Episode 85
It's the morning after the Sandy got to blow his cookies, and he walks into the kitchen feeling as though everyone, including Rubys pets, are watching him. This adds to the Sandmans suspicions that Paddle saw and heard what happened.
Saying good morning to everyone, he goes to make brekky. Finding no milk in the fridge, he remarks that there is no milk in the fridge (duh...) but is quickly hushed by Paddle in case one of Rubys pets, who are ready to take hostages to exchange for food, hears him. Sandys tells us they have every right to be afraid because Ruby's persian once tore its way out of a towell "like a convict whos never been hugged" when she tried to groom it once.
There are footsteps heard coming down the hall, and Lexie enters the kitchen wearing a tattered dressing gown. 'Hi' she says to everyone in the kitchen, one at a time. She drags her greetings out, as if teasing Sandy who is so tense he could crack wallnuts between his ass cheeks, if he had any. Lexie finally says hi to Sandy, then pauses, giving the Sandman enough time to think everything is going to be fine. Then she lunges forward planting pretend kisses all over Sandy's face, chanting 'i wanna kiss your body all over, i wanna kiss your body all over' ...to be continued...
p.s. When Sandy said good morning to Virginia's mum, she calls him Stuart
Episode 86
Its one week later in Bell Street, Sandy is in a meloncholic (is that even a word) mood as he comtemplates Bill and Candy moving out of number 204. Sandy is also apprehensive at the moving IN of Robert, the teacher from Brisbane. Robert represents change, and change scares the shite out of the Sandman.
Sandy also took a moment to remember his life b.t.o.f.b.s. (before 2 0 4 bell street). He rememberd the certainty of living in Pleasant Avenue, where he could gauge where he would b in thirty years by looking at his over the hill neighbours. He found comfort in this and somewhat misses it.
Sandy also confesses that he never liked Bill and Candy, but he will miss them because they are familiar...to be continued...
p.s.
this was quite a dark little episode of Bell Street, I hope Sandy doesn't stay in a bummed mood for long.
Episode 87
Sandman, Paddle, Lexie and The Guy From The Socialist Workers Party are on the footpath to farewell Bill and Candy who are retiring to Taree to get married. Ruby is still in bed. They have everything they're taking in a hired station wagon and trailer and left a huge pile of discards in front of 204. I think this is part laziness, and part leaving their mark.
There is no great ceremony or outpouring of emotions when they leave, unlike when Sandy left his Gran's house. She would stay on the footpath until the car was completely out of sight. One time they forgot something and went back and Gran was still on the footpath, waving at the wrong car.
But Bill and Candy left with a simple 'c-ya' and a couple of toots of the horn.
Sandman laments that it's an inevitable course of nature that share houses shed old housemates, a type of in with the new and out with the 'tired and old, kind of like JJJ'. Everybody walks into Bill and Candy's empty room. The dirty windows make it look like they're standing in a middie of beer. Paddle is looking forward to the 'new meat' soon to be in the room with the arrival of Robert...to be continued...
Episode 88
Its a Monday, the first real day of winter and 204 Bell St is feeling every gust of wind that sneaks in all eleven holes downstairs. Luckily for our 'anti-hero' his room faces north and therefore is the warmest place in the whole house. Unluckily the animals know this and as a consequence, there all in there, except for Bell Cat, who Sandy scared off with a fart. Sandy's also sharing his bed with the Persian, who incidently is a blanket hog. This is second pet of Ruby's his been in bed with, the german shepard being the other...
Bill and Candy have gone, and at 9 am precisely Robert enters the house, straight from his mummy's. As he stands in front of the darkest-hallway-in-the-world, Sandy remembers how frightened he was the first time he faced walking the hallway. Sandman follows Roberts foosteps down the hall, waiting for him to hit his knee on the fallen mountain bike thats been down since the first week, instead he picks it up. 'Shit'.
Paddle is the only one up, Monday is his Princess day. He is waring his matching white terry-towelling robe and scuffs, and his tiara. Sandy wanders what Robert must be thinking. When Paddle jumps in to the shower Robert promptly goes around the house turning everything off and making un-approving tsk-tsk noises. The hot and cold water taps, the tele, the radio, the heater, the fan, everything, is always on in Bell, it lessens the number of decisions that have to be made.
Sandy gets up and meets Robert in the dining room. Roberts first words to the Sandman are...to be continued...
