:: My Reality ::

:: Friday, July 16, 2004 ::

Scuse me while I kiss Morpheus or is that Orpheus? I get them confused. The former has really strong drugs while the latter has a nice soft mattress in the back bedroom with a cool breeze blowing through open windows. Trees with giant green leaves block out some of the tropical sun. Occasionally it rains, but no one cares because everyone's asleep. My woman calls to me to get my ass out of bed and go to the market for her. But I'm all wrapped up in a tired ball. She sends the little ones in after me. They come running laughing into the room and jump up and down on the bed and me. These are not my kids but they'll do just fine. They drag me up by the hair and fingers and I see that it truly is time for market. Carrying an empty head sling I mosey off toward the village, a short mile dirt path through green carpeted jungle. My body is brown, lean, my hair nappy black, burnt orange in places by the sun. At the market I find salted fish, plantains, and sweet red root for dinner. I pay with round discs made of bone with holes carved out of the centers. I load up my head sling, lean forward into it and start back. Young girls smile pearly white smiles at me and I wave back. I wonder what things are like for my brother who lives in the City. He probably has it made.

:: Tom 2:35 PM [+] ::
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Here’s the story of a nar'e do well who,  after almost screwing himself out of the chance of a life time, was saved by his own stupidity!
This friend, whose name is Roger, was mostly an odd-jobber/part-time janitor all his life.  He had a heart and spirit greater than most men but was a little tardy on the uptake. At the time of this incident he was janitoring at a church (the pastor had given him the job out of the goodness of his Christian heart). At one of the services he met a charming young miss from Australia. Well, seeing as he was of good stock and easily controlled, she made a play for him. Of course he was smitten from the start and they commenced to courting. She attended several of our gatherings and we all nodded in approval. Then it came to pass that they got married and she announced that she was pregnant. We were all pleased.
 
Then at one of our gatherings came the bombshell: They were planning to go to Australia to live with her Mom and Pop and brothers. This is a whole lot of changes for one boy to go through, but Roger was kind of like the Fool on the Hill and just seemed to watch the whole drama unfold around him with little or no problem. The bon voyage date approached and our circle of friends gave them a party. They were to leave the following Wednesday.
 
Seems our boy needed some emergency dental work to be done that Friday and left the Dr. office with a mouth full of cotton and a script for 10 Tylenol 3. Well that Saturday the pain was something fierce and our boy decided to get the prescription filled. Now he’s thinking you know I’m going to be in the far off country half way around the world and what if I run out’a pain killers and that would be terrible. So he looks at the script and adds a zero to the 10 making it Tylenol 3, count 100!
Needless to say the pharmacist spotted the scam and called the cops! He was picked up on felony forging prescriptions charge, and spent the night in jail. His wife and friends rallied around him and all went before the judge to plea for mercy. It is difficult enough to immigrate to Austrailia and impossible with a felony conviction. All his plans, his pregnant wife, all threatened.
 
He appeared before the Judge, who asked him about the charges. After Roger told his story, the judge asked some follow-up questions during which he determined our boy might be a bit slow and equally pure of heart. Case dismissed. The boy and the girl and the fetus were quickly on a plane to Alice Springs or God knows where. He hasn’t been heard from since.

:: Tom 2:16 PM [+] ::
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