This is a short story I wrote during my writing class when we had
to write from a different point of view (POV).
One life is over, another will begin today at 2 p.m. I am not sad, or
nostalgic, in fact if I could feel, I suppose the thing I would be,
is relieved.
My life started just over two yeras ago. Paulo Carobeanie designed me
for his personal use. I cost a little over $25,000, including taking
care of the man who actually made me. He was my first victim. I always
thought it was pretty poor treatment for my 'father.' Natutally, Paulo
paid for a slap up do and gave a nice sum to the widow. Paulo was such
a benefactor to the people.
Strange how careful Paulo was to conceal my existence, yet after getting
me, he kept me in the hall stand of his town house. He told Gino, (who
went everwhere with him and was his lieutenant, though I don't know what
branch of the service he was in, my fater's son was in the Navy) that
even the police couldn't see the tree because of the forest. As I have
never seen a forest, I've never understood this particular remark, I
don't think Gino did either, because he just looked vacant. I was to
learn this was not an uncommon expression for him.
In my hall stand I quickly became friends with the other occupants.
Paddy was a very, old, dark, brown hawthorn walking stick. He had come
from Ireland with Mrs. Carobeanie's father. Mrs. Carobeanie's father
lived in the house. We rarely saw him Paddy said because of 'his heart'.
I don't don't why his heart prevented him taking out Paddy, but the
whole time I lived in the stand, they only went out once. It was to a
funeral. I believe it was a brother of Paulo's, but Paddy never liked
to talk about it, something to do with a black sheep. Marie says that a
sheep is an animal that humans get wool from to make jumpers to wear in
winter. I have been to about twenty funerals in the past two years and
have not once seen such a creature. So the funeral Paddy went to must
have been very special.
Marie is French and has a delighful accent. However when she gets excited
it becomes hard to understand what she is saying. She becomes excited
quite often. It is her nature. She is the most beautiful female umbrella
I have seen, though we only have three in our stand. She has silk panals,
translucent white. She said the silk was imported from China. It is made
from worms. I saw a worm in a apple once, it did not look at all nice, but
Marie's silk panals are lovely. They shine so. On her handle there are
pearls and diamonds forming the letters MC. Marie belongs to Mary Carobeanie.
She is Paulo's wife. Marie leads a very active life for Mrs. Carobeanie
takes her out every day for protection from wind, rain and sun. Marie often
complains, she is 'exhausted' and needs a holiday. We all know she is a gad
about and loves all the attention she receives from us lesser used beings, when
we want to know what she did that day. She would never swap places with Paddy.
Marie will not tell me her age but Teddy says she is 'old' as she was in the
stand when he arrived five years before me.
Teddy is a hockey stick. A brash New Yorker belonging to the young master.
Teddy is always dirty and proud of it. His surface is covered with deep cuts.
He says these are a mark of pride. He goes on about the many battles he has
been in and what each scar represents. The first three times he told me his
stories I found them fascinating, but now there are just boring. I find him
boastful and vain. He calls himself 'a jock'. I agree with Gran, he is more
of a pain.
Gran is Paulo's mother's umbrella. "I'm a nice sensibale navy blue, suitable
for my age and station in life" she says and looks pointly at Marie when she
adds "No-one will hurt my mistress to try and get their hands on me". She is
reserved and does not talk a great deal. I think she has been in the stand
longer than anyone else. I bet her stories would be a lot more interesting
than Teddy's.
Freddy is a smaller version than myself. Of course he does not have my secret.
The young master owns Freddy and is a very careless owner. He is a shiny gray
colour, not the usual dull black. This comes in handy, as Freddy is often in
the "Lost and Found". It helps to describe his unusually colouring. Freddy has
been lost so often that he has a complex about it. When the young master comes,
Freddy tries to open up and catch his spokes on the stand so that the young
master will not take him, but it never does any good as the mistress always
insistes that Robert (the young master) take his umbrella if it looks like it
might rain. It rains a lot here. Freddy has developed a stutter and thus he
does not like to talk. I'd love to hear about all the places he has been to,
airports, train stations, school, department stores, bus stations, taxi
companies and various sporting complexes. He just says "It was tttteeerrrible"
Sally said that Freddy is suffering fear of being abandoned, and loss of family.
She knows these things as she once belonged to Mrs. Mary Carobeanie's psychiatrist.
It turns out Mary had a little ' souvenir / shop lifting' problem, but now Paulo
just asks the shops she visits to send him the bill. He tries to return any
'souvenirs' he may find. He does not know about Sally being 'taken' as Mary
said she bought Sally for him. It is stange because everyone else uses her
except Paulo.
TO BE CONTINUED.
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