This is extremely vivid,
and begins as though I am watching a film
of an old Asian woman who lives alone
on a beautiful, yet remote island.
Only she’s not really all that old- maybe 60 years only,
and her hair reaches the ground and is so black and gray
that it’s almost violet. Beautiful hair.
And only, she doesn’t live alone, she lives with a man,
I think he’s British, about her age, but not half as wise..
And while the island is remote, there are a few small villages,
and she lives near enough one of them.
The island looks like the one where Battle Royale was filmed,
where Weston lives- very green, with soft rolling hills.
So this woman is a telling a story from her childhood,
and suddenly she is a child- shiny bobbed hair swinging
and a perpetual frown (of perplexity, not bad temper).
More of a forehead crease. Anyway.
Her best friend is her pet bulldog,
an ugly beast, black and white speckled
and not the cleanest, but sweet as can be.
But the village Sheriff decides for some reason
that the dog is a danger, and so comes to their house
on the hill to take the dog away. The little girl stands outside
and watches, powerless to do anything to stop it.
The Sheriff ties the dog to the hitch of the truck with a chain,
and proceeds to get in and take off, dragging the dog behind
for a short distance, just to torture it, before getting out and
shooting the dog in the heart. All in front of the girl.
She said next that after that, she never asked anybody
for anything ever again. Never held her hand out for
a few coins to buy candy with. Never again.
She made extra money selling necklaces
she beaded with stone beads and supported
herself and her family. That was a story from her childhood.
Then I woke up.
My brain is a strange place.
Please explain.
It’s far too early (far too late).
Get dressed.
Give cat four different kinds of medicine.
GO NOW.