Tuesday, November 15, 2005

Half Painted White Old

Its very clear to see out of the windows once you wipe away the dust and grime.
I must be twenty feet above the ground here, there are beams of wood precariously balanced on paint tins and dirty white blankets cover an old sofa that looks as though it was comfortable to lounge in ten – twenty years ago. A cobweb abandoned by a spider slowly bristles as it is captured by an almost imperceptible wind. An uneaten dead fly slowly rots in its midst. I release a cough from my chest only to break the silence penetrating every cubic centimetre of the room. There is a slight echo so I cough again only louder to experience the full echo. I walk to the corner and examine an upturned tea chest with two empty tea mugs on it, one says worlds best 40 year old the other is a traditional white and blue prison style mug. At the bottom of the mugs are the ruminants of a recently drunk cup of tea. I contemplate taking the mugs to be washed until I remember that the water does not work. I then turn to face the walls half painted white and half painted blue, I try to decide which was in the process of being painted on before the work was abandoned, I then remember the paint cans and check their colours, all three of them are blue so I presume the walls used to be white. Its then I hear the doors creak and the clonk of feet on timber, it’s the estate agent. “Well what do you think” she calls out. I half shrug my shoulders. “We will put in water and electrics depending on how you want to do it and you have a fantastic view of the city”. I ask her when it will be ready and she checks her clipboarded documents. “Anywhere between 3-4 weeks”, “OK” I say and I throw my bag down.
“Don’t worry about the water though, I have a nice strong rope and those joists up above look strong enough to hold ten men, can I pay you cash”
“yes the estate agent says, I just need you to sign this, it’s a disclaimer indemnifying us from any claims made by your next of kin as you must understand this is not a normal request, in fact we have never done this”
With the forms signed and the £250 paid the estate agent leaves reiterating “that an undertaker doctor and the police will be called in accordance with your wishes in twenty three days time at 5.00pm.

With the departure of the estate agent the green bag previously dropped to the ground was pulled open, and a towrope removed, and also a beige ringed pad and a green pen, I then begin to write in blue ink.
The walls were always half painted white half painted blue…………….
I paused and walked to the windows and began to wipe them clean with my sleeve
And chewing on my pen looking into the chaos of the city began to think.



Inspired by Club Suicide at John Willie Lees
Jamjam23
From papercut 2 (ITC special 2002)

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