💥 LIVE From Ground Zero!
📖NEW CHAPTER: Velveteen's Return!
“Velveteen, what do you mean, ‘twitchy things?’” asked Mamma Gattina.
SFX: Cue “Running up That Hill" by Kate Bush
Mamma Gattina was Velveteen's therapist. One of Velveteen's therapists.
Velveteen answered, “I don't know, it’s weird, I get like these twitchy things, where it's like, you know how when you’re just starting to fall asleep, you get like this twitch? It’s like that, only i literally get like these fits. And it's like I just literally have one after another. And it's like I actually really don't mind it, because it's like that's how I know at least I'm falling asleep. But then it was like I started getting them really bad, like I was literally thrashing around, because it's literally like apnea or something, and I'm like gasping and making these sounds -- “
Mamma Gattina: What kind of sounds?
Velveteen (rubbing her forehead): Like can't breathe sounds.
Mamma Gattina and Velveteen were sharing a bottle of Oyster River Winegrowers 2017 “Morphos” Cayuga & Seyval Blanc, "full of life and with a natural effervescence,” much like Velveteen herself.
The appetizer course arrived:
A mix & match half dozen oysters (Peter's Point, Moon Shoal, Glidden Point and Belon) with lemon, cocktail sauce & mignonette, and
Two fried fish head “small plates,” with fish sauce vin & scallions)
Mamma Gattina suggested that Velveteen should see a neurologist, because she didn't want Velveteen to stroke out.
Velveteen said, “I tried making an appointment with one after I was hit by that 2017 Ford Expedition SUV, and they wouldn't take my insurance."
Velveteen wondered if anybody else had uncontrollable muscle twitches as a result of PTSD.
That, however, was just more of Velveteen's “crazy nonsense,” as Velveteen’s mother (who was dead) constantly reminded her at such moments.
And if you had asked Saran about Velveteen's “twitchy things,” Saran would not have answered you, because Saran does not know you.
And if, truly, Saran were to comfort Velveteen, all she would need to do would be to slip her right foot out of her sandal and ever-so-gently brush her toes against Velveteen's.
As Velveteen, or Vel (as her friends called her), felt Saran’s toes lovingly caress the top of her foot, she experienced a rush of pure joy. All ten of her toes dug firmly into the floor of her favorite booth, Booth 36, at her favorite restaurant, Fine Dining Establishment. Like a bird freed from her cage, she impaled another wedge of lemon on her oyster fork, splattering more juice across the (by now) not-so-giant-anymore dollop of horseradish and the okra garnish.
And at that moment, all ten of Velveteen's LumiDecoNails toe nail stickers lit up. “Code red!” she cried, locking eyes with Saran. “We’re going on a mission!”
Next: Meet Jack!
mean, ‘twitchy things?’” asked Mamma Gattina.
SFX: Cue “Running up That Hill" by Kate Bush
https://open.spotify.com/track/29d0nY7TzCoi22XBqDQkiP?si=-kPnOakdSu2ldABDOmoFGw
Mamma Gattina was Velveteen's therapist. One of Velveteen's therapists.
Velveteen answered, “I don't know, it’s weird, I get like these twitchy things, where it's like, you know how when you’re just starting to fall asleep, you get like this twitch? It’s like that, only i literally get like these fits. And it's like I just literally have one after another. And it's like I actually really don't mind it, because it's like that's how I know at least I'm falling asleep. But then it was like I started getting them really bad, like I was literally thrashing around, because it's literally like apnea or something, and I'm like gasping and making these sounds -- “
Mamma Gattina: What kind of sounds?
Velveteen (rubbing her forehead): Like can't breathe sounds.
Mamma Gattina and Velveteen were sharing a bottle of Oyster River Winegrowers 2017 “Morphos” Cayuga & Seyval Blanc, "full of life and with a natural effervescence,” much like Velveteen herself.
The appetizer course arrived:
A mix & match half dozen oysters (Peter's Point, Moon Shoal, Glidden Point and Belon) with lemon, cocktail sauce & mignonette, and
Two fried fish head “small plates,” with fish sauce vin & scallions)
Mamma Gattina suggested that Velveteen should see a neurologist, because she didn't want Velveteen to stroke out.
Velveteen said, “I tried making an appointment with one after I was hit by that 2017 Ford Expedition SUV, and they wouldn't take my insurance."
Velveteen wondered if anybody else had uncontrollable muscle twitches as a result of PTSD.
That, however, was just more of Velveteen's “crazy nonsense.”
Velveteen’s dead mother constantly reminded Velveteen of this caveat at such moments.
Next- Part Two: Saran Comforts Vel!
Dreamstory, Chapter Three: Unitarian Church
UNITARIAN CHURCH
Barnstable Patriot, May 23, 1968
http://digital.olivesoftware.com/olive/apa/sturgis/sharedview.article.aspx?href=BAR%2F1968%2F05%2F23&id=Ar00400&sk=8FD39EEE&viewMode=image
Speaker for the 11 a.m. service of the Unitarian Church May 26 will be Louis Jacobucci, executive director of MSPCC, who has been chairman of the social concerns committee of the church and is chairman of the prudential committee. Among other activities are membership in Hyannis Rotary; he is also vice president of Cape Cod Community Council and chairman of Community Action Committee of Cape Cod.
"So, look. Miss Andrews."
"Yes."
"You understand this is a very serious charge to bring against anyone."
"Yes."
"Let alone your own brother."
"Yes."
"It never happened."
"Well, actually, it kind of totally did."
"You are deluded."
"Well, that may be, but I would submit that my mental health history is a result of having stuff like that done to me in the first place."
"You lie."
"I don't, actually. In fact, this is the first...
Dreamstory, Chapter One: What Happens At The End
By Velveteen Andrews
"What?!"
"I didn't say anything."
"How can you say such a thing?"
"I'm not going through this again."
"What do you mean?"
"All this -- denial. I'm done. I'm just going to say exactly what happened as I remember it."
"It never happened!"
"The reason I know it happened is that I renember it. I was eight years old. My brother was twelve years old. I was able to recover the date because I remember at some point in the week preceding the event, our father for some reason had told us, I'm going to be speaking at the Unitarian Church this Sunday at 11:00. It did not seem weird to me at the time, because he was always out of the house anyway. Plus all he used to when he was home was harangue me, so good."
"You lie."
"In fact, I remember thinking, it made sense that he would get something going on Sundays, because that was the only time he was ever even around anymore. Weekdays he was working, of course, and weeknights he was always at one of his many, many important community ...
