had nor
would they understand or appreciate the unrealised value living in the product which
handcrafted provided
Yes it is a shabby shoddy world
only the wealthy can afford fine Old
World workmanship and threaten or hold to disgrace poor workmanship and its miserable
quality
his girlfriend asked him if hed
always been confrontational or when had it dug its heels in on him
he replied his manner might be and
often was seen as confrontational
but rather it was a matter of refusing to be
taken advantage of
he
had to be proved wrong
Hell he said
fistfights today bring lawsuits even if youre defending yourself from one or more or rebuffing blatant provocation Some people refuse to lose fair and square
The Wicked Witch of the West said it
best Oh what a world what a world You remember
Who would have thought that such
a good little girl could destroy my beautiful wickedness
Dont get carried away with
yourself
she laughed
he finished urinating
washed his hands
he was getting out before the
place fell down around his ears
the woman in the livingroom had
designs on him he knew he also knew she
knew his girlfriend and shouldnt
she ought to know better
it was tough being in a world
expecting less and less everyday of
things of other people
she had too much to drink and familiar
with her he offered her a ride home
he was aware of the dogs lurking
at the edge of her lighted inebriated campfire their engorged senses picking up
the clicks of her slurred speech loosened body movements
entering the hall and beginning up
towards the livingroom he gathered her seduction in a single glance the few top
buttons of her blouse surreptitiously undone hair tossed a leg up against the
back of the couch her other extended down the length of it the weight of her arm
scarcely concealing between her legs with the fold of her skirt the back of her
thigh light peachcoloured
she was attractive
he crossed at the outer edge of
the coffee table votive candles lit
alluringly
And Im out of here you feeling
better
I could feel a lot better
You could feel a lot worse
Sit down and talk with me a
bit Bring me to my senses
Your senses are just fine
Come Sit down
he was at the door reaching for
the doorknob
You might as well enjoy me I
gonna say as much To everyone
And anyone wholl listen to you
are welcome Anyone who knows me knows youre blowing hot air
Maybe your girl wont
Maybe If you think shes a girl like yourself Which is why I never asked you out
You piece of shit
Exactly why
whatever she screamed he ignored
despite its assault passing through the door now between them
Yes a shabby shoddy world
when nothing beyond mean is expected
1626, Friday,
4 12. 15
1146, Saturday,
5 12. 15
