37.
.
This week I escaped the hood for the bright lights of the big city.
Unfortunately I realised slash remembered that I’m not incredibly gifted at being able to cram lots of socialising into short periods.
I have an emotional overload threshold, and when that reaches its limits, I’m out.
You can talk til the cows come home. And you may even think I’m listening. But inside I am dead. My eyes have glazed over. And I’m delivering obligatory “Uh huh”’s, and “Mmm”’s, and I’m not even being sincere in their delivery…
Basically, I just switch off. Please leave a message, BEEEEEEEEEEEP.
Chances are I probably won’t check that message either.
No pictures this week folks. What I have to say doesn't need them.
*
COMMUNING WITH THE DEAD:
Yesterday I had an old woman come into my work. I recognised her as the doddery old woman I’d had to chase down the street one day as she’d forgotten to pay for her lunch. Trust me, this was Not an enjoyable experience, especially as she was having to hand me over every last coin she seemed to have on her, and even THEN I let her off a few dollars simply because I wanted to end the fleecing of the old woman.
ANYWAY, the same old woman came in again, and had a look at the lunch menu, and ooh’d and aaah’d over a few items, and decided on some “Nat-cho’s?”, before saying “I think I’ve got enough money for that” before studiously counting out eight dollars in coins and informing me that she was to get 50 cents change…
I smiled nicely and told her she was correct, and gave her the change, and thought to myself ‘Most people, DEAR, would check FIRST that they had enough money to go out for lunch before going out to lunch’. And I then inwardly scolded myself for being so intolerant of doddery old woman, steeled my reserve a bit more, and showed her to a table by the fire.
She then whipped out an eftpos card and ordered a double whiskey.
I often wonder at times like those if I should question the customer on things like “Are you allowed to be drinking?” or “You’re not taking any medications that alcohol might impair are you?”, but I recognise that questions like that shouldn’t be reserved for doddery old woman alone, and if it was good enough for her it was good enough for everyone, and seeing as it is actually Totally Inappropriate of me to ask those questions to ANY customer, I silently poured her a whiskey, straight up. She tipped that back like nobody’s business, and then continued to stare at me and stand at the bar.
I asked if she would like anything else, and she said “Aren’t I getting my lunch?”
“Yeah, but it’s not actually ready yet. I’ll bring it over to you when it is.”
“Does it take forever to make or something?”
At that point the meal bell rang and I said “Actually, it’s ready now, take a seat,” and brought it over to her and told myself again that I had to be more tolerant of doddery old woman.
This isn’t hard to do, as I have a Grandfather will Alzheimers, so I’ve recognised that my tolerance needs to increase greatly in my many areas of INtolerance.
So she sat down and ate her lunch… and promptly proceeded to fall asleep at her table.
I had been busy while she ate, so when I looked over and saw her asleep I was kind of surprised. When did that happen? Damn, now I have to wake her up.
Instead of going over to her though, I just made some gentle clinking noises with the glasses in the dishwasher, hoping that would stir her.
It did, and she slowly sat up, seemingly waking up, and then started to leave.
“Thank you, that was lovely.” She said.
“You’re very welcome.”
“My husband and I used to come in here…” she said.
‘Oh great, here we go’, I thought heartlessly.
“…but… he died, so... I like coming in here… it has some good memories... Thank you.” And off she wandered in her whiskey haze...
As I watched her leave I realised she hadn’t been sleeping at all. She had merely been communing with her dead husband…
I reminded myself that next time she comes in, I must be more tolerant.
*
BRIGHT CITY LIGHTS:
I saw a few bright lights while in Wellington.
Light Number One: I am Not FRIENDS with My Ex. I simply have a long standing dependency on their company – 99% of the reason I left Welly. To break myself free of the habit of them.
Stupidly, I dropped into their house on the way home from a party one night. Thankfully I dragged two REAL friends of mine along for the ride (it was on our way).
I was instantly surprised by, and introduced to, the Ex’s new boyfriend. Their new, very young boyfriend. Cough cough Shudder.
BRIGHT SHINING LIGHTS of realisation shone upon me. Oh yeeeeeeeeeeaaaaaaaaaaaaah… THAAAAAT’S why I need to stay away from this house!
I was very nice, very polite, stayed for a drink, left… and vowed never to go back.
And I felt Ok about this too! I think the spell had finally broken. No, not I think… I Know.
Unfortunately I had to go back the next day and get something I’d left behind, but I made it short and sweet.
My defining thought on this matter was that IF we really were Just Mates, then why did they feel the need to Not Tell Me about their new beau? Especially considering as they’d told all their other mates... hmm?
Whatever. It really doesn’t bother me that much. It was like a wonderful haze lifting and flooding me with warm, FREEING light.
And Boy do I like sunning in it.
Light number Two involved an unhinged friend on an unwarranted frenetic character attack, but I won’t go into that. It was ridiculous and ultimately kind of boring. Plus, I have bigger fish to fry…
*
THE GREAT CARTERTON KIDNAPPING CAPER:
This is an issue close to my heart… hence, I will probably end up being quite heartless about what I’m about to say.
Back in April my niece (my cousins’ daughter) on her way home from school, was approached by a teenager in school uniform in a car telling her “Your Mum’s in trouble, you have to come with me”.
She, being Not Stupid (thank god), said No Way and ran home to her perfectly Not-In-Trouble Mother to tell her all about the guy who’d tried to kidnap her.
This was one in a spate of attempted child abductions in the area at the time. They arrested another man in Masterton for the same thing, and for a while we thought that maybe the case was closed…
Until a couple of weeks ago, when a 14 year old girl on her way to school was suddenly pushed into a car and abducted. The girl screamed at him to let her go, before throwing herself from the vehicle, breaking her wrist and splitting her forehead open in the process.
Yesterday I had the good fortune to meet the guy who happened to be driving behind the car when this happened. At first he thought it was just some arsehole who’d thrown his Mrs from the car, but when the girl told him that she’d just been kidnapped he took her to the police station.
Not long afterwards a friend of mine happened to be walking down that street, and came across a phone and a wallet, which she handed into the police station.
The phone was the girls. The WALLET was His.
Connect the dots and Wa La – Psycho gets caught.
Then the real questions started being asked, and of course in a town like this, everyone knew who this kid was within two days. And rather than the expected “KILL HIM” response, it turns out this kid is from a good home, had a good upbringing, has good, respected parents… Suddenly the humanising factor hits home. This kid is clearly sick in the head and needs help.
Two weeks ago he was sent to Rimutaka Prison on remand, pending a psychological assessment. This assessment was deliberately avoided and on Wednesday this sick kid who is getting no help whatsoever has been sent back home on bail with a 24 hour curfew – ie. he can’t leave the house.
The Mad Scorpion is NOT happy about this.
Yes, I can understand that he will be slaughtered in Prison, and that perhaps isn’t going to achieve much.
Yes, I can understand that he is sick and needs help.
But No, I cannot understand why the Law has failed the victims of this case in favour of making sure this sick kid is… what, Safe and Comfortable?? That same right has not been afforded to this kid’s victims, some of whom live not far down the road from him…
I am utterly FURIOUS about this, and I know that if my cousin was in the country at the moment, this kids’ safe house would probably go up in flames in the middle of the night. And not many people would blink an eyelid either.
I don’t think they should lock this kid in jail and throw away the key, but I do think he needs serious help, and being babysat by Mum and Dad at home is hardly the answer.
Is one of them going to stay awake 24/7 to keep an eye on him, or are they going to take 12 hour shifts…
Somehow I doubt it.
As do I doubt that there is constant police surveillance on their house either.
This kid has messed with very dangerous forces and if his family and the justice system doesn’t deliver on helping him get FIXED… Then the small town lynch mob will kick in to Fix him.
This I know, because I will be at the front of the pack next to my cousin baying for his blood.
NOBODY FUCKS with MY Whanau’s tamariki.
NO-ONE.
*
A NEW RECRUIT:
And on the Tamariki front, after an almost totally bullshit Tuesday, it was topped off with the wonderful news that one of my best friends Tara FINALLY had her overdue baby - a beautiful daughter named Luisa Iris.
Welcome to life Luisa!
Uncle Scorpie's got your back.
Another Cheeky Darkie for the team...
Love it.
*
.
This week I escaped the hood for the bright lights of the big city.
Unfortunately I realised slash remembered that I’m not incredibly gifted at being able to cram lots of socialising into short periods.
I have an emotional overload threshold, and when that reaches its limits, I’m out.
You can talk til the cows come home. And you may even think I’m listening. But inside I am dead. My eyes have glazed over. And I’m delivering obligatory “Uh huh”’s, and “Mmm”’s, and I’m not even being sincere in their delivery…
Basically, I just switch off. Please leave a message, BEEEEEEEEEEEP.
Chances are I probably won’t check that message either.
No pictures this week folks. What I have to say doesn't need them.
*
COMMUNING WITH THE DEAD:
Yesterday I had an old woman come into my work. I recognised her as the doddery old woman I’d had to chase down the street one day as she’d forgotten to pay for her lunch. Trust me, this was Not an enjoyable experience, especially as she was having to hand me over every last coin she seemed to have on her, and even THEN I let her off a few dollars simply because I wanted to end the fleecing of the old woman.
ANYWAY, the same old woman came in again, and had a look at the lunch menu, and ooh’d and aaah’d over a few items, and decided on some “Nat-cho’s?”, before saying “I think I’ve got enough money for that” before studiously counting out eight dollars in coins and informing me that she was to get 50 cents change…
I smiled nicely and told her she was correct, and gave her the change, and thought to myself ‘Most people, DEAR, would check FIRST that they had enough money to go out for lunch before going out to lunch’. And I then inwardly scolded myself for being so intolerant of doddery old woman, steeled my reserve a bit more, and showed her to a table by the fire.
She then whipped out an eftpos card and ordered a double whiskey.
I often wonder at times like those if I should question the customer on things like “Are you allowed to be drinking?” or “You’re not taking any medications that alcohol might impair are you?”, but I recognise that questions like that shouldn’t be reserved for doddery old woman alone, and if it was good enough for her it was good enough for everyone, and seeing as it is actually Totally Inappropriate of me to ask those questions to ANY customer, I silently poured her a whiskey, straight up. She tipped that back like nobody’s business, and then continued to stare at me and stand at the bar.
I asked if she would like anything else, and she said “Aren’t I getting my lunch?”
“Yeah, but it’s not actually ready yet. I’ll bring it over to you when it is.”
“Does it take forever to make or something?”
At that point the meal bell rang and I said “Actually, it’s ready now, take a seat,” and brought it over to her and told myself again that I had to be more tolerant of doddery old woman.
This isn’t hard to do, as I have a Grandfather will Alzheimers, so I’ve recognised that my tolerance needs to increase greatly in my many areas of INtolerance.
So she sat down and ate her lunch… and promptly proceeded to fall asleep at her table.
I had been busy while she ate, so when I looked over and saw her asleep I was kind of surprised. When did that happen? Damn, now I have to wake her up.
Instead of going over to her though, I just made some gentle clinking noises with the glasses in the dishwasher, hoping that would stir her.
It did, and she slowly sat up, seemingly waking up, and then started to leave.
“Thank you, that was lovely.” She said.
“You’re very welcome.”
“My husband and I used to come in here…” she said.
‘Oh great, here we go’, I thought heartlessly.
“…but… he died, so... I like coming in here… it has some good memories... Thank you.” And off she wandered in her whiskey haze...
As I watched her leave I realised she hadn’t been sleeping at all. She had merely been communing with her dead husband…
I reminded myself that next time she comes in, I must be more tolerant.
*
BRIGHT CITY LIGHTS:
I saw a few bright lights while in Wellington.
Light Number One: I am Not FRIENDS with My Ex. I simply have a long standing dependency on their company – 99% of the reason I left Welly. To break myself free of the habit of them.
Stupidly, I dropped into their house on the way home from a party one night. Thankfully I dragged two REAL friends of mine along for the ride (it was on our way).
I was instantly surprised by, and introduced to, the Ex’s new boyfriend. Their new, very young boyfriend. Cough cough Shudder.
BRIGHT SHINING LIGHTS of realisation shone upon me. Oh yeeeeeeeeeeaaaaaaaaaaaaah… THAAAAAT’S why I need to stay away from this house!
I was very nice, very polite, stayed for a drink, left… and vowed never to go back.
And I felt Ok about this too! I think the spell had finally broken. No, not I think… I Know.
Unfortunately I had to go back the next day and get something I’d left behind, but I made it short and sweet.
My defining thought on this matter was that IF we really were Just Mates, then why did they feel the need to Not Tell Me about their new beau? Especially considering as they’d told all their other mates... hmm?
Whatever. It really doesn’t bother me that much. It was like a wonderful haze lifting and flooding me with warm, FREEING light.
And Boy do I like sunning in it.
Light number Two involved an unhinged friend on an unwarranted frenetic character attack, but I won’t go into that. It was ridiculous and ultimately kind of boring. Plus, I have bigger fish to fry…
*
THE GREAT CARTERTON KIDNAPPING CAPER:
This is an issue close to my heart… hence, I will probably end up being quite heartless about what I’m about to say.
Back in April my niece (my cousins’ daughter) on her way home from school, was approached by a teenager in school uniform in a car telling her “Your Mum’s in trouble, you have to come with me”.
She, being Not Stupid (thank god), said No Way and ran home to her perfectly Not-In-Trouble Mother to tell her all about the guy who’d tried to kidnap her.
This was one in a spate of attempted child abductions in the area at the time. They arrested another man in Masterton for the same thing, and for a while we thought that maybe the case was closed…
Until a couple of weeks ago, when a 14 year old girl on her way to school was suddenly pushed into a car and abducted. The girl screamed at him to let her go, before throwing herself from the vehicle, breaking her wrist and splitting her forehead open in the process.
Yesterday I had the good fortune to meet the guy who happened to be driving behind the car when this happened. At first he thought it was just some arsehole who’d thrown his Mrs from the car, but when the girl told him that she’d just been kidnapped he took her to the police station.
Not long afterwards a friend of mine happened to be walking down that street, and came across a phone and a wallet, which she handed into the police station.
The phone was the girls. The WALLET was His.
Connect the dots and Wa La – Psycho gets caught.
Then the real questions started being asked, and of course in a town like this, everyone knew who this kid was within two days. And rather than the expected “KILL HIM” response, it turns out this kid is from a good home, had a good upbringing, has good, respected parents… Suddenly the humanising factor hits home. This kid is clearly sick in the head and needs help.
Two weeks ago he was sent to Rimutaka Prison on remand, pending a psychological assessment. This assessment was deliberately avoided and on Wednesday this sick kid who is getting no help whatsoever has been sent back home on bail with a 24 hour curfew – ie. he can’t leave the house.
The Mad Scorpion is NOT happy about this.
Yes, I can understand that he will be slaughtered in Prison, and that perhaps isn’t going to achieve much.
Yes, I can understand that he is sick and needs help.
But No, I cannot understand why the Law has failed the victims of this case in favour of making sure this sick kid is… what, Safe and Comfortable?? That same right has not been afforded to this kid’s victims, some of whom live not far down the road from him…
I am utterly FURIOUS about this, and I know that if my cousin was in the country at the moment, this kids’ safe house would probably go up in flames in the middle of the night. And not many people would blink an eyelid either.
I don’t think they should lock this kid in jail and throw away the key, but I do think he needs serious help, and being babysat by Mum and Dad at home is hardly the answer.
Is one of them going to stay awake 24/7 to keep an eye on him, or are they going to take 12 hour shifts…
Somehow I doubt it.
As do I doubt that there is constant police surveillance on their house either.
This kid has messed with very dangerous forces and if his family and the justice system doesn’t deliver on helping him get FIXED… Then the small town lynch mob will kick in to Fix him.
This I know, because I will be at the front of the pack next to my cousin baying for his blood.
NOBODY FUCKS with MY Whanau’s tamariki.
NO-ONE.
*
A NEW RECRUIT:
And on the Tamariki front, after an almost totally bullshit Tuesday, it was topped off with the wonderful news that one of my best friends Tara FINALLY had her overdue baby - a beautiful daughter named Luisa Iris.
Welcome to life Luisa!
Uncle Scorpie's got your back.
Another Cheeky Darkie for the team...
Love it.
*
So horrible about that abduction business. Can't believe the kid's at home. When I was seven or so some creepy guy pulled over at the side of the road and offered me and my friend some candy. He was leaning out of his car holding the candy. I remember it was sweet tarts. (Do sweet tarts exist in NZ?) My friend and I knew enough to say no and we kept walking. But oooo was it tempting to take that candy! I remember thinking I shouldn't but oooo I wanted it. Thank god we said no.
ReplyDeleteSweet Tarts... how "appropriate". Haha.
ReplyDeleteI don't think they do exist here to be honest.
It really is a sad, sad situation. If he gets the right help it could all work out okay, but if he's left to fester in his own head, then who knows what will become of him...