Welcome to the Wakefield Doctrine (the theory of clarks, scotts and rogers)
This is a Six Sentence Story post.
Hosted by Denise, the Six Sentence Story bloghop encourages all inclined towards rhetorical flights of fancy and other made-up stuff to join in each Thursday. The rules are the simplest, one prompt word and stories (inspired or otherwise incited) to be six and only six sentences in length.
Previously, in ‘the Case of the Missing Fig Leaf’…
Ian Devereaux had a tendency to wonder if he’d made the best decisions in life. It wasn’t that he hated what he did or who he was with, it was simply a matter of suspecting there was something he was over-looking in the execution of the sequence of interactions that comprises life. He couldn’t shake the feeling he was missing something. Like finishing the SATs way sooner than anyone else in the room. It wasn’t a matter of rethinking the questions, it was the fact that he didn’t believe he might not be wrong.
Prompt word:
Armour
Much as I loved to travel, I hated the hours before actually getting on the plane, pulling onto the interstate or stepping off the dock; I guess all adventure is, at it’s heart, change and the anticipation of change is a fricken petri dish for whatever latent anxiety we have clinging to us, waiting for conditions to nurture it into boundless growth.
Hazel had the day off, my travel bag was in the trunk of my car and I didn’t need to get to the airport until four-thirty, the work on my desk was rote to the point of requiring half my attention and I knew better than to leave the other half to it’s own devices; I decided to head down to the Bottom of the Sea Strip Club and Lounge, take that, higher order introspection.
Lou Ceasare was in his booth, a girl stood next to the opposite seat, her body language exhibited none of the aggressive confidence expected from someone who’s clothing consisted of a sequined tuxedo jacket, Day-Glo boxer shorts and accessorizing LEDs, it being Lou, I could hear him two booths from the door, “Listen kid, you’re not cut out for this business no matter how badly you think you deserve it; go back to school and find the life where you’re the lead actress and not special effects for a bunch a lowlifes, attorneys and bank vice presidents,” I’d swear she managed a curtsy and I walked towards the last booth.
“Sit down, Devereaux,” the thing about Lou, it was always a request, never a demand; you want to comply with his request, fine; decline, and more likely than not, nothing would happen except the humor-glint in his eyes would dim and, if you were Powerball-lucky, you might see disinterest reflected, if, that is, you were lucky and it wasn’t tomorrow yet.
“I heard you were told to get on a plane, so if you’re here for more than Rocky’s BLT Supreme, all I’m gonna say is, Ephesians 6:10-18,” watching my reaction, he laughed, it was the sound that kept our Paleolithic ancestors in their caves after sunset, “Hey, just because eight years of nuns and a parish priest with a cauliflower ear failed to make me an upstandin’ member of society don’t mean some of their stuff didn’t stick.
“So go with god and get the fuck outa my club.”
About clarkscottroger
Great description of the ‘fricken petri dish of latent anxiety’ that clings to us – well, most of us, I believe.
I like ‘lowlifes, attorneys and bank vice-presidents’. Society summed up.
And Lou Ceasare’s not all bad, is he, despite that so well-described laugh? One young lady got good advice.
What next, I wonder…
Thanks. j.
I enjoy the rascals more, sometimes, than the flat-out bad guy. Other than the extortion, racketeering and other Mob-centric interests, Lou’s just a regular guy.
you’re a wild man. good six. so much in such a restrictive genre. I’m jealous.
thanks Paul.
(you gots quite the intriguiging setup over at the latte… a diner on a State Road. Liking the personal quality of the characters as they are revealed over at Carl’s place.
What can I say? Totally drawn in from intro to vid. You want specifics? Hm…
Last 3 sentences of intro -“…might not be wrong”. Stomach ache time.
Geez, can’t pull anything in particular from Six. Just liked it. Lou and the club have become so real, was sitting in a near by booth eavesdropping.
I trust I’ve met the prompt word requirement (at the far end of the Bible hyperlink)
You did. ‘Twas there. Slick.
fer sure
I loved Lou quoting a relevant Bible paragraph with commentary:
“Hey, just because eight years of nuns and a parish priest with a cauliflower ear failed to make me an upstandin’ member of society don’t mean some of their stuff didn’t stick.”
Thank you.
Lou’s last line is just priceless laugh out loud. I always enjoy his appearances at the Six, he somehow always steals the spotlight. He probably deserves his own mini-series after the main show ends its run!
yeah, I’m with you on that… he (Lou Ceasare) has been in a previous Ian Devereaux story, so he ain’t going anywhere
(Fun fictional character Fact: the name of Lou’s place was derived from a search for strip clubs in New England and finding one that was a combination of club and seafood restaurant; on their website (I’m not making this up)… ‘We own our own fishing boat!’)
I liked Lou;s advice to the girl to become “the lead actress and not special effects for a bunch a lowlifes, attorneys and bank vice presidents”. Also nice description of the anticipation of change being like a “petri dish for whatever latent anxiety we have clinging to us”.
Yeah. Lou is one of most (including myself) Reader’s favorite characters in this series
Put on that full armour — it’s needed every day, i think we don’t know how much.
way too true
That Lou is obviously a very in your faith kind of guy. :-) Well told.
lol
thanks
I like the first sentence of this story.
Thank you R
Those hours of waiting to get on a plane can be miserable sometimes, especially if you are waiting for a delayed connected flight.
Your description of Lou’s attire doesn’t leave much to the imagination. HaHa. He gave the young woman some good advice. Hopefully she realized the value of it.
With eight years of instruction, there is bound to be something that sticks, even though there is the possibility that the message that sticks isn’t exactly what the instructors had intended.
yeah…its a funny thing (that pre-travel discomfit)… I used to get like that when I fished, (usual trips were only 5 days or so, but still)
Lou sounds like my kind of guy, much more fun than your MC
alas… the futility of living life vicariously through First Person POV lol.
I agree. (At the risk of totally losing confidence in my writing, I will admit Ian is closer to me in the ‘real’ world than Lou Ceasare (for what it’s worth, I have a couple of friends who are like Lou*)
*scotts**
** one of three personality types of the Wakefield Doctrine***
*** as opposed to certain kilt-wearing Viking wannabes from the more civilized portion of ‘the upper left’ of Europe
When the pic of Bogey comes up, I know I’m going to be in for a treat… and so I was. From Carl’s diner to Lou’s strip club. Quite a morning! Clever diversion to multiple mentions of the prompt word, too.
This serial is fun. The genre is fun. The characters… well, with characters like Lou and Anya Claireaux, they pretty much write the installments themselves.
Another well done installment.
Thank you, Lisa