Return Of The Mack

Well not quite, but it’s been over a month since I last wrote on here so thought I should get back into the groove again. During my month’s absence I enrolled onto a Spanish course only for it to be cancelled because of lack of interest which was annoying as I was looking forward to it. I’ve also started to get into Heros on BBC 2. The BBC had been aggressively marketing this programme which put me off it because they were using all mediums to make sure I tuned in. I’d be in bed nodding off to 5Live when all of a sudden some deep sounding voiceover guy tells me Heros is coming to the BBC and I quickly wake up because I think it’s someone trying to talk to me. But I did watch it one week and was totally intrigued with it all. Particularly how all the storylines are fragmented but united with what I presume will be the big main one story. Hiro Nakamura is my favourite character, I dig his jovial comical approach to his super power. I wish he was my friend.

I’ve also been reading quite a few books. I read Chuck Palahniuk’s Lullaby which was quite a short read about a lullaby when sung will kill the person who hears it and also the degeneration of the people who try to find the source of the song. I read the Master and the Margarita by Mikhil Bulgakov which is about the devil visiting Moscow for some entertainment. And I’ve just finished The Story of O which is an erotic story based on S&M experiences of a woman. When I walked into Waterstones to buy it I laid it on the counter and the guy picked it up and saw what it was and went beetroot and quickly dealt with the transaction in a manner as if I was some freak of nature. When looking at the state of his personal hygiene I think it was he who was the freak. But now I’m at a lost of what to read next. Does anyone have any suggestions on what I should read next?

I have managed to knock out some more prose for people to read (Coldbrain). It was actually quite hard to write a continuation on the back of something I haven’t looked at in a month but here it is.

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After draining three pints each, Yannish has to make his leave. He’s reluctant to do it as more and more people he knows pile in like weary travellers in need of a beer to quench their thirst, or even a shot of something to warm up the insides and reinvigorate them selves for the forth coming night’s activities. Glasses slamming hard against the wooden surface and being clashed against one another makes Keith’s point all the more poignant to Yannish and he even thinks of perhaps skipping today’s shift, maybe call in sick, that at least would be more of an effort than what Keith would have made. But the thought of getting sacked scares him a little, it was the sheer embarrassment of the situation, he couldn’t tell people he got sacked, he’d feel ashamed but at the same time why should he really care, this is a developed country he lived in, if he got sacked he could just get another job at a supermarket, in a warehouse it didn’t really matter.

“Told you, you shouldn’t go to work this place will be buzzing in about an hour and you’ll be busy working for the man.”

“Fuck you.” The slight temptation of calling in sick vanishes as quickly as it appeared and there was no way Yannish was going to let Keith think he’d converted him.

“Don’t get stroppy, I’m just letting you know what you’ll be missing.”

“I know, I just, Look I do need to go to work now, when I finish I’ll text you to see what’s going on.”

“I reckon we’ll be going to Zaks later on. I’ll keep my phone on but if I can’t get reception it ain’t my fault you don’t get a reply. Besides I also could be busy hitting skins with a chick” And as Keith speaks these words he gazes up to Karen and Liz who were approaching them. Yannish swallows.

“Look, I gotta go now.” He turns the other way patting Keith on the back and on his way through the back entrance, his bag swinging off his right arm.

Out side the air is clear but noise of rowdy students could be heard from everywhere in the vicinity of the Craufield Arms. The bubble of examination anxiety had well and truly been burst and out had seeped hedonistic 18 or 19 year olds looking to turn their anxiety into alcohol fuelled exuberance. All except Yannish.

He turns the key in his door and enters. Tommy must of gone out but not with out leaving a pizza box for Yannish to step on to as he walks towards the lounge. The cracking of the cardboard can be heard as his weight pushes down on but it’s followed by a squelch and runny cheese and tomato run across the sides of his shoes and also up them. Bending down to look at his shoe he tries to pick out the cheese that seems to have entangled itself with his laces but after a few attempts he gives up and flicks his foot sharply forward and watches his shoe fly off his foot down into the hall way into the coats and out of his eye sight.

His mobile buzzes. “Where are you? Karen x”

He puts his phone down and heads towards the couch moving some of Tommy’s quilts out of the way to make space for him to sit. He doesn’t bother with the lights but thinks about the message and also about Keith trying to convince him to come out.

“There’s no way I’m going out so I can see Keith gloat on how he convinced me to come out”

His mind starts to wander a little bit while he’s in the darkness. Concepts and ideas start to form about what’s going to happen. If he goes out Keith will make sure he knows that it was him that won on their verbal joust. Yannish doesn’t want to swallow his pride but on the other side of the coin if he doesn’t go out Keith will move on Karen and that would hurt.

“I need to go work, I need the money but not till I finish this off.”

He reaches over to the ash tray and picks out Tommy’s half extinguished joint, flops it in his mouth and definitely decides to go to work now. He’ll take the risk over Keith and Karen and besides if it happens there’s nothing he can do about it and he’s got no right anyway. Sitting in the darkness with only the glow of the burn from his joint to keep him company he finally settles with his decision.