I had been discovered…(1980)
By a talent scout from a Girly Dancing Bar in the city! I was busking on Chapel St. with my ludicrious and absurd tap dance routine and before I knew it I was whisked away to the creepiest, hopeless bar in ALL of this world. I danced my heart out every afternoon for three hours and dollar bills appeared out of nowhere.
At one stage I had six jobs around the city as the soul less menacing man had learnt where my secret hiding place for my money lay. I knew he was dipping into it with his crafty way of entering my room. (The Night Porter did not exist I realised.) I was completely alone and knew it. I felt it. My mum was right….but I refused to give up and sometimes I worked for 24 hours straight… waitressing, dancing, getting my photograph taken for $25 a day (wearing little but a see through negligee and a painted bow like smile on my face ) I made little costumes that I would wear to these insane photo shoots but the Director thought it best if these outfits came off!! Much more artistic he would tell me!!
I would wander up and down Chapel St. looking for work in shops. I wore a red shoe and a purple shoe. I made outfits for myself and tied a million cream bows in my hair and I learnt to cover my fear in my self preserved armour. My outfits were my saviour and I created a different look for every day of the week! Sometimes three looks!! I would go to the Astor theatre and sit in laundromats to keep warm in winter. I’d visit op shops and buy little ornaments and decoratives to tizz my morbid little room up. Once a week,( every Sunday night) I’d call my mum from a phone box in Redan St. and she’d shriek when I ‘d tell her I STILL hadn’t made any friends and STILL didn’t have a proper job!
“You’re NOT going to make it over there dear! I TOLD you! I TOLD you!! You better just come back here and open up a milk-bar!”
Hoons would scream at me as I swanked up Chapel St. “How much do ya charge to haunt houses?” and I’d scream back that next time I saw them I would cast a spell on them so profound that their Penises would burst into flames.
And then I found saviour. Like a Catholic girl who finds a Church, I found a Ballroom.
(part 3 or 4)
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