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Brimstone and Treacle
- Details
- Written by: Rod Boyle
- Category: Film
- Hits: 2050
An oldie but a goodie, Uncomfortable, visceral, for a time banned, easy enough to imagine the Nephew in the role of Sting, it shows just how valuable a competent writer is to a script. Which is not to suggest you'll like it, most probably you won't, it deals with any number of uncomfortable issues, but some would argue that's the point...
Demons Hate Demons
- Details
- Written by: Rod Boyle
- Category: Miscellany
- Hits: 2595
And the owner's girlfriend, she's been in every night for the past week. Every night from when we open until we close. She makes her reservations surreptitiously, under the assumed identity of "friends" - she eats, drinks, for free, her guests get a deal. She's the princess, she arrives early to peruse the reservations, spots the people she might know, hangs about waiting for them to arrive, ...
She's a nightmare. She lends out his truck, then seeks out his permission in front of the guests she's promised it to, she promises them space at "our villa in Italy", he has to show up dutifully and rubber stamp his approval, it's not "our villa", it's his, it's not hers to lend out, but what little he has left is slipping away,..
...hearing him scream in the kitchen at special requests, wooden faced, before recommending her own special menu "modifications" to her friends...she's been the girlfriend for what, 2 years, we've all seen a lot of whores come and go, she knows his triggers, knows we'll bear the brunt of her recommendations, she has no manners or class....
The good customers, the ones we've liked, they've made their goodbyes, come in, teary eyed, decent people to whom the the restaurant meant a lot of good and shared memories over the years. But, for the most part, they've come and gone, others won't be given the chance, space is tight and the girlfriend, she's in every night using it up, inviting her friends and co-workers The real, paying regulars, the ones that have been coming for 20 or 30 years, their place is usurped by her momentary fame. The owners friends, they're polite with her, conceal their contempt, for the most part, their only seeing her once a month, once a week tops. She's been in every day the past week, and all this getting along, it's one-sided and I'm arriving early at the finish line.
"I'm just white trash" she tells us, but she overstates it, the nephew, he dates white trash, but she's a few levels below even him, the owner's friends, they all see through her, hater her guts, the staff the same, gritting my teeth, 4, now 3 long days to go, she'll be in every night.
The Daughter's Driving Lessons
- Details
- Written by: Rod Boyle
- Category: Miscellany
- Hits: 2428
3 Lessons so far, she's doing good. Lesson one, a parking lot, circles, reverse, learn to steer. Lesson 2, driving down the backstreets. Lesson 3, driving around the backroads from Airdrie to Beisiker, oncoming traffic, higher speeds.
She's learning, quick, getting the hang of it, a few weeks more and she'll be ready for the Deerfoot...
Bittersweet
- Details
- Written by: Rod Boyle
- Category: Miscellany
- Hits: 2547
And today, the owner has bad news. He's talked to the new owners, they'll be closing the restaurant, March 1st, Feb 28th is the last day.
They strung him along, telling him they'd keep the staff, the name, run the business...
They were lying.
I don't care. This couch surfing and perennial homelessness, it's getting a bit much, I only wanted a couple more weeks to pad the wallet, wanted the weather to improve to do some prospecting before I return to BC, but like a whip the entire 2 week long term forecast changed overnight.
"It could change again" I tell myself.
The other staff, immigrants every one of them, papers tying them to the restaurant, this restaurant, they're not so happy. The salad girl tells me she'll miss us, I understand, we've all been through a lot together. The Nephew, he's tossing the idea of travel, he has savings. The waitress, she's panic-stricken, she needs the job, bad, overspends, doesn't budget, she's in deep trouble. The rest, well, plans will divulge themselves over the next week I'm sure.
We've cancelled the reservations for March, April, May, started telling the regulars, some are in tears, there will be more I'm sure, the restaurant's been there 27 years, people proposed in it, brought up their children there, for a lot of people it's a big part of their lives. The staff as well, nowhere in the world could you get dinner and a show for such a reasonable price. But times change, and this is not necessarily a bad thing. A tank of gas, or 4, a few cans of beans and I'll be hitting the creeks for a few weeks before working my way to BC. I have a feeling that it's time now to earn my own fortune,
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