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Raz called round about eight in
her usual style. This meant a routine of leaping over the garden fence,
kissing the dog and removing his paws from her shoulders, waltzing up the
path, then half kicking the door down with her plimsoles - the only thing
disruptive enough to get attention in this busy household. This always
happened when Raz called.
Five and a half seconds later, Raz found herself being physically booted out of the house under a hail of small kids' toys. Rose followed her more slowly, and without the missile attack. "Don't you be late coming in now, Rosa !" yelled Rose's mother from the door in her apron. Rose signalled some kind of agreement, or at least acknowledgement, whistled the dog, and followed Raz over the fence. "Come on !" laughed Raz, swinging round a nearby lamp post like a cross between an olympic gymnast and a circus clown, "Let's go !" "Okay, I'm coming, " called Rose, strolling along behind in a perhaps more mature fashion, although it was only a calculated measure. She looked elegant, like a queen, seemed bored, yet there was a secret twinkle in her eyes behind the shades, and the faintest trace of a smirk on her well composed face. The dog mirrored her. "So, where we heading ?" asked Raz, leading the way. She kicked a
pebble along energetically, exaggerating every kick. "How about Jak's Caff ?" suggested Raz from the roof of a nice car.
"Jak's Caff is fine, but you really shouldn't do that, you know,"
although she wasn't that bothered really.
"Yeah, but why not ?" asked Raz as she leapt onto the pavement beside
Rose, "Who does it hurt ?" She spun round like a body popper.
"No-one, except us when we get nicked of course." She strolled on, it
always being us and we, not you or me.
"Fair enough !" laughed Raz, stripping leaves off the hedge. "You got
any money ?" She scattered leaves about the pavement.
"Yes, I got any money, my Razamataz !" she smiled finally. And so, so
did the dog.
"This is going to be one fabulous evening !" laughed Raz in response to
the smile; but Rose regained her semi-emotionless face.
Raz ran off up the street madly, and bumped into some double chinned,
once well dressed, be-stubbled old man. He pulled back in fright at the
youth, and this angered Raz, but she managed to stay calm.
"I'm sorry," she said, "Just an accident, Mr Rogers. Are you alright ?"
She looked humble, roughly.
"Yes, I'm quite alright, thank you. Now make sure you're more careful
in the streets; there could be a more serious accident. And remember you
have to hand that History in on Monday, Amanda, I don't want it late
again, you understand ?" He looked at her severely.
"Oh yes sir, and it's nearly finished now anyway." She grimmaced.
"Well okay then, Amanda, but don't forget to finish it," and he crossed
the road and walked away.
"Bloody hell ! Why do they always get so scared of young people these
days ?" she stormed, "We're not all muggers !" She ripped leaves off the
hedge.
"Come on, my Razamataz, don't let it bother you now - remember this is
going to be one fabulous evening." She squeezed Raz's hand for effect, and
pulled her along.
"Yeah !" laughed Raz, "I'll bother about it tomorrow !" and she jumped
up, spun Rose around, then ran about the street in circles like an escaped
lunatic. Rose snorted a laugh and shook her head. They were young and hey
would always be. The dog capered about with Raz daftly.
Jak's Caff was just around the corner. Raz dived in before Rose and got
the drinks. Then she hit the central table and sat waiting and beaming for
Rose.
"Lo, the entrance of the Queen of Talbot Street !" announced Raz
loudly, as Rose left the dog outside and entered the cafe. Their friends
looked over to the door and applauded, as all good subjects should. Jak
laughed and shook his head.
Rose just couldn't contain laughter and a smile that went from earring
to silver earring. "You silly bugger !" she laughed to Raz, "You're madder
than mad, my mad, daft Razamataz !" She sat down and projected a look of
gratitude to the cafe occupants. Her look was also of never mind to
the dog who had to wait outside.
"But you don't mind me being madder than mad, do you ?" laughed Raz.
"I don't mind !" laughed Rose, ruffling Raz's spiky orange hair
affectionately, "That's why I like you !"
"Well that's okay then !" she laughed, and drank some.
"What's this ?" asked Rose, eyeing her drink suspiciously.
"Arsenic Tea of course !" Raz said simply, for it was an everyday item.
"Here's to us !" and she drank some more.
"Oh well, okay, and here's to us !" so she drank some. She regained her
carefully calculated and composed image, and maintained it.
"My Razamataz - please come down off that Jag - we'll get nicked !" It
was late of the evening, well after closing time, and they were on their
way home drunk.
"No we won't, Rose, we'll be alright !" but she came down anyway and
fell about the pavement madly.
"Thank you," said Rose, and the dog agreed.
"But there's a nice Porche, a Carrera." She moved towards the car.
"No Raz !" warned Rose, and she grabbed her arm.
"No Rose !" she yelled back, "Stop telling me what to do 'cos it gets
right on my nerves." She moved towards the car but Rose held on tight.
"Raz-"
"Get off me !" snapped Raz, "Just leave me alone !" Rose let go and Raz
went over to the car, but didn't get on top of it. The dog whined.
"Raz ?" she asked, "Razamataz ?"
"Rose, " she pleaded, "Rosa-" she cried.
"Okay, I'm here Razamataz," said Rose, and she put an arm round the
sobbing woman.
"Oh, Rose," but she couldn't speak for crying; clung instead.
"It's alright, Razamataz."
"But-"
"We're okay, Raz," she insisted, "We've only drunk too much, we're a
bit daft, but there's no harm done." She smiled through her own tears.
"I'm sorry Rosa," she sobbed, "I didn't mean what I said, I just don't
know when to stop being stupid, do I ?" She sniffed.
"You'll learn it, Raz !" she smiled.
"Yes, I suppose," sniffed Raz.
"You will. You're alright now, eh ?" Rose smiled more.
"Yeah," she sighed, "You're my good mate Rose."
"Don't be silly, let's be going home." They moved off. Raz ignored the
temptation of many parked cars. The dog comforted her.
Back at Rose's house, Rose made the Arsenic Tea. Raz was fidgety, but
not explosive. She played with the small kids' toys lying on the table,
instead of dancing on the ceiling. Rose put some Anthill Runaways
quietly on the kitchen stereo and took Raz's hand.
"Look," she sighed, "That was only a slight misunderstanding after too
much beer. Nothings's changed, we're still the same yound Rose and
Razamataz." Raz looked doubtful. "So just you act my same mad, daft Raz !"
She smiled over the Arsenic Tea and squeezed the hand.
"Your same mad, daft Raz ?" she pulled a face.
"That's the one !" agreed Rose, lovelyly.
"I know but-"
"No - I want my Raz per usual !" she was insistent.
"Okay, I'm sorry about this evening, but more importantly - how easy do
you think it's going to be to keep the party we're just going to have
quiet enough not to wake up your folks, my Rosa ?"
Rose was relieved to find Raz recovering herself young. "I don't know
Raz, but knowing you - it won't be easy !"
"I don't know what you mean, " laughed Raz, leaping up.
"Yes you do, my mad, daft Raazamataz ! Drink your Arsenic Tea !" Raz
laughed loudly. "Shhhh !!!! My mother'll kill us if we make too much noise
!!!!"
"Oh, I know Rose, I'm sorry." She tried to look sorry. That made Rose
laugh and she choked on the drink.
"Shhhh !!!!" laughed Raz, "Your mother'll kill us if there's too much
noise !!!!"
"Bloody hypocrite !!!! My mad, daft Razamataz !!!!" They happened to
laugh and choke on their Arsenic Tea until the early hours of the morning.
Raz was mad and Rose couldn't maintain a straight face. They were young
and hey would always be.
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© Scarlet Sa 3 December 1988
| Note: I wrote this short story for an English assignment, 20 days before I came out of the closet, 20 days before I first kissed a woman. The story is typical of the difficult double life I was living, between being unable to tell anyone how I really felt, and desperately wanting to tell the whole world. So I either wrote and spoke in non-gender specific terms, or I wrote about women without explicitly stating their relationships with each other. You can read my coming out story here. |