Last Friday I decided to take up a long-standing offer to attend the infamous weekly Bump, the hedonistic drinking session (granted with, by the addition of an official rotating Bump Chairman, a nod in the general direction of respectability) held every Saturday, the aim being twelve hours of straight drinking.
During the consumption of alcohol, various unpalatable animal parts, and the complaint that my friend Gino had received too large a piece of dasheen in his fish broth, the issue came up of my blog in general and the "Cumae" part of the url in particular.
Since I recently received a confidential message from the Vatican that my own beatification process is going to take a couple of millennia longer than previously expected, I can say without hesitation that I do not often find myself in the company of saints. I had to endure a bit of ribbing about my inclusion of the word "Cum". Since I didn't get a chance to explain the origin, I will sort of do that now. "Cumae" is one of the more central stories in Fictions. The events in "Cumae", ironically enough, are in fact reflective of the sort of lifestyle of once led by the Bump membership although there has been some maturity of the years, perhaps best evidenced by the (ahem) shiny, circular piece of jewellery visible on Gino's hand. The characters are nearing their mid-twenties, while most of us are pushing thirty hard. Historically, Cumae was like Georgetown a city by sea and that is about all the allusion I am willing to hint at at present.
"In the plain, undramatic light of the room and with the water and the coarse, harsh-smelling soap having stripped her body of the sheen of sweat, something essential about her has been eroded. Faced now with the reality of her, with this metamorphosis – this butterfly regressing to a sad, damp, half-formed pupal creature – his lust fails him...
...For the next half hour is the thrust, the reeling room, the taste of cigarettes in the air around her face, the surprising, ironical wince of pain, the obstinacy or amnesia of red-polished nails, and what ends it is not that final ecstatic plunge, or even a parody of it, but a knock on the door..."
Excerpt, "Cumae", Fictions
3 comments:
This young scavenging, sponging fellow who purports to be an aspiring writer was extended an invitation to join a few friends at a specific weekly location to indulge in some free food and drinks. He then decided to hobble over to Oasis Too and break the sacred protocol after freeloading on the people’s wifi.
Now this chap who unlike us, partially blogs for a living, decided that he was going to eat the people’s food, drink their beers and then write nasty things about them. He even went as far to post a picture too.
However, he failed to mention that while the animal parts may have been unpalatable to him and the vegetables offending he still proceeded to wolf it down his hungry throat. He was even seen mixing these unpalatable parts in a large bowl of fish broth.
This boy needs to learn to keep his mouth shut when he eats and drinks and splurges on people’s good faith. What happens on there, stays there boy and there is no exception.
Just imagine that even your friend Gino had remarked earlier that he was surprised you hadn’t yet shown up given the fact that you were starving and there was free food and drinks on the table. This is how you repay the sanctity of the Bump my friend? You are truly a scavenger indeed.
You have been warned. Next time is some coconut oil in a hot Pacu broth for you.
Mr. Cum-ae, you've breached a cardinal and sacrosanct rule of the Bump. Whatever happens at the Bump stays at the Bump. The Honourable Chairman has rung me to indicate a motion will tabled to discuss this fatal breach of the standing orders and the requisite penalty to be applied. At an appointed time you will be required to present yourself and defend your actions. You may, or may not walk with your legal adviser. The ultimate penalty is immediate withdrawal of your visiting status and excommunication. Your contacts over at the Vatican will no doubt advise you as to the effects of the principle of excommunication.
Antagonist: What a "busing" down indeed. That was a mighty good peppering down of the scavenger. Pacu broth fo he backside next time without any beers.
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