Monday, September 24, 2012
Tara Part: Act one, Scene three.
Tara Part: Act one, Scene three.
By Mark William Darus
continued from previous act:
<“Top of the World, Doc. Nice to be here, let me tell you!”
“That is good to know, Bill. Where did you co-”
Cutting off Grimly, Bill enthusiastically exclaims: “Congratulate me!”
“Oh, is today special Bill, and if so, why is that so,” Grimly fights to maintain composure.
Beaming with an ear to ear grin that looked more evil that happy, he informs them, “Today’s my birthday.”>
Act one, Scene three
Locked in fully as things get more intense by the second, Grimly smiles at Bill and extends his hand to shake it. His eyes move slowly from Tara’s swaggering movement to the orderlies and the LPN.
Bill, still smiling like the cat that ate the canary, reaches to grasp it.
“NOW!” Grimly yells setting the room into motion with sudden urgency.
“Wha-” Bill chorts as the biggest of the two orderlies grab to purchase hold as the LPN shoots him with a strong tranquilizer.
Exhaling quick, feeling sweat build on his brow, Grimly says, “Good Work, everyone!”
“What the FUCK did we just see, Doc?” the biggest of the strong-armed men said slightly out of breath.
“I’m not really sure. I’ve never had one born before me…”
The unison of the hive-mind buzzing with unspent energy causing disruption most profound. Single brain attempting control with input crashing in from 5 sources all at the same time. It was like that of turntable in an old railroad yard with many important locomotives going for the main spot to fulfill their obligations.
“Like we weren’t drugged enough?” Kara cuts through the huge amount of white noise.
“Just more loo-fuck wankers holdin’ us down, mates!” Ebony slashes across an open channel.
“I think I’m going to be sick,” Phil’s weak voice whimpers.
“My Birthday! My damn Birthday and I got stung? This shit is not happening!” Bill sounding firm and unyielding.
The wasted body soon strapped to the bed gazes upward with eyes glazed over as if a light coating of Elmer’s glue had been applied. Fuzzy world to see.
Far fuzzier to live in.
“Dear Lord, why? Why is this happening? Why does this keep happening? I didn’t hurt anyone at all,” Tara’s mind mutters on, eventually closing the chatter from the others that annoy her so deeply. Her mind taking in the room she’s rolled into. The bright smell of the tiles above her, sounds of the greenish walls surrounding her and the taste of the History Channels documentary on the invasion of Normandy Beach.
Finally falling into the peaceful realms of gentle sounds of burbling water over rock, gently clouded blue skies pleasing to the viewer mixed with scents of fall looming over with that of fresh cut grass. Serenity deserved, Tara falls to sleep.
Alone with herself, Tara tranquilly begins to dream.
She is standing in a long flowing deep blue nightgown, her long dark hair dancing with the warm gentle breeze that crosses. Behind her is a misty landscape of green meadows rising from dense forest between two rises with bluish/grayish skyline in the center.
Scents of heather and lilac dance in her nose, bringing a smile to her face so calm and restful. The timid rustle of the strong leaves of oak and maple trees engulf her, planting her in this place of triumphant nature.
Turning slowly, taking in as much as she can for as long as she can, she raises slender arms to the heavens as she leans her head backward, eyes closed. Tara’s mind goes to a song she’d heard long ago, Why, by Annie Lennox, and how, in this place, she can ponder such things by herself.
Tara looks down to where her feet are planted. Her eyes are treated to the billowing silky sheath on her and how her breasts look small, but firm. Traveling down, spotting her bare feet standing on what appears to be rough granite. ‘good place to stand now, isn’t, it?’.
Tara’s heart is soaring and free.
She is at one with all around her.
“I don’t mean to disturb you, fine lady, but I’m sort of lost. Can you help me, please?” a man asks her with a tone of true sincerity.
Looking toward the voice, Tara twists her frail body to meet its maker. “I’m not sure I can, sir. My name’s Tara. And yours?”
He’s gazing at her like that of a lover waiting to hold the one of his desire.
“My name’s Bill. Very nice to meet you, Tara.”
Beautiful landscape shifting about with the movement of the sun creating a swirling effect surrounding them through dancing shadows and mist.
Through the tossing clouds, a single beam of light from the sun lands upon them.
Tara and Bill embrace. Like that of lovers wanting a comfy place to lay, they draw each other closer.
As a dream can soon become a nightmare.
Mark William Darus 09242012
Friday, September 21, 2012
Brooklyn Memorial Messenger blasts into cyberspace: a satire.
The Brooklyn United Methodist Church Messenger.
We’re now online!
Our proud mission statement: We put the mess in Messenger!
A few words of worthy note about the summer that just graced us!
By Gloria B. Goode ( a tried and true blue-haired lady controlling all aspects of this church.)
What a blessed summer we have just shared! No floods in Northeastern Ohio. Pastor Rodwigweez shared with me the savings the church had in regards to the lack of grass cutting we had to pay for due to the lack of rainfall and the evil rising of gasoline prices.. He shared his words, via an interpreter, with me.
“¡El sello que tenemos para un césped, enormemente porque el 99 por ciento de nuestras tierras es alquitranado, nos salvó 20 dólares este verano!”
Did I forget to mention that we are multi-lingual now? Use the Translator link below for better understaning. I would like to thank Bethany Higgenspire for showing me how to do this. I am so sorry to hear about your sexual encounters with the Aldi's bag guy, but your secret is safe with me!
http://translation2.paralink.com/lowres.asp
Translation to English: “The stamp that we have for a lawn, enormously because 99 per cent of our grounds are tarred, saved us 15 dollars this summer!”
To those of our congregation that speak Korean: “우리는 잔디밭에 있어, 엄청난 우리의 근거 99% 타르는 스탬프, 20만달러를 미국 이 여름 저장되었습니다!＂
Arabic: “الطوابع التى نقوم بها من اجل خضرة هائلة بسبب 99 فى المائة من أسباب عصفت, وفر لنا 20 دولار هذا الصيف! “
And, of course, those of the Ebonic Nation: “Look, Mutha Fucka! We’s saved some Scrilla on dis schit, bro. Twenty held be better at da corna store on a few 40’s of Colt 45! Right?!?!”
In all honesty, I do not know what a ‘mutha fucka’ is, but I am sure they were pleased.
__________________________________________________________________
Other splendid events that graced us this last Quarter of 2012, ending September.
Two months ago in January, we were graced with internet access! So amazing is this miraculous new device as we can keep the world informed of our growth and beliefs!
It took me a few sessions with the youth of our church to learn to work Internet access, not to mention many a visit with my psychiatrist to understand my no longer need for a Smith Corona, to make this highly inspirational event to occur.
After a few, more than a few, Strawberry Daiquiris at Methodish, I began to understand.
Sin-<<<BURP>>>curly,
Gloria B, Goode.
____________________________________________________________________
From the David Brainless Lounge.
We’ve made many a change to the old place we once knew so well that gave our troubled youths flagrantly vandalous entry to the area above the sanctuary. We’ve done away with the shelved walls containing books no one ever read. Adjacent to a small kitchen, now completely redone with a Jamaican flavored scheme, now a equipped with a pool table, a karaoke station and a small sports bar with smoking access on the deck built by Bergstein and Irinova and daughters.
Since it’s opening, our church has made a great deal of money even after the legal suits waged against us for not cutting people off after 8-12 mixed drinks as they encountered satanic accidents on their travels home.
Let me honestly say this: We of the Church are very sorry for the anguish those that visited our Lounge brought to your family members as they were run them down on your front porches.
The revamped David Brainless Lounge has something for everyone!
We have a sound system rivaling any bar in the flats, a pool table that, to date, only has 7 rips in the fabric, and an ample smoking deck just a mere few months from gaining county engineers certification!
Truly, a good time is had by all. What happens when they pull away from our huge parking lot is not our responsibility.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
From the cyber spaced out mind of Jean Marzec.
About twenty five years ago last spearmint, I found you thinking of Chevy’s flying to the Mars as our one year olds purchased parcels of waves crashing against Fazio’s cereal isle.
Troubled by months ago when gas prices hit a Denny’s British Burger with the sound of blue, my nose clearly saw a single word, that being: Peaches are 50 feet from a month ago, smell their sweet sounds from the trunks not of cars, but of elephants.
Dr,? Is my Crown Victoria sounding like I need a 9 and a half foot ceiling as I taste Pizza Hut with my eyes?
by Jean, I AM one of the Lincolns, Marzekian...
Well, Jean, we’re sure a good time was had by all of you!
_________________________________________________________________________________
Methodish Restaurant not found guilty in multi-cult slaying!
We are so grateful to announce our fine Christ filled Methodish Restaurant, a place of food and worship was found not guilty of the multi- cult slayings 9 months ago. We had graciously sponsored a Muslim and Jewish communal event which featured the finest of Texas BBQ cuisine. We saw to it the best of Beef and Pork products could be plentifully placed for all in attendance to share under our globe of Jesus. It is not our fault each group ate from the wrong meat source. We are truly sorry for its outcome though and humbly prey all the damned heathens recover quickly.
We did outsource this to <Company name removed pending further litigation.> and they botched the food name placards.
Regardless, a good time was had by all of our congregation attending this!
______________________________________________________________________________
From the plastered Pastors Desk.
My peoples, my families, y todos los bastardos he hecho en los 2 años pasados. I love you all! Allow me to say this: Jeg likte din mikken mødre mens eders fedre arbeidet. <Norwegian>
Experience life as God makes you do, forgiveness not far away, но Вы лучше всего даете мне 10 процентов, мудак! <Russian>
Thank you,
Pastor Rodwigweez-Markov.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
From our Alumni: Where are they now?
Gerry is currently working toward building a bold mission in the heart of Queens New York. Truly a rough job amongst the heathens ahead of him in this non-English speaking world! Best of luck, Gerry!
Neil is currently facing, and I’m sure we all share this belief, a most unjust set of paternity suits across several States. Know this, Neil, at least your weren’t accused of molesting small boys, and we’re behind you 100 percent!
Heidi’s brother, Mark maddog Darus, a devote psychopath, is alive and somewhat well and still residing in Cleveland Ohio. Finding the power of mind and words once again with that of photography, he can still allow the obscure, albeit mostly sick and depressing, mix with an almost acid induced ability to create landscapes/landmines being sometimes ironic and occasionally humorous to share with others. His walk with Christ stands firm as always, unbending.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Send us your email address and we’ll send the next release directly to you online! C’mon, save us the cost of printing and snail mail. Please, join us with the lordm in this, the nineteenth century of his rayne!
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Mark William Darus09212012
The only Author of this was Mark William Darus, best known at Brooklyn Memorial United Methodist Church as Heidi’s brother, so aim any and all lawsuits my way.
Authors Note: To the few so close to me, hoping you remember my hammerings on an Underwood manual, later to an office Smith Corona typewriter, I hope this makes you smile.
To those I have come to be graced with your presence over the last 8 months or so, this was a sarcastic view of the newsletter my church of youth sent out to its flock. Decades ago, I typed out lampoons of such newsletters and caused a few to laugh with tears. I’m sure most of you won’t catch the humor and that’s okay, but god knows, its essence is fairly accurate in its absurdity. Frankly, I think my editing was better that what we read back when, but that's my ego talking, mates!
Look at this as my type of a Monty Python view of the Methodist Church some 30 years ago.
Thanks to Heidi and Dave H: You have no idea how much fun this was for me to write! Thank you. God Almighty, I so love the freedom a good non sequitur!
Tara Part: Act one, Scene two
Tara Part: Act one, Scene two.
Shout it out loud.
By Mark William Darus
Continued from part one:
<Watching Tara before him, he asks. “Tara, would you like a cheeseburger?”
“I can has cheezzburger?” Tara asks the four word answer in three separate and distinctive voices.
“I’ll order it for you! Any condiments?”
“ketchup would be nice,” Tara says nearly peacefully.
“I want lettuce and tomatoes,” Kara states most loud.
“Tartar sauce! I need tartar sauce,” Ebony exclaims with thick accent.
“Uh, could I have anchovies, please, Doctor?” Phil inquires meekly.
Dr. Franks takes a step back as he hears a chorus of three females voices speak from that of a single mouth.
“No, Phil, we’re not going there!”
Leaving the room, Dr Franks gets several cheeseburgers with various condiments.>
Act one, scene two:
As Dr. Grimly was leaving dietary with a tray full of cheeseburgers, wondering what he’d witness as they were eaten, his digital went off with the message: RETURN TO CONFERENCE ROOM DELTA: STAT.
Quickening his pace to the elevator. The door opens and he is greeted by several associates.
“Buying your staff a pig-out there, Grimmers?”
Shaking his head, answering, “no, just feeding one..” He exits.
“Wow…”
As he enters Room Delta he sees Tara on the floor, knees bent upward while being held down by 4 orderlies. She is screaming like a banshee as sweat flows from her face reddened face.
Setting the tray on the counter to his right, he loudly asks, “What the hell happened?”
A slender, well tanned blond LPN look at him, shaking her head. “I have no idea, Dr. I was doing my rounds down the hall and I heard screaming and thought I should investigate it.”
“What did you find when you entered?”
“She was on the floor pretty much the way she now except she was punching her vaginal area.”
Grimly looks down at Tara, still fighting to break loose from the orderlies.
“Dr.” the LPN speaks slowly. “If I didn’t know any better, she looked like she was. Well, giving birth.”
“Oh, no.” he says while he bends down, getting closer to Tara. “What’s going on, Tara?”
In an instant, her faces changes, redness fading, and the heavy sweat ceasing rapidly.
“WHAT THE FUCK DO YOU THINK’S HAPPENING, DICKHEAD?” Ebony’s pissed off voice blasts, her sharp eyes sending daggers at Grimly.
“Sorry, Ebony. If I knew I wouldn’t have asked.”
Ebony’s face begin to lose it’s rigid edge, her eyes becoming nearly foggy.
“Uh, Dr. Grimly, this is Phil. I think she’s having Bill’s baby. I could be wrong. I spend a lot of my life being wrong…”
The LPN steps back, watching the sudden facial changes before her.
“5mg’s of Hal, STAT, before she’s starts breaking bones.”
He is handed a syringe which he quickly administers to her.
Warmth covering the body on the floor. Drowsy, eyes closing, falling into drug induced rest.
The Dr. nods at the orderlies to let go. Slowly standing, their muscles aching mildly, wondering what they had just seen.
With inquisitive tone, the LPN inquires, “Dr. Grimly, is she multiple?”
Turning his head as he raises it, looking at her while nodding ‘yes’.
“My God! Dr., is there anything else I can do?”
“No, I think I have this after these good men place her on a gurney and strap her down.”
Before anyone could react fast enough, Tara stood up looking somehow taller.
“Hello Everyone, my name is Bill. I am so very pleased to meet you all!” Bill has a cocky edge to voice matching his overly confident stance, slightly cocked the left.
A person Grimly has never met from Tara smiles at him, the orderlies and the LPN.
‘Damn. Imagine how this would look if Tara were sporting a bikini.’ the Dr. ponders, shutting it down as fast as it had arisen. “Bill, I’m dr. Grimly. How are you, today?”
“Top of the World, Doc. Nice to be here, let me tell you!”
“That is good to know, Bill. Where did you co-”
Cutting off Grimly, Bill enthusiastically exclaims: “Congratulate me!”
“Oh, is today special Bill? Why is that so?" Grimly fights to maintain composure. This event goes beyond anything he's experienced before.
Beaming with an ear to ear grin that looked more evil than happy, Bill, in full command of room Delta, shouts: "IT'S MY BIRTHDAY!"
Mark William Darus 09202012
Authors Note: This being the edited, part two of the Ballad of Tara Part, though her third entry to P:SA, I feeling more at home in Tara's world. Feeling much better as I convey her story on a regular basis once again.
Perhaps you know or knew someone like her.
Part one: http://psychopathyanotherlife.blogspot.com/2012/09/tara-part-first-story-written-before.html
Wednesday, September 19, 2012
Tara Part: first story written before the world wide web.
Intro to Tara Part.
Original title: The Ballad of Tara Part
By Mark William Darus
Bright, dark, bright, dark, bright dark, lights flash above her.
THUD! The bed she is strapped to slams through a door, leading to others on her way to the emergency room arena of Mercy Street hospital.
Light and black, light and black, her pupils in a constant state of change, unable to soundly focus on anything without a swirling blur.
Unable to smell anything around her with the oxygen mask taped to her face, she wonders, ‘where the hell am I?’
Trace sounds, most distant, echoing, she hears: “her BP is steady, but her pulse is not consistent at all. We’ve got to move faster, people.” With those voices, the steady hiss of oxygen fills her ears, as the voices state: “I-I-I-I thi-thi-think we’re, we’re we’re losing losing losing her her her” echoing over and over again as if in some deep cavern.
Stabilizing her in the ER, planting her in a Suicide Watch area. Tara lays tranquilized as Haloperidol makes her physically unable to react though her mind never stops thinking, wondering, screaming madly. “Who did this to me?”
Viewing her from behind the two-way mirror, her family and some of the staff look at her with both fascination and outright horror. The amount of dosage given her, she should be knocked out cold, yet she is not and they contemplate why this is.
“She’s always had delusions, heard voices, been a changeling.” Tara’s sister speaks plainly, looking through the glass that separates them.
“Yeah, fuck, her voice even changes…” her brother trails off.
“People, have you even heard of the movie Sybil?” Tara’s eldest brother, highly sarcastically states.
Fuck them all, we’re okay, aren’t we? Tara thinks. Christ, why can’t I move my arms or legs? Damn them all to hell with their drugs, minds and shit. Fuck them all!
“hmmm, a Multiple! Can’t say I have seen many of these. We’ll treat her for now, but a better suited facility would be more beneficial for her,” an attending says to the room nestled behind the mirror.
Days pass placing Tara into a land of sedation and pleasant grounds only embraced by her through barred windows. Lost in a world she did not have any control over, she waits for her chance to bolt.
“Hello Tara, I’m doctor Franks. I’m here to help you.” a dark haired male said to her in a blank voice. Looking down at her with a look of superiority.
Tara, clamped to the very bed threatening bed-sores, wanting a shower, wanting to simply stretch her arms out. Wanting to walk and talk without drugs, starring at the man above her.
“Yeah, nice to fuckin’ meet ya. When can I walk again? Damn it, just let me move my legs a bit, fucker!”
“We can work on those things, Tara.”
“Why are you calling me Tara? I’m Kara, you worthless dickhead!”
“No, you’re Tara.”
“Asshole, no I am not!”
“Very well, Kara.” This doctor has a high knowledge of multiple personalities and responds with calm, unthreatening tone.
Her face changing quickly, as it did in transition from Tara to Kara, Phil sobs in a voice most hurt, pleading “Can’t you just let me move, a little bit, these restraints hurt.”
“In time I am most sure we can make this happen. What is your name, please?”
Face twisted, eyes crying completely, mouth twisting as it fights for non-quivering words, “I’m Phil, Dr. Franks. Nice t-t-t-o meet you.”
“Sorry, Phil. It was not my intention to neglect you.”
“Thank you, Dr. Franks.”
“Tara, why did you try to kill yourself?” Franks questioned her with an easy tone, slightly shifting in his leather chair.
Looking around the tiny world around her, noticing beige walls, white tiled ceiling, grey flooring. Her throat incredibly dry, nearly locking down, she asks, in the tone of a 4 year old, “can I please have a dwink of water.”
“Sorry. Please forgive me. Of course you can.” Leaning over her, he loosens the arm restraints binding them painfully so close to her, noticing bruises profound. Turning from her, he walks to the sink and fills a glass for her and places a straw into it. He knows this will gain her trust. Small token, but meaning much to the one held.
Tara begins to move her arms about. ‘Freedom, sweet freedom , they still work! I was worried for a while there.’ She moves her fingers slowly across her high cheek boned face, liking the feeling of something caressing her more than that of air. ‘they must have gone to the way-back on the drugs.’
“Again, my apologies, Tara, “ Dr Franks says as he hands her the plastic cup.
He angles her bed to the 90 degree position as the sounds of servo motors make it happen.
Taking the white and red striped straw into mouth, she happily begins to suck. Liquid annihilating the worst case of cotton mouth in history as she takes in the best tasting water that only the deprived could now. Tongue splashed, lips wet once again as their dry cracks are engulfed and feel mercy from moist grace. Upper torso muscles more alive, mouth tasting the first thing in days.
Feeling far more capable now to address his question, she says, “I didn’t try to commit suicide.” She looks at him, wanting a rare steak and, maybe, eggs.
“Sorry, Tara, but your sister did find you nearly dead on the floor of your house.”
Looking down with a sheepish face, a wavering male voice takes hold and begins to speak. “It wasn’t Tara, Dr. Franks. I tried to kill us. We have suffered for so long I felt it necessary to pull the p-plug and end us. I really d-d-didn’t want to, please believe m-Me! I had-”
“Phil, you cocksucker! You always try to sell us out!” Kara’s voice sharp and hard like that of a 10 inch butchers knife cutting thin bloody steak.
Most diligent, recognizing the changes before him, he asks, “Kara, please don’t interrupt Phil. I promise you, you’ll have your chance to speak. Phil, what suffering is that you speak of?”
Phil talks honestly, “Confusion. We walk into a store with a reason in mind and we forget why. We buy things we don’t need or want. We wanted food and buy socks or candles and wonder why we go hungry hours after arriving home. This is misery. I gave up and tried to kill us.” Phil looks to the ceiling, gazing from that of Dr Franks view.
“Fucking wanker!” Ebony, a British accented black woman cries out as she descends her fiery glance at Franks. “Mate, you are weak! Off the trolley, buggered, no kippers. You miss Dr. Who so much?”
“And whom might you be, please,”
“I’m Ebony, mind-eater!”
“Grand to meet you, Ebony.” Franks voice, with the greatest of training and experience, wondering of the minefield he has walked into, speaks evenly.
Watching Tara before him, he asks. “Tara, would you like a cheeseburger?”
“I can has cheezzburger?” Tara asks the four word answer in three separate and distinctive voices.
“I’ll order it for you! Any condiments?”
“ketchup would be nice,” Tara says nearly peacefully.
“I want lettuce and tomatoes,” Kara states most loud.
“Tartar sauce! I need tartar sauce,” Ebony exclaims with thick accent.
“Uh, could I have anchovies, please, Doctor?” Phil inquires meekly.
Dr. Franks takes a step back as he hears a chorus of three females voices speak from that of a single mouth.
“No, Phil, we’re not going there!”
Leaving the room, Dr Franks gets several cheeseburgers with various condiments.
Mark William Darus 09192012
Authors Note: This is the very first entry, somewhat changed, in the Ballad of Tara Part.
This is her entry to the world of psych wards, insane assylums and what some might call a journey into mental health. There will be more to follow this entry as it ties into the entry of Tara: Room of 9 Doors a few days ago.
Tuesday, September 18, 2012
Grave Addiction
Grave Addiction.
Riverside Cemetery, Cleveland, Ohio USA
By Mark William Darus.
I spent the early evening at Riverside Cemetery to take photos. I had a few thoughts crop up as I fired shot after shot. Mostly taken in Black and White, I meandered about the lengthy grounds. Interesting internal vides and sensations filling my body, those mixing with an odd feeling of being watched as I strolled amongst the headstones and statues of the monuments to the dead.
About halfway through the shoot, I made an observation: The statues had two distinct stances. The statue faces would either look nearly angry or almost sad as they looked to the heavens. The ones that peered downward toward the deceased conveyed peaceful, contented expressions.
I cannot imagine the incredible talent of those that carved these monuments. The time, effort and inspiration to create such lasting beauty in a time so far and away from power tools and a century before computers. They must have possessed well callused hands as they chiseled bodies, pillars and highly detailed faces that would last well over a century of North Eastern Ohio’s drastic weather changes. These carvers probably didn’t use gloves of any sort, making me wonder what their wives must have felt as their rough skinned hands, during tender filled moments of intimacy, traversed their bodies with both passion and love.
Riverside Cemetery was founded in 1876, just ten years after the end of the American Civil War. A more innocent time, perhaps, when the only beer around was Yuengling, and penicillin was not known until some 52 years later. Many of its residents passed well before 1928 from infections that penicillin and tetanus (vaccine created in 1924) could have cured.
Today, we’d almost laugh at such death by infection. If you ever want to view the value of growing modern medicine over the decades, just take a stroll through a cemetery that is older than 100 years. Look at the life spans in comparison then to the contrast of now.
Think about this: How many of you in the over 45 yr old crowd had grandparents placed with the cause of death being that of ‘old age.” Nowadays, there is no such thing as dying of old age unless you are over 100 years old and some coroner decides to be gracious.
Riverside Cemetery has an area called: Gods Little Acre. I did not photograph this area for reasons I will keep to myself. Its residents are those of children that died at very young ages, mostly from Polio outbreaks and lack of medications we take for granted today that are a normal part of pediatric vaccinations to protect them. This area of time, many small children passed so very young that, to me, is almost haunting. I cannot imagine the utter grief and anguish of the parent watching their child expire before their very eyes. I believe the worst fear of any parent to be this: To outlive their own children.
This cemetery is unusually quiet given its locations. A mere 100 yards from a major freeway, I-71, and about a quarter mile from Cleveland Metro General Hospital ER that seems to have an endless amount of Emergency traffic from both land and air. It is incredibly serene.
As I mentioned before, I sensed I was being watched. I don’t acknowledge paranoia with myself, but there was something there. Fine, I was walking over the resting areas of the dead, but I did get goose bumps which covered my arms. I heard one thing connect with my mind: “just do this right.”
It is my hopes you enjoy this entry. Visit a placed of those passed and meet them. Look deeper toward the monuments created for the deceased by loved ones. You’d be amazed with what you might find.
Today, I actually saw a woman hand feed a deer. She even told the deer to ’give paw’ and it did! Out of courtesy to her after sharing surprised and happy thoughts with her, I did not publish photographs of her except for her hand as she fed it.
It is no longer enough to take time and smell the roses. One must embrace all things given to us as we have so little time to share those experiences with others.
Mark William Darus 09172012
Authors Note: My parents: Ted and Marion (that's Marion with an 'O' as she'd so often tell others) and my grandparents remains reside in Riverside Cemetery. I dedicate this entry to them.
Monday, September 17, 2012
Tara: The room of 9 Chairs
Tara Part: The Room of 9 Chairs
By Mark William Darus
Rigid, chiseled facial features greet Tara in the mirror with the mildew covered shower curtain behind her. Her nose accustomed to the stench of a neglected cat-box, eyes no longer watering, stomach failing to respond with heaving motions.
The shower emits steam, hissing with the sounds of splashing water.
Lowering her head she brushes her long, this week, blond hair, eyes locking on the battery of medications before her on the countertop. Meds to control her, but more often than not, failing her.
Looking once again into the mirror, face loosening, she says, “Hey Kara, how we doing this fine morn?” Her voice happy and optimistic.
“Just glorious, and you, Tara?” a much lower toned voice says back.
“Is the water warm enough, Cara?
“Yes, Tara, I believe it is,”
“Shall we shower now?”
“Absolutely, we must, Cara.”
As Tara, Kara and Cara enter the shower warm water covers them with exquisite sensations as it journeys down a well toned body. Strawberry Purity Shampoo mix with the warm water, its steam, pleasantly fragrant, filling the tiny bathroom, obscuring the mirror across from it.
Elsewhere, a toady looking man dons a lab coat, hair ruffled from a lack of combing, wearing mismatched socks, leaves his home for a meeting with her. As he enters his blue BMW, he turns on the radio. Greeted with a song by Creed, “One, Oh one. The only was is one…” its radio blasts from the Blaupunkt sound system.
Exiting the shower, Tara , Cara, Kara meet Ebony. They begin to dry themselves and Ebony gets very agitated.
“What the fuck! Fine, don’t ask me!” a husky voiced female sporting a Tommy shirt and pink short-shorts yells at them.
“Damn, Cara, Didn’t we chuck her last week?” Tara words displaying concern.
“Yeah we did! We got rid of her by the Great Fountain last Tuesday. We had rocky road ice cream right after it.” Cara adds with confidence.
“Guess she came back, didn’t she?” Kara emotionlessly states.
Shaking a full head of wet clean hair while trying to dry it with green towel, “Guess we failed again…”
As all three of them get dressed, walking into the living room, Phil is staring at them with crying eyes. “How can you do this to me? Forget me? I’ve known you for over 9 years,” Wearing a Journey jersey and blue corduroys, he looks utterly dumbfounded.
Tara, Cara and Ebony look nearly horrified at his presence before them.
“Didn’t we-”
“Shit, it didn’t hold,” Cara cuts Tara off in mid-sentence.
“DAMN IT!” the four contrasting females yell with perfect harmony.
“Let’s get dressed already, Tara,” a calmer Cara speaks.
Leaving their dwelling, they walk to their group session of never-ending mental probing.
Not far from the five of them, Dr. Petifield Grimly stops for coffee at the Comfortably Buzzed Coffee shop. A local thrash-metal band plays an over powered version of Higher Ground highly distorted from the JBL‘s in the poorly decorated shop. Greeted by a goth-chick with at least 8 exposed body piercings, “Super Mocha Expresso Deluxe, doc?”
“Please. Wait, make it two of them.” Speaking with a voice that never left puberty behind, the 48 year old man looks at her as he always wonders: ‘what else does she have pierced?’
He pays and generously tips her.
“You got a rough one today, eh, doc?” she asks with a sarcastic edge.
“You have no idea.”
Happily, Tara speaks to the haggard looking receptionist safely planted behind thick glass. “We’re here for doctor Grimly. We have a 9 o’clock.”
“Very good, I’ll the doctor know you are in.” Yawning, she tiredly presses a button on her phone. “Your niner is in, doctor, “
“Okay, I’ll be right out.” His voice, regardless of how many strong coffees consumed, sounds nearly comatose and completely lifeless.
Buzzing sound ensues as a door is opened slowly.
Faking a smile, Grimly looks to the waiting area. “And how are we today?
Surmising the four others around her, Tara says, “Not so good doc.”
“Well, let’s all talk about it, shall we.”
Brightly lit corridor splashing fluorescents on them from dispersed overhead neon coverings. Between many office doors, the walls display photos and paintings of gentle clouds and landscapes of green pastures of vibrant flowers.
Reaching a large room with nine chairs in a circle, they sit.
“How are all of you?”
“Well, Doctor, Ebony and Phil are back, as you can see,” Tara’s voice is steady, though perturbed at the same time. Uneasily, she and others plants themselves on the chairs.
“I see, “ doctor Grimly agrees judging by the look on Tara's face. “Sorry to hear this. Did anything good happen last weekend?”
“I guess so. I broke it off with Bill.”
“Good! That relationship was not good for you, Tara. Where did you break it off with him and what did he say to you?”
Sadness crossing her face as she looked down at the floor, she quietly tells him, “by the Great Fountain. He took it pretty hard, he cried at me. It was horrible! He had his Iron Maiden tee on and his tears landed on his grey sweat pants.
Looking up, Cara nodded at Grimly, saying with low, confident tone, “he needed to be gone.”
“I agree, Cara. He did need to be gone from Tara and you.”
"How can you exclude me from this thought, doctor?" Kara asks loudly though totally lacking an emotional presence.
“But doc, he said he would return! We can’t handle this. Christ, Ebony and Phil returned. You see this, don’t you?” Cara had a desperate expression of anguish in both her posture and face.
Turning her head to the left, face away from Grimly, the voice of Tara fills the room.
“I think he made me pregnant!”
Cara, Phil, Kara and Ebony nod their heads with this knowledge. Kick off one, another emerges.
Sighing, doctor Grimly looks at Tara.
Besides himself, Tara is the only other person in this room of nine chairs.
Mark William Darus 09172012
Authors Note: Tara Part was a story I started well over 17 years ago. I came to know a woman that suffered, and I do mean suffered, from multiple personalities. I posted poetry and stories about this womans life and the changes I witnessed back on the pre-World Wide Web, when all we had was BBS systems to reach one another in cyberspace.
Tara Part is a fictitious name. It has been a while since I wrote about Tara. Writing about her always seemed painful to me. A few of her personalities loved me and they shared this with me. A few didn’t, they made this known, and I split when she happened on an abuser she later married.
To the real-life Tara, I am sorry I was not stronger back when…
Thanks to Dave T for always asking about Tara.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)