standing in a corridor

There are many rooms in the House of Masks to suit the comfort of each visitor.

YAWN GREAT

The naked chubster with the CRAB mask stands in the corridor. It is the pose of a person who is used to waiting, who is at ease with waiting. Actually, if you can read the signs, it is the pose of a person who, metaphorically, has built a hard shell like that of a crab, built during those vulnerable moments of youth. Vulnerable moments when the power of storytelling could distract from weakness.

The naked chubster with the CRAB mask remembers the moments of grabbing a story from anywhere as if it were a personal memory: remember the time a dog bit off my ear, oh, yeah, of course I still have an ear, the doctor sewed it back on.  Surely the laughter is with me not at me.  Change the story to misdirect, redirect, use the laughter to build a shell.  Limit, restrict, make the stories less personal, impersonal, use more puns, word play.  Never join in the laughter.  Build the shell.

The naked chubster with the CRAB mask stands next to the chair in the corridor. On the other side of the chair is a small table and on the table is a book. The very book that all editions ever printed can be found in the House of Masks library. It is not a book that belongs in the library, there are multiple copies of the book in many rooms in the House of Masks. This book remains unread. Untouched and unread. What a missed opportunity.

The naked chubster with the CRAB mask worries about forgotten things, there seems to be so many forgotten things, no memories of details of how things came to be what they are. This is how things are: stories and jokes are all used as protection, the protection is against disappointing people, so as not to be the person they find boring, or the person they hate. But there are no memories of being found boring, or being hated. Why is there a protection against something that may have never happened? Is the purpose of the strange silence rule in the House of Masks to get the visitors to challenge the baseless weaknesses in their own personality? And how do the visitors get passed the vulnerability of not being able to talk? Perhaps the shell of the CRAB mask will be the metaphoric as well as physical protection.

The naked chubster with the CRAB mask’s thoughts drift, imagining someone standing in this very corridor. A lucky version of the chubster with the CRAB mask standing in this corridor when an announcement is made: PLEASE ALL BE UPSTANDING and a beautiful youngster enters the corridor through the far door and marches swiftly down until they arrive at the person standing. The lucky version of the chubster with the CRAB mask. The beautiful youngster suddenly stops. Turns. Smiles. And they recognise each other, they are lovers. And they hug and then kiss. The beautiful youngster is naked, their skin pressing against each other as they kiss. The tannoy interrupts: TAKE YOUR SEATS FOR THE CRAB AND ITS MOTHER SHALL COMMENCE SHORTLY.

 

The naked chubster with the CRAB mask sits on the chair. It is the only chair in the corridor.

A crabwise tale of pride and regret.

So here is a story of pride and regret

Of CRAB and MOTHER and what was said

Oh you silly child, you walk to the side,

skippy left shimmy right, step forward one stride

Oh MOTHER now wait, with your silly old gait

Your lessons deflate, I could never relate

And so awkward relations as families see

Young CRAB remains as bent as can be

sitting in a corridor
They may return to a similar room, but never the same room in the House of Masks.

CRAB
/krab/ a crustacean, found chiefly on seashores, with a broad carapace, stalked eyes,...