bits and pieces

Marshall adjusted the eyepieces and torches on the dissecting microscope to best visualize the necessary parts of the mouse. Yoshi sat beside him instructing him through the surgery and extraction of the prostate, and spleen as a negative control.

“I’ve got a couple of old breeders that should probably be culled. Do you want to start up an old-age primary culture?”

“Mmm. I guess I should. Do you have any digest medium?”

“In the coolroom. In the yellow rack I think. It’s probably a couple of weeks old, though,” said Yoshi.

“Meh. It’ll be fine.” Marshall waved a dismissive hand at him. “If you want to go get them I’ll stay, clean up here and get everything set up.”

                                         *****

Marshall pulled himself out of the couch and came around the table to greet Hazel properly. She tilted her head to his kiss and he sat on her lap, propping his arm on the back of her chair to absorb some of his weight.

           

“D’you have a good night?”

           

“Meh. It was alright. Same old, same old. Not too busy, which was nice.”

           

“Cool. So, we were just talking over there and I just want to know where you stand on this: would you dump me if I got the letters A, T-and G tattooed on the back of my hand?”

           

Hazel looked across at Pilar, who shrugged. “OK. I may regret this, but what the hell is A-T-G?”

           

“OK. Well, when cells make proteins, there needs to be some sign from the mRNA to tell the ribosomes to start making the protein. ATG is the code sequence that signifies this. So ATG literally means START! I think it’d be cool to have the code for START! tattooed on the back of my hand to remind me to get shit done.”

           

“Marshall.” She turned her torso to face him front on and made sure he was looking her in the eye. Pilar gave a snort. “I have no idea what you just said, but it is undoubtedly the nerdiest thing you have ever said to me, ever.”

           

“Thanks.”

           

“That wasn’t a compliment. But to answer your question: no, I wouldn’t dump you for it. I would laugh and pour scorn on you, but I’d still stay with you.”

           

“Good. That’s all I wanted to know.”

           

“OK. Get off now; your arse is bony.” She gave him a push and he duly stood up.

“You guys right for drinks then?”

They raised their glasses in confirmation, and Marshall wandered off to the bar pulling his wallet out of his jeans.

                                           *****

So it was little surprise when, with the departure of another groupie family from the community, that Albert bought up their farm at the end of the dam and started working his very own land by the time he was twenty. Dad stumped up much of the money to buy the farm and get him started, and as a gesture of pride, love and goodwill told him unequivocally that not a cent was to be re-payed either now or in the future.

Albert moved into the shack that had been built 14 years earlier by Matthew Elliot who, 6 years earlier, had sold up and moved to a nearby community to take over the running of his new wife’s father’s farm. Since then, the shack had been inhabited by 3 different groupie families, each of which found the land infertile and inhospitable and so defaulted on their loans and moved away to the city in search of an easier life.

out of the pub (cont.)

When I start writing I usually have a direction for the story mapped out in my mind. Every so often however, when I get into the groove of writing, the voice of one or more of the characters takes over and the narrative takes off somewhere unexpected, yet somehow right. This is one of those times.

                                                                        *****

Like animals onto an ark they left two-by-two- Hazel back to Marshall’s, and Piers and Laura back to their own houses after exchanging numbers on their phones- leaving Pilar and Alby gawping and bashful at their own fates.

They stood and laughed at each other for a minute, before Alby mustered the energy to lighten the mood by holding himself horizontal on a street sign pole and gradually lower his body towards the ground by softening his grip. Pilar threatened to topple him by draping her body over his legs, causing him to panic and loosen his grip just that little bit too much. His shoulder and hip smacked into the pavement simultaneously and he rolled onto his back and lay prostrate with arms and legs spread out. His eyes were closed but the rapid bouncing of his chest gave away the resounding laughter that was to follow. His torso heaved and tears rolled from the corners of his eyes to salt-streak his temples. Pilar initially bent over him to check that he was OK, but as she noticed the staccato rise and fall of his chest realised that he was merely overwhelmed with joy and relief at the night. It was like a valve had been opened and the pressure released from the cylinder of his mind. He laid there, a grin wide across his face laughing at the world. As he regained his composure the muscles of his face relaxed and the skin hung plump and lose on his cheeks. He lay there loose and free of any cares, the antithesis to his standard self. Pilar knelt over him laughing at him and that thing she couldn’t quite put her finger on. She peered curiously at his face watching each tiny tic and flush trying to figure out what was going on behind those eyes. As he slowly opened them the whole veneer was laid bare. They looked at each other as if for the first time. A new and different world had opened up in the space between them and they stared transfixed as it swirled and sparkled. They stayed like that for quite some time absorbing the essence of that world, until slowly and finally it evaporated into a mirage and a memory. They smiled at each other, acknowledging. Alby chuckled lightly into his throat and Pilar lowered her mouth to his, a pure moment.

“Do you want to come back to mine?” Pilar asked.

Alby looked at her cagily. “Why?”

“Well, Donna and Zach are at yours, and Hazel’s gone back to Marshall’s, so my house is empty.”

Alby giggled for lack of anything witty or intelligent to say. Pilar stood up slowly and pulled Alby to his feet. He straightened out his clothes and cleared his throat. She started walking towards home, and Alby followed like a puppy new to its lead.

out of the pub

When the house lights were switched on Alby and Pilar were entwined on the couch no longer aware of the goings-on around them; Mattias was propped against the bar commentating on the action on the couch with the drummer and lead guitarist from the band; Zach, Donna and Hazel were in passionate discussion with a group of three others about the quality of local support for young artists; and Marshall, Piers and Yoshi- who had appeared as if an apparition from the night- were pontificating on the state of political discourse in Australia. Topics serious, mundane, whimsical and frivolous had all been broached; characters had been invented, stereotypes mocked and existentialism theorised.

They had to be hounded out of the pub and into the mild spring night; the staff unwilling to even consider the suggestion of a lock-in. Alby and Pilar untangled from each other and stood around shuffling their feet and trying not to arouse mocking in the others. Mattias disappeared westward on the arm of the drummer, while the guitarist angled towards an invite back to a random girl’s flat. Donna and Zach huddled against each other for warmth and affection, and a distinctly intoxicated Marshall leant on Hazel for support. Piers picked up the thread of an abandoned conversation with the Arts bureaucrat that had been talking with Zach and Donna., while Yoshi disappeared without warning from whence he came.

Those remaining formed a circle on the footpath and talked amicably. While the reasons may have been different from person to person, not one of them wanted to be the one to break up the huddle or suggest the next move for fear of their motives being found out and opened up for mockery.

Eventually Zach bit the bullet and took leave of his friends. Donna naturally took his arm and they started the short walk down the hill to Zach’s place. Alby was hopping around from foot to foot caught in two or three minds as to what he should do. In the dark of the pub it was only naturally to hook up with Pilar, but here in the cold light of the streetlamp his judgement was impaired by the eyes of his peers.

in the pub (cont.)

She poked her tongue out at him again and turned to Hazel. “So how was work?”

“Oh you know; tiring. It fills in time and gives me money so I shouldn’t complain.”

“Boss still giving you grief?”

“A bit. We weren’t too busy, so he had no reason to be stressed and get on my back. He keeps letting me come back so I must be doing something right. Anyway, how’s your night been?”

Alby bought over a glass, filled it up with beer from a jug and placed it in front of Hazel. He bent down and they embraced. “Cheers. Congratulations.”

“Hi-ya” Alby giggled and waved the compliment away with an effete flick of the wrist before turning and wandering off to a new conversation.

“The night’s been fine. Got here early and had a chat with your scientist about the past. It was nice. I don’t know if I’ve ever had a proper conversation with him. I mean we’ve bantered a lot, but never really talked of serious stuff. I can see why you like him.”

“Ha. Yeah. Once you get past the whole nerd thing he’s great.”

“You’re in looooove.”

“I don’t know about that…”

Pilar gasped. “You do! Hahaha!” she pointed at her mockingly.

“Shut up. You’ve made me blush.”

Pilar squealed with delight. “Let the mocking commence.”

“You can’t tell Marshall. It’s not true, but you can’t tell him.”

“I won’t tell him.” Her eyes twinkled with mischief.

“Or anyone else.”

“Not even Piers?”

“Especially not Piers.”

“I’ll tell Donna though.”

Hazel narrowed her eyes.

                                                        * * * * *

The perception of time unravelled across the night. By the time last drinks were called it felt to the gathered as though barely an hour had passed, and yet the memory of conversations and deeds would only be restored across the coming days, and the implications thereof would last for weeks until all details were adequately unpicked and untangled. Seats had been traded and conversations entered and exited with fluid motion until the borders of conversations could not be determined, and the focus of their attention for hours could have been any number of people or subjects. It was one of those glorious nights where all forget their weapons and take down their guard and interact with the purest lines of thought and intention and enlightenment looms large above the throng.

down the pub

They made the most of happy hour, downing their $10 pizza and pints. As the minute hand rolled around towards the twelve they descended on the bar and stockpiled drinks. The roster of patrons swelled until all the chairs were taken and extras huddled around the bar and in the darkened corners of the room. The central tables were mashed into bizarre shapes consisting of squares, rectangles, circles and triangles of assorted heights. Some leant forward intent on hearing and being heard above the din, while others seemed content to lean back and soak up the noise and laughter filling the room.

A dark-clad figure squeezed between two men leaning against the doorjambs and into the room. Stale beer, leather and wet carpet laced with the sweet smells from the kitchen hit her nostrils causing her face to curl. She scanned around the room, squinting against the dull light emanating from the fluorescent lighting before pushing her way down the line of the bar, all the while keeping her eyes peeled for her friends. A hand reached out and grabbed her bicep. She turned towards her accoster and, recognising the face of an acquaintance, stoped to exchange pleasantries. After a minute of back and forth she excused herself and continued her hunt.

A voice called out her name over the hubbub and she turned in the direction it came from. Zach was sprawled out in his chair resting a glass on his belly as he waved in her direction. She lifted her head in recognition and raised her arm in reply before apologising her way through conversations to emerge at the tables opposite Zach.

“Congratulations! It’s so exciting!” she said and leaned over the table.

Zach stood to receive her hug. “Thanks. This is going to be fucking awesome.”

“I know. Do you know when you’re going and how long?”

“In March. Dunno for how long yet. See how much money we get from Merge and grants and shit.” The effects of the alcohol were noticeable to Hazel, but seemingly not to anyone else.

“It’d be great if you got to do some shows in New York or L.A. or something.”

“Shit-yeah!” He raised his glass. A tiny bit of beer sloshed over the side. “Whoops,” he said as he brushed it off his jeans.

Marshall turned from his conversation with Piers and Mattias on the couch, grinned widely and motioned for Hazel to come around and sit on his knee. She smiled, waved and blew a kiss, but laid claim to the seat just vacated next to Pilar instead. Marshall put on his hangdog face. Hazel laughed, but remained where she was. Pilar poked her tongue out at him. “Nerds smell,” she said and held her nose.

"Well, so do Darkies, so there."

She poked her tongue out at him again.