womansfaceseat
03-17-2006, 7:51 AM
Bear with me, I'm new at this. Also note that this is only part 1, it's building up to the juicy stuff. Anyway...
PART I – LIFE, LIBERTY AND THE PURSUIT OF HAPPINESS
Jack slowly trudged along the street in the twilight. It was raining. It was always raining. “Damned British weather” he muttered to himself. He was not in a very good mood, because he had just lost his job at the supermarket. He was “not productive enough”. “Damned supermarkets”, Jack muttered. He muttered and cursed a lot. He passed a billboard, reaching up into the distant clouds. It was an election poster. There were a lot up at the moment, he thought. Probably because there was an election on the way. Jack didn’t care. He didn’t do politics. “Damned people” he thought, “why can’t they just decide which government they want and stick with it instead of all these flaming elections”. He trudged on.
*
Claire drove into the car park on the Horse and Trap, the local hostelry where they were to meet. Beside her in the passenger seat was her sister Jane and in the back Federina, her German second cousin, now living in England. Claire was in her early twenties, an English student at the local university with attractive features and long flowing blonde hair. Jane was slightly taller and brunette. She was the playful one. Federina was the shortest and the least reserved. She always said exactly what was on her mind. As Claire backed the land rover into a narrow parking space, Federina told her for the hundredth time that she need not drive such a large vehicle if she could not maneuver it properly. Claire made a flippant remark about her walking next time. Federina ignored her. She was always a bit of a pain, she thought. The three disembarked the vehicle and stepped out into the trickling rain.
*
Jack finally got back to his house, a small one bedroom affair on the edge of town that he perpetually struggled to pay the rent on, and thumbled in his pocket for the key. Finally locating the small gold colored device, he stuck it in the receptacle and entered. A strong powerful aroma hit him, unwashed dishes piled up in the sink. He cursed again. Why couldn’t they just wash themselves? He picked up the copy of the local paper that was wedged into the letterbox. Stupid paperboy, it was all torn up where it had been pushed in too hard. He opened it and scanned it dismally. Bus crash, 5 people in hospital. Violent assaults in the area up again. And more about the flaming election. People were going mad because someone from some obscure party was up in the polls that week. He would never understand democracy. Everyone going through all that hassle, and what was the point. They were all the same. Even the extremists. He flipped on the tele and resigned himself to watching some second rate game show.
*
Claire walked along the lengthy pavement cheerfully. The rain had subsided, the sun had come out, and everything was right with the world. Jane was chirpy too, eager to tell Claire about something that had happened between her and her boyfriend the previous night. Federina listened in intently as Jane described the kinky experience. Apparently, John, for that was his name, enjoyed having his face smothered by being sat on by attractive women. Claire could feel herself getting a little moist as Jane described the night, but she kept up an air of impetuous dignity. “So you’ve never done anything like that?”, Federina asked Claire nosily as Jane finished. “Never” Claire returned defiantly in that very proper middle class way of hers. Claire walked on ahead deliberately holding her head up high as if to signify her far superior taste. Jane and Federina burst out laughing.
*
Jack was still in the exact same spot on the sofa watching the tele. Now he had a beer in his hand which was about half full. Other than to get it, he had not moved so much as an inch. He had been watching cricket of all things. Not one his favorites, he preferred football any day, but what could you do? The commentator’s voice rose with great excitement as the small red ball on the screen sailed off into the distance. Jack settled himself in for the long haul.
To be continued...
PART I – LIFE, LIBERTY AND THE PURSUIT OF HAPPINESS
Jack slowly trudged along the street in the twilight. It was raining. It was always raining. “Damned British weather” he muttered to himself. He was not in a very good mood, because he had just lost his job at the supermarket. He was “not productive enough”. “Damned supermarkets”, Jack muttered. He muttered and cursed a lot. He passed a billboard, reaching up into the distant clouds. It was an election poster. There were a lot up at the moment, he thought. Probably because there was an election on the way. Jack didn’t care. He didn’t do politics. “Damned people” he thought, “why can’t they just decide which government they want and stick with it instead of all these flaming elections”. He trudged on.
*
Claire drove into the car park on the Horse and Trap, the local hostelry where they were to meet. Beside her in the passenger seat was her sister Jane and in the back Federina, her German second cousin, now living in England. Claire was in her early twenties, an English student at the local university with attractive features and long flowing blonde hair. Jane was slightly taller and brunette. She was the playful one. Federina was the shortest and the least reserved. She always said exactly what was on her mind. As Claire backed the land rover into a narrow parking space, Federina told her for the hundredth time that she need not drive such a large vehicle if she could not maneuver it properly. Claire made a flippant remark about her walking next time. Federina ignored her. She was always a bit of a pain, she thought. The three disembarked the vehicle and stepped out into the trickling rain.
*
Jack finally got back to his house, a small one bedroom affair on the edge of town that he perpetually struggled to pay the rent on, and thumbled in his pocket for the key. Finally locating the small gold colored device, he stuck it in the receptacle and entered. A strong powerful aroma hit him, unwashed dishes piled up in the sink. He cursed again. Why couldn’t they just wash themselves? He picked up the copy of the local paper that was wedged into the letterbox. Stupid paperboy, it was all torn up where it had been pushed in too hard. He opened it and scanned it dismally. Bus crash, 5 people in hospital. Violent assaults in the area up again. And more about the flaming election. People were going mad because someone from some obscure party was up in the polls that week. He would never understand democracy. Everyone going through all that hassle, and what was the point. They were all the same. Even the extremists. He flipped on the tele and resigned himself to watching some second rate game show.
*
Claire walked along the lengthy pavement cheerfully. The rain had subsided, the sun had come out, and everything was right with the world. Jane was chirpy too, eager to tell Claire about something that had happened between her and her boyfriend the previous night. Federina listened in intently as Jane described the kinky experience. Apparently, John, for that was his name, enjoyed having his face smothered by being sat on by attractive women. Claire could feel herself getting a little moist as Jane described the night, but she kept up an air of impetuous dignity. “So you’ve never done anything like that?”, Federina asked Claire nosily as Jane finished. “Never” Claire returned defiantly in that very proper middle class way of hers. Claire walked on ahead deliberately holding her head up high as if to signify her far superior taste. Jane and Federina burst out laughing.
*
Jack was still in the exact same spot on the sofa watching the tele. Now he had a beer in his hand which was about half full. Other than to get it, he had not moved so much as an inch. He had been watching cricket of all things. Not one his favorites, he preferred football any day, but what could you do? The commentator’s voice rose with great excitement as the small red ball on the screen sailed off into the distance. Jack settled himself in for the long haul.
To be continued...