Tobermory And The Last Taboo (Part 3)
Sebastian's solution and horse tranquilizers. (The End is nigh - one more part to go)
A few days later Tobermory and Sebastian met again and again Tobermory's appearance had deteriorated still further. Gaunt, pale and with a look of solitude about him that in another time might have spoken of a long battle with scurvy, rough seas and Kraken, Tobermory greeted his friend. Any doctor would have justly assumed him a crackhead by appearance however Sebastian knew that it was neither crack nor the perils of high seas - merely the unfortunate clash of trampolines and special needs with his friend's unusual sleeping habits that lay at the root of his ills.
"The situation has not improved then" Sebastian guessed like a man looking at a cross word clue with of the 13 of the 14 letters of stupid question in place.
Tobermory was too fatigued to mock the obviousness of his friends question "It's still awful yes" he looked down forlornly "I haven't adapted, learned to ignore or acquiesce - I live in a very modern hell" Tobermory wore the face of broken man as spoke reaching for his pint. As he replaced his pint after taking a feeble sip Sebastian noticed that his friend's hand trembled; it appeared he barely had the strength to nourish himself.
"Is it not discriminatory how downs syndrome or any other form of special needs is almost absent in literature except for the occasional mention of the odd dwarf or freak show" Said Sebastian in a doomed effort to make conversation.
"I'd never thought nor cared before, and I don't, now" Tobermory had neither the strength nor will to engage with his friend. He looked down, looked at his pint, where he lingered for a moment while considering whether it was worth the effort to have another sip before deciding against and reaching for his cigarettes instead.
Sebastian watched in shocked dismay, his friend, previously so sharp of mind and swift of action was reduced to actually requiring tangible time to contemplate basic bodily actions.
Sebastian resolved at that moment to do everything he could to help his friend's plight and rectify this crisis, as much for selfish reasons as for compassion. Sebastian was indifferent at best to most people he met, was bored by the majority of people's conversation and was definitely unwilling to spend anytime finding a new best friend if he could help it.
"You need to play hardball"
"'Hardball?' - what are you, John Fashinu now - who the fuck says hardball"
"Whatever - play tough, you know what I mean"
"Okay Madden" The amusement Tobermory derived from his friends unseemly foray into American business English lexicon temporarily lifted his spirits " Well what do you suggest?"
"Get rid of the trampoline" Sebastian had clearly forgotten all his previous misgivings about the ethics of the problem.
"Eh?" Sebastian has lost the plot thought T
"You heard me - get rid of the trampoline, break it steal it I don't know - burn it - just get rid of it" Sebastian paused to light his cigarettes and then continued "Trampolines cost a lot of money, they are not easy to come by, you knock it out of operation it'll earn you respite for a while at least maybe even forever"
"I'm not burning a special needs kid's Trampoline!"
"I'm not suggesting YOU do it." Sebastian looked at his friend for recognition of his insinuation. Tobermory, gaunt and slow in the mind did not comprehend.
"Get someone else to do it" Sebastian looked his friend fiendishly, his blue eyes darkening.
"What?!" Tobermory considered this for moment "I don't know anyone who would be willing to steal or commit arson upon payment" Tobermory thought some more - "and I doubt you do either, we are frightfully middle class you know - small time weed dealers ten a penny - professional thieves and arsonists no"
"I know people" Sebastian looked at Tobermory with a look that was meant to convey authority but would only have inspired skepticism and mockery had anyone with all their mental faculties intact been in attendance. Nobody with these characteristics however was present.
"Jesus" Tobermory's blasphemous exclamation hid his interest in S's plans; the appalling standard of living he was currently experiencing had significantly dulled his analytical prowess and he was currently suggestible to any plan that would rid him of the clapping, squeaking and yelping; no matter how obviously stupid.
"I understand you hypothesis however my K dealer is a, errr shady character"
Sebastian's K dealer was indeed a shady character. He had met Oggy (the K dealer) stumbling home along Holloway Road at 5am. Oggy had followed him off the N91 nightbus, rightly assuming that he was a middle class university student, wrongly assuming that he had any possessions worth stealing. He had shadowed him for 5 minutes before asserting that the coast was clear attempted to mug him. Sebastian had no money on his person and a phone that was worth less than nothing which he gladly offered up with a laugh to the, would be mugger before him. Oggy had ruefully laughed at his victims jovial spirit and at the feeble contents of his pockets and Sebastian with a naïve fearlessness that comes from being off your face offered his hand to Oggy and initiated conversation. Oggy, quite taken aback at the friendliness this man whom he had just tried to rob was showing him reciprocated and it soon transpired that they could be of use to each other; Sebastian lived in Oggy's neighborhood, enjoyed K and Oggy sold K. That was how they met and became 'friends', it was also how Sebastian knew that Oggy was a shady character - he had more strings to his criminal bow than merely the relatively harmless distribution of horse tranquilizer. Sebastian had found out first hand.
"And I would wager a lot of money that he knows someone who could sort your problem quick sharp" He paused then added "He's from South London" Tobermory smiled inwardly at his friends apparent belief that by clarifying that he was from South London would give him some kind of crime credentials, like a qualification on a CV.
Nevertheless, Tobermory was desperate and as idiotic as this plan was it was the only one currently available. Tobermory could not go on living like he was living.
Tobermory leaned back on his chair and sighed. "Fuck it, let's do it"
"That's the spirit" A broad grin ran across Sebastian's face "Got anything important to do tomorrow?"
"Nothing important, why?"
"Fancy a K binge tonight - tranquilize your troubles" Sebastian laughed at the killing of two birds with one Ketamine dealer "I need a pretext to meet my man"
"Why not" Tobermory reasoned that while he knew Sebastian needed no pretext for K it maybe exactly what he needed.
And with that Sebastian left the table to call Oggy, the South London born K dealer of which he spoke. The call was brief and in less than a minute Sebastian was back at his chair. "He says he'll be here in an hour" Tobermory exhaled rapidly in surprise at the apparent efficiency of Oggy. "When he says an hour naturally he means two minimum".
"I see" Tobermory was already beginning to regret the course of action they were embarking upon.
"The situation has not improved then" Sebastian guessed like a man looking at a cross word clue with of the 13 of the 14 letters of stupid question in place.
Tobermory was too fatigued to mock the obviousness of his friends question "It's still awful yes" he looked down forlornly "I haven't adapted, learned to ignore or acquiesce - I live in a very modern hell" Tobermory wore the face of broken man as spoke reaching for his pint. As he replaced his pint after taking a feeble sip Sebastian noticed that his friend's hand trembled; it appeared he barely had the strength to nourish himself.
"Is it not discriminatory how downs syndrome or any other form of special needs is almost absent in literature except for the occasional mention of the odd dwarf or freak show" Said Sebastian in a doomed effort to make conversation.
"I'd never thought nor cared before, and I don't, now" Tobermory had neither the strength nor will to engage with his friend. He looked down, looked at his pint, where he lingered for a moment while considering whether it was worth the effort to have another sip before deciding against and reaching for his cigarettes instead.
Sebastian watched in shocked dismay, his friend, previously so sharp of mind and swift of action was reduced to actually requiring tangible time to contemplate basic bodily actions.
Sebastian resolved at that moment to do everything he could to help his friend's plight and rectify this crisis, as much for selfish reasons as for compassion. Sebastian was indifferent at best to most people he met, was bored by the majority of people's conversation and was definitely unwilling to spend anytime finding a new best friend if he could help it.
"You need to play hardball"
"'Hardball?' - what are you, John Fashinu now - who the fuck says hardball"
"Whatever - play tough, you know what I mean"
"Okay Madden" The amusement Tobermory derived from his friends unseemly foray into American business English lexicon temporarily lifted his spirits " Well what do you suggest?"
"Get rid of the trampoline" Sebastian had clearly forgotten all his previous misgivings about the ethics of the problem.
"Eh?" Sebastian has lost the plot thought T
"You heard me - get rid of the trampoline, break it steal it I don't know - burn it - just get rid of it" Sebastian paused to light his cigarettes and then continued "Trampolines cost a lot of money, they are not easy to come by, you knock it out of operation it'll earn you respite for a while at least maybe even forever"
"I'm not burning a special needs kid's Trampoline!"
"I'm not suggesting YOU do it." Sebastian looked at his friend for recognition of his insinuation. Tobermory, gaunt and slow in the mind did not comprehend.
"Get someone else to do it" Sebastian looked his friend fiendishly, his blue eyes darkening.
"What?!" Tobermory considered this for moment "I don't know anyone who would be willing to steal or commit arson upon payment" Tobermory thought some more - "and I doubt you do either, we are frightfully middle class you know - small time weed dealers ten a penny - professional thieves and arsonists no"
"I know people" Sebastian looked at Tobermory with a look that was meant to convey authority but would only have inspired skepticism and mockery had anyone with all their mental faculties intact been in attendance. Nobody with these characteristics however was present.
"Jesus" Tobermory's blasphemous exclamation hid his interest in S's plans; the appalling standard of living he was currently experiencing had significantly dulled his analytical prowess and he was currently suggestible to any plan that would rid him of the clapping, squeaking and yelping; no matter how obviously stupid.
"I understand you hypothesis however my K dealer is a, errr shady character"
Sebastian's K dealer was indeed a shady character. He had met Oggy (the K dealer) stumbling home along Holloway Road at 5am. Oggy had followed him off the N91 nightbus, rightly assuming that he was a middle class university student, wrongly assuming that he had any possessions worth stealing. He had shadowed him for 5 minutes before asserting that the coast was clear attempted to mug him. Sebastian had no money on his person and a phone that was worth less than nothing which he gladly offered up with a laugh to the, would be mugger before him. Oggy had ruefully laughed at his victims jovial spirit and at the feeble contents of his pockets and Sebastian with a naïve fearlessness that comes from being off your face offered his hand to Oggy and initiated conversation. Oggy, quite taken aback at the friendliness this man whom he had just tried to rob was showing him reciprocated and it soon transpired that they could be of use to each other; Sebastian lived in Oggy's neighborhood, enjoyed K and Oggy sold K. That was how they met and became 'friends', it was also how Sebastian knew that Oggy was a shady character - he had more strings to his criminal bow than merely the relatively harmless distribution of horse tranquilizer. Sebastian had found out first hand.
"And I would wager a lot of money that he knows someone who could sort your problem quick sharp" He paused then added "He's from South London" Tobermory smiled inwardly at his friends apparent belief that by clarifying that he was from South London would give him some kind of crime credentials, like a qualification on a CV.
Nevertheless, Tobermory was desperate and as idiotic as this plan was it was the only one currently available. Tobermory could not go on living like he was living.
Tobermory leaned back on his chair and sighed. "Fuck it, let's do it"
"That's the spirit" A broad grin ran across Sebastian's face "Got anything important to do tomorrow?"
"Nothing important, why?"
"Fancy a K binge tonight - tranquilize your troubles" Sebastian laughed at the killing of two birds with one Ketamine dealer "I need a pretext to meet my man"
"Why not" Tobermory reasoned that while he knew Sebastian needed no pretext for K it maybe exactly what he needed.
And with that Sebastian left the table to call Oggy, the South London born K dealer of which he spoke. The call was brief and in less than a minute Sebastian was back at his chair. "He says he'll be here in an hour" Tobermory exhaled rapidly in surprise at the apparent efficiency of Oggy. "When he says an hour naturally he means two minimum".
"I see" Tobermory was already beginning to regret the course of action they were embarking upon.
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