Mel found the bagel. I didn’t even know I had the bagel. I suspect the bagel came into my possession because of Lou. I have eaten some of the bagel. The rest of the bagel will be eaten by others I am now abed. Bagels matter less. Mel is showering. Mel… Oh Mel. Where do I start?
Mel is simultaneously one of my oldest and strangest friends. I’ve just had to switch the boiler back on as she’s in the shower. She knows the tarot deck I work with so she and I gave a very cagey Simon Muller a reading that I had to pull myself out of as it was so fucking on point for what I know of his existence that it simultaneously blew my mind for what Alice the artist achieved before she thought too much about it, but also it helped me remember the collaboration that has always been at the heart of Mel and I, our jig, two chaos misfits.
Mel is part of how I found Lou – her flat in Hampstead, her snake in lockdown. Now she’s here, supporting me, totally. We collaborated on Simon’s reading and it was very interesting to see the differences but also the coming together. We both read it very differently but ultimately it was an empowering read. I deeply enjoyed the shared interpretation and I felt that the spread was such that Simon could never pretend the cards don’t have insight.
Mel is now on my sofa bed, as Michelle was, as Tristan might have been. She’s adapted it though, she’s actually put a tent up on it.
It’s impressive and I’m thoroughly behind it. My friend. I’ve missed her hard. She’ll be here a night or two and I’m not expecting her to try and black my eye. We pick our friends, and we stick by the ones who make us feel better. Silly Mel… We’ve covered a lot of ground and we have fought, but damn we get each other and make good things when we collaborate. I can hear her zipping herself in downstairs. She’s been in America, in Georgia. She’s not my only friend from Georgia so I get why she’s come back here. The woman they’ve elected in Georgia … oh my lord. Look her up. If she’s a potato then it is amazing how far she’s come. It she’s a human being then … she’s still in the creche.
Bagel or no bagel, election results or none, I’ve had a great night of boozy friends. I once again bought enough excellent wine to take me to the end of the week here and then shared it all in one night with friends. This time though I didn’t drink the lion’s share. I left that to friends who don’t have a matinee tomorrow.
I’m off to bed. Half ten isn’t early but it is when you’re still writing at 4:15.
zzz please don’t ring me early
AlBarclay 