AUT Master of Creative Writing Thesis Exegesis - Scholarly ...

AUT Master of Creative Writing 2008
Shorty © Michael Botur 2009
With no money, I had to walk to work. Toyworld’s ages from B-mart, it
sucked. The walk gave me time to think about things. I wished I’d asked
Flaurel to spare one of her wallets.
On my break, I Googled the ladies but couldn’t find any evidence that
they existed.
Matel led the ticket collection the next day. Squeaky trailed
meekly behind, getting shown how the job was done properly. Squeaky
whacked his head on the railing where the straight people hang
themselves - that’s what you get for staring at model boobs and not doing
your job. Truth be told though, Polly’s chest is mostly padding.
Matel asked what he could do for the girls. Usually a bloke jumps in
and pays for them coz they’re pretty. I’d already paid my share the other
day, or tried to at any rate. This time, Flaurel peeled out a hundy from a
wad of the same in her purse. She held it away from her like it wasn’t
hers. Blades of morning sunlight coming through the windows made the
watermark stand out. We were all staring at it, at her, at those stripes of
hers. I didn’t want to picture Polly wearing that jacket when she got to
Flaurel’s age. Hopefully by that age Polly would have her own train.
Matel told Squeaky he couldn’t change a hundred and Flaurel said,
‘I’m afraid you’ll have to.’
‘We cannot change, my fren.’
‘I’d best take my money somewhere else then,’ Flaurel responded. It
made Matel go red with frustration, but not red like Polly. Polly was
blushing to the max. She looked like an embarrassed geisha. The bloom
complemented her lavender skirt, purple leather belt, boysenberry beret.
Flaurel didn’t talk to Polly, but they sat side by side. Their posture was
better than anyone’s on the train – they looked bloody uncomfortable. At
B-mart, Matel tried to take his problems out on Squeaky. I stood behind a
pillar and watched them go at it, making extra noises as the trains rolled
in and out. I heard Squeaky going, ‘The mOdel dAughter though bro, did
you sEe her? Did you sEe her?’
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