A story part 4 - Calling up the past
"Garbutt n' Turnbull, Ruth speaking."
"Mum, it's me."
"Oh! Yes, what is it?"
"Sorry, mum, what's the problem?"
"Oh, nothing, Fleur. I'm just so busy. I've got this terrible estate. Mr Garbutt's going to court tomorrow and I'm not even half way through. What is it?"
Oh, nothing, mum, sorry!"
"No come on! Look I've just made a cup of tea, tell me while I drink it."
"Mum, it's nothing, it's just something strange. It might be nothing. I wanted to tell you. Hey, I was looking through the births, deaths and marriages. You know it's Hayley's funeral next Wednesday? Well, it's just that I saw this death notice for Daniel Lyon."
"For who?"
"Mum, you know, remember that guy you told us about? He tried to fly and fell out of a tree and broke his arm. The hippy guy, when you were in Nimbin? I remembered the name, 'Daniel in the Lyon's den'? Gotta be the same guy, don't you think?"
"Oh! Umm! Could be. I dunno. Anyway, it was Mullumbimby."
"Oh! OK! Well I knew it was somewhere up there. Mum, he was fifty. That's about right, isn't it? Wasn't he younger than you?"
"Well, yes, Look I don't know, It could be. It's strange."
"I just thought you'd want to know. I mean, if it was him. He always seemed to mean something to you. I mean the stories you told us."
"He was just someone I knew. It was a long time ago."
"Well, anyway, the funeral's this Friday, at Riverstone, St Alban's, two-thirty. If you're interested."
"What about Hayley's funeral?"
"Mum, I don't want to think about it. Not till Wednesday. It's just going to be tragic I know."
"Alright, well ring me. Look I've got to get this thing finished. Thanks for ringing."
"OK, mum, sorry. Seeya."
"Mum, it's me."
"Oh! Yes, what is it?"
"Sorry, mum, what's the problem?"
"Oh, nothing, Fleur. I'm just so busy. I've got this terrible estate. Mr Garbutt's going to court tomorrow and I'm not even half way through. What is it?"
Oh, nothing, mum, sorry!"
"No come on! Look I've just made a cup of tea, tell me while I drink it."
"Mum, it's nothing, it's just something strange. It might be nothing. I wanted to tell you. Hey, I was looking through the births, deaths and marriages. You know it's Hayley's funeral next Wednesday? Well, it's just that I saw this death notice for Daniel Lyon."
"For who?"
"Mum, you know, remember that guy you told us about? He tried to fly and fell out of a tree and broke his arm. The hippy guy, when you were in Nimbin? I remembered the name, 'Daniel in the Lyon's den'? Gotta be the same guy, don't you think?"
"Oh! Umm! Could be. I dunno. Anyway, it was Mullumbimby."
"Oh! OK! Well I knew it was somewhere up there. Mum, he was fifty. That's about right, isn't it? Wasn't he younger than you?"
"Well, yes, Look I don't know, It could be. It's strange."
"I just thought you'd want to know. I mean, if it was him. He always seemed to mean something to you. I mean the stories you told us."
"He was just someone I knew. It was a long time ago."
"Well, anyway, the funeral's this Friday, at Riverstone, St Alban's, two-thirty. If you're interested."
"What about Hayley's funeral?"
"Mum, I don't want to think about it. Not till Wednesday. It's just going to be tragic I know."
"Alright, well ring me. Look I've got to get this thing finished. Thanks for ringing."
"OK, mum, sorry. Seeya."
Labels: stories
posted by Paula at
7:44 pm
1 Comments:
After reading this in sequence - well what strikes me so forcefully is how easily you tell a tale, and yet how it is anything less than simple or boring. There are so many layers and possible interpretations that it never quite feels finished. Which I rather like. There is such a poetic quality to this - and I admit - this rattles my cage. Lol.
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