Billy Ray

Billy Ray
by
Bob Conder
9/23/2012

  Dorothy was always cold, even at night by the fire she would hold a blanket tight to her chin, feet tucked up with knees to her chest. Daddy said she needed to eat more, “to put some meat on those bones”. That's why summer was a much happier time. Summer brought warmth to those bones.

    Dorothy liked to play in the meadow with dolls and teapots. She held the most wonderful tea parties, and everyone would smile and comment how wonderful the cakes where, even if they were made of air and imagination. She never wanted her world to change. Nonetheless it did when Billy Ray moved to town.  

     Billy Ray was a kind soul, almost nice to a fault, slower than most kids his age. Daddy said he had a hard birth and didn’t know how to breathe or something. Dorothy didn’t mind, she was just happy to have someone to play with, the two where together most days, sometimes even into the night. It was nice to have a friend who liked dolls and tea parties in the meadow. But Billy Ray had a mean brother, Charles James.

     One day, about sunset, Dorothy and Billy Ray were having a wonderful party. All the very best people had attended and everything was delicious. Mrs. Wheaton and the Chauncey sisters were the best hostess ever imagined. That was the day Charles Ray came looking for Billy Ray.

     Later everyone would ask her what happened. She really didn't understand. Charles Ray had found them in the meadow and for the first time saw the dolls and the tea party. He didn’t want to play, he began screaming, and calling Billy Ray names. Charles James kicked the dolls and stomped on the teapots, breaking them into a thousand pieces. Dorothy ran away as fast as she could.

     Sometimes on a cold winter’s night, Dorothy was jealous of Billy Ray. He was warm in the ground now and no one could call him names, or hurt him anymore.

   

Lazy Day

9-2-12  

   Today was one of those days. It started weeks ago working on a new film project, which means long days on set, e-mails afterwards, meetings in the morning. One doesn’t really notice the effects due to lack of sleep and improper nutrition, until about the third weekend. This is were I am.

     I arrived home last night about 1:30 AM, took a few vitamins and a pain pill for my knees. After long days of standing they ofttimes keep me awake as I try to find the perfect position for the back, the knees, the pillows.

     In recent years I have taken to sleeping with a foam pillow under my head, one of those expensive ones my wife bought, and a flimsy pillow over my head. The second is positioned just right to cover my eyes from the bright clocks we have each positioned on the night stand within easy reach, and the sounds of the dogs snoring.

     Yet this morning I slept hard. The only reason to even move was the crying of my bladder threatening another explosion and our small poodle licking the salt off my arm. Love the dog, hate that habit. I arose took care of business, let the dog out, and went back to bed sniffing and coughing.

     Most film sets will have a cold , or the flu, or a sniffle, something that spreads across the crew looking for the tired, overworked, and susceptible ones. Last night I started sneezing and this morning confirmed, it was my turn.  I had caught the set cold.

     As I tried to make the most of a day off all my plans changed, no church, no visiting the kids in their new house, not even sleeping on the couch between football plays. I finally crawled downstairs and made a bologna sandwich, drank a Diet Coke and moved to the office to check e-mails. Nothing new but some junk mail, one reply to a book I ordered long ago that somehow never came. They said they would refund my money, which means, “We will keep your money until you purchase something else from us.” So I did, two books this time. Michael Vey part two, and a Nikki Heat book from the TV series Castle, which is suppose to be the fictional writer from the shows real novels. Both are easy reads but fun.

     After a few games of spider solitaire, my eyes were heavy and crawled back to lay down for a few minutes. Four hours later I arose as my lovely wife was getting ready to leave, the kids had not called off dinner due to my illness, I just was not now welcome. Back to the kitchen for a burger, then the couch for some TV. After eating a bag of bugles and flipping amidst games shows, old movies, and searching for football, I gave in and took a shower.

     As I finished the rinse cycle my wife arrived home and came to check on me. She laughed saying, “So your getting all cleaned up to go to bed?”
“Yes I am.” I replied, “I thought you would appreciate it.”
After a few more moments on the computer, I will go watch TV with her, eat a few sweet somethings, and go to bed, having never left the house, or putting on more than my pajamas.