Monday, September 10, 2007

Bongy The Great & Esmerelda The Witch

August 21st 2007

I haven’t really done much work today, ok that’s a bit extreme. I have done the level of work that is satisfactory under the circumstances, does that sound ok? It’s very hard when you have to sit and manage everyone on your team, manage yourself work wise whilst also managing small crying stints in the toilets. Thank goodness my work toilets aren’t shit holes (well not literally anyways) and I could just escape for a few minutes to collect my thoughts.

I don’t think many people understand why I am so upset about Bong (my Granddad) as most people of my generation aren’t that close to their grandparents (I have to say I have noticed that children who are from single parent upbringing or from divorced families are an exception) and most of their grandparents are old and they understand that they will die within the next decade etc. Bong isn’t like a normal granddad, he’s like my dad (no offence to my dad, or deceased step dad or alive one – gosh this is complicated) my grandparents spent half a year each year bringing me up in the 80’s. My mum was very young when she had me and during her uni years and first teaching years I spent all holidays and more with Gran and Bong.

So let me tell you some facts about Bong. He is 68. He is a father of four, married to Dorothy they have lots of grandchildren, I am the eldest by 16 years. He has a big ski jump nose – I didn’t inherit it. His middle name is Gent after his mothers surname which I think sounds quite fabulous. His parents were called Doris and Arthur an anagram of which is ‘Sod It and Hurrah’ I think, well that’s how legend goes. He is amazing. He was a member of the council. He painted for years and years, he stopped in the last few years. He took me to Florida. He is a legend. He once tried to start his own landscaping business. He is an eBay and Anthony Trollope addict. I couldn’t pronounce ‘Grandpa’ when I was little so said ‘Bongpa’ which became ‘Bongy’ and stuck. He hated the book Memoirs of a Geisha. He used to make me a book a week when I was four.

That paragraph doesn’t some him up enough but it helps you all to understand where I am coming from at the moment. Speaking of the above books; I have routed them out and have been reading them this evening. Mr B was amazed that someone would put so much time and energy into something for a child when they had a full time job etc. That is just the way Bong is, his grandchildren mean the world to him.

The stories of ‘the friends’ are of a kind witch called Esmeralda and her friends Marmalade the cat and Mitch the mouse. Soon there were also their new friends Rapunzel the duck and nine hens (funny coincidence that he had bought me a duck which I named Rapunzel and nine hens the summer before) and they have lots of adventures, some featuring me. I am thinking of speaking with Cancer Research about how to get these little fun adventures published to sell for Cancer Research, does anyone know how to go about and do this?

I am also thinking of writing some new tales of Esmeralda for my cousins and siblings. Esmeralda Reborn sounds a little too dramatic though I think.

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