Wednesday, 9 March 2022

from June 1998 It's all in the Stars a comedy with lots of me in


                       It’s All In The Stars 2016 ©

 

                          

                              By

 

 

                         Michael  Casey

 

 

 

          Louise  just  loved  to  read her stars  in  the  papers,  but 

 

gradually  she  became disillusioned,  they were  too  inaccurate,  too 

  

general,  she wanted more detail,  a personal touch, she wanted to know 

  

how her life would be.  Not "you'll have a happy day today,  a  surprize 

  

could be on its way." She wanted more, so she went to see a clairvoyant,

 

the  clairvoyant   was a gypsie who had pitched her caravan  in  the  Bull 

  

Ring.  Louise happened to be there buying new knickers for herself outside 

  

Saint  Martins  church when she spotted the sign saying "fortunes  told, 

  

cheap prices, under a fiver to know your future. "

  

           So grasping her knickers in the carrier  she climbed  the  four 

  

steps into the caravan.  The fortune teller looked like a rugby player in 

  

drag,  but that’s normal for fortune tellers,  so Louise wasn't afraid. 

  

She  had  30  mins before she had to get back to  Stats  and  some  report 

  

writing  for  Derek  the boss.  The bells of  Saint  Martin  peeled,  a 

  

lunchtime service was about to begin, as for Louise she held her breath, 

  

what would the future bring ?

 

       Michael also wanted to know the future.  He read his stars avidly 

  

in the papers,  he'd buy his shopping in Safeways, then once through the 

  

checkout he'd read his stars in all the newspapers, before discarding the 

  

papers  and leaving with just his shopping,  the papers in a heap at  his 

  

feet. He always hoped the stars would tell him when he'd meet the love of 

  

his life,  what he failed to notice was that while he had his head in the 

  

newspaper,  pretty  women were standing right next to him  browsing  the 

  

womens magazines. If only he looked up from the stars.  

  

           Fate would bring these two together, in fact they lived in the 

  

same street, but their paths had never crossed, Michael lived at number 

  

19  and Louise lived in number 25.  Michael had been a computer operator 

  

for 20 years but when the job ended he took the first job that came along 

  

, so now he was a security guard, not one of those thick ones in uniforms 

  

,  no he was a guard in the new Travel lodge hotel on Broad street,  the 

  

biggest hotel in the city.  He wore a suit and had a nice badge with  his 

  

name  on  it,  and he had a nice slim radio.  So he was an  upper  class 

  

security guard.  It was the perfect job for him because he liked  meeting 

  

people and having a gossip.

 

           The fortune teller had told Louise,  that she'd meet  somebody 

  

strong  and  reliable,  though perhaps a little  boring,  things  would 

  

happen suddenly and she'd be swept off her feet.  Louise liked strong men 

  

why  she'd  been to see the Chippendales four times,  so  she  smiled  to 

  

herself as she left the caravan,  clutching her carrier of knickers.  The 

  

months  passed  and still Louise hadn't found her Mr Reliable,  she  got 

  

offers  of course,  she enjoyed strutting her stuff in pubs all over  the 

  

Black Country her and her friend Mary.  Only the offers were always  from 

  

men just past their sell  by date, men who would buy you a pint and a bag 

  

of  chips and then want to feel more than your hips as she danced  to  70s 

  

Glamrock.  So Louise said "Sod It !", as she slapped another man across 

  

the face.  Why couldn't men be Gay without being Gay,  you know Gay  men 

  

treated you like a lady and didn't grope. Just why couldn't one like that 

  

turn up.

  

         Michael finished another 12 hour shift and was wandering  around 

  

  his  flat  naked,  scratching his bum and drinking another 2  litres  of 

  

  coca cola.  He switched the telly on and surfed teletext, his HiFi was 

  

  on too playing Genesis,  he always read the news on all channels before 

   

reading his stars on ITV channel 4, channel 5 and Sky. His whole working 

  

life involved working odd hours with even odder people, so he'd never met 

  

anybody  who would put up with his lifestyle. Now 40 was on the horizon, 

  

was  he  clutching at straws hoping against hope by reading  his  stars  to 

  

cheer himself up. Jo from the kitchen had given him a Xmas card saying "I 

  

hope  the  girl of your dreams find you in 98 ",  and the year  was  half 

  

over. Michael sighed, at least he could have a quiet cry while he watched 

  

weepies  on  Sky and the other channels.  Little Women  was  perhaps  his 

  

favourite film,  the ending where the Professor says he has empty hands 

  

& he has nothing to give,  but the girl gave him her hands and said "now 

  

they are full".  His own father had nothing when he met his mom, yet she 

  

married him, and yet he married her and her false teeth,  and they went 

  

on to have six children.  So Michael watched and wept, at least there 

  

was refuge and solace in prayer, he had taken up regular prayer when he'd 

  

 

read about Padre PIO, and when  his mother died, and to his surprize  his  faith  got 

  

stronger.  But still he longed for company, to talk with, to laugh with,  

 

to cry with,  and to wake up with. So he prayed and read his stars in 

  

equal doses.

  

        Louise slammed the door of her flat, and rearranged her  blouse,

 

that bastard had more hands than an octopus, he'd left his thumb print on 

  

her boob too,  and the bra strap was broken too. She have to go down the 

  

Bull Ring on Monday and get herself a new red bra, and new red  knickers 

  

too, it was a matching set after all. She flicked on the telly, Central 

  

Weekend was still on, Russell Grant was on,  so she didn't switch off. 

  

He was saying that a proper reading involved study.  Louise examined her 

  

bruised boob as he talked,  still listening she practised her  undressing 

  

technique,  it'd been in Mary's Cosmo three months before, so she'd been 

  

practicing it. Once she met a Gay man who wasn't Gay, he'd have the full 

  

benefit of it,  it was all about pleasing him,  so to please yourself, 

  

that's how Cosmo explained it.  So there she was naked before her telly 

  

with just Russell Grant smiling at her,  "And it’s about  examining  your 

  

potential and optimizing your best  bits ",  Louise was examining her  boob 

  

again,  and her bum, she found another bruise there. So it was standing 

  

naked before Russell Grant and a studio audience that she decided to do it 

  

herself, she'd go to the library and dig out some books. She'd form her 

  

own future, she'd caste her own fortune.

 

          Michael dried the tears from his eyes, and switched the tv off,

 

scratched  his bum,  then got into bed.  If only a millionairess would 

  

stop at the hotel and fall in love with him,  well it  happened  in films 

 

didn't it?  His stars had been contradictory as usual, so  he  just 

  

believed the nice ones. Louise had  switched off the telly when she'd 

  

glanced out of her window,  only to see a naked man get into bed. Michael 

  

was afraid of the dark you see,  so he always left a chink in his curtain 

  

and Louise by chance or was it fate ? She had seen him, he was fat and 

  

very hairy, but at least he had a big chest, she just loved men with big 

  

chests. So sniggering Louise headed for her own bed.

 

          The following Monday Louise dashed up to the Library and got as 

  

many do it yourself Horoscopes books as she could find.  There were five 

  

in fact. She'd read them all then photocopy the best bits on the  works 

  

photocopier.  No more newspapers for her, she'd do it herself, she had 

  

five minutes left of her lunch hour so she went and got a new matching bra 

  

and knickers from the Bull Ring, and some grapes too,  she just  loved 

  

grapes. Somebody was selling a telescope too, so on impulse she bought 

  

that as well, it was only a fiver. She be able to gaze up at the stars.

 

          Michael had a nice day at the hotel, people seemed to like him,

 

well in five minute doses that is, a millionairess did stop at the hotel,

 

only she was a bitch, who knew she was rich and beautiful and intelligent 

  

and she  wanted the whole world to know it.  If only she had a dose  of 

  

humility that'd change her thought Michael, would  be perfect for this rich millionairess,

 

  a dose of humility was  a good  thing, but Michael smiled and carried all her shopping 

  

and put it into a waiting taxi,  as she swore at him for not being  quick 

  

enough. But his stars had said "You will be mixing with the  rich  and 

  

famous", and so he was, by carrying her bags.  

  

  

             Louise dashed home with her carrier full of library books, 

  

she'd know her future tonight, she was a bit impetuous at times, so she'd 

  

work out her future tonight.  She saw the light go on in Michael's flat, 

  

and  she did have a telescope,  so she gave into temptation and spied  on 

  

him. e was nice,very nice, then she nearly dropped the telescope, he 

  

had a horrid birthmark on his left shoulder, a brown stain all covered in 

  

hair. He was a bit like the elephant man, Louise laughed, and then went 

  

back to  her  books.  As for Michael he put the Disney channel on and 

  

watched Beauty and the Beast,  he could empathise with the Beast,  he'd 

  

been called a beast himself because of his birthmark,  girls had run away 

  

from him because of it. They could put up with him being fat, but not the 

  

birthmark as well, that was too much. So Michael watched Beauty and the 

  

Beast and cried and cried, some say a man should not cry, but  Michael 

  

knew that was bollocks, it was good to be in touch with your emotions, a 

  

good cry  cleanses  then system. Recently he'd  started  listening  to 

  

Classic FM,  cos one of the cleaners had told him about it, and that made 

  

him cry too, how could just a few violins and so forth touch your soul in 

  

seconds. But it was nice, besides they'd never be anybody there to see 

  

him cry, so he could be true to his soul, and cry and cry. 

  

 

 

         Louise looked up from her books, she'd spent five hours reading 

  

the future was hers,  she picked up the telescope again,  this time  to 

  

look for Uranus, but the sky had clouded over. So she watched Michael's 

  

bum as he got into bed.  Louise spent weeks reading and watching naked Michael

 

she even went  to West Bromwich library in search of books, she was confident,

 

she knew she’d always be ok for money,  and that was all that mattered as far as 

 

she was concerned,  so long as she could pay the bloody mortgage and could  feed 

  

her cat Sam.  One night Mary couldn't come on the razzle, strutting her 

  

stuff with Louise, and as Louise had a bit of a cold she stayed in  and 

  

watched the telly.  Elephant Man was on, the music was good, but Louise 

  

hated the black and white,  and was going to switch it off,  but it  was 

  

compelling in a horrible sort of way.  As she watched she looked out the 

  

window and could see naked Michael, she laughed, then looked back at the 

  

Elephant Man, then she laughed "Elephant Man lives over the road, Sam",

 

then the music touched her, she felt guilty,  a silent tear fell. She 

  

couldn't bear her guilt so she got up and switched the telly  off,  she 

  

didn't  have a remote control. She put Heart FM on loud to cheer herself 

  

up, but her eyes were drawn over the road towards Michael's back, so she 

  

picked  up the telescope.  "It's not that bad I suppose, if I were  his 

  

girlfriend I'd shave it." Then she dropped the telescope, and  reached 

  

for  her chocolate, and soon forgot him, Heart FM was great.

 

         Hazel had the flu, so would anybody like tickets to see Phantom 

  

of The Opera. So as it was free Louise had it, she liked classical music 

  

too as well as glam rock, so it would be a night out for her and Mary.

 

The Phantom was great, a bit like Disney's Beauty and the Beast really or 

  

even the  Hunchback Of Notre Dame,  about  love  crossing  insurmountable 

  

barriers.  Michael had once said to his mom, that he wasn't good enough 

  

for anybody,  and his mother had chided that of course he  was,  Love 

  

Conquers All was her message. And so was the message of Phantom. Louise 

  

ate her chips on the bench outside the Hippodrome,  her mind troubled, 

  

Mary thought  she was a bit quiet.  Louise lied and said she  was  only 

  

tired.  But once home she got her telescope out and watched Michael's back 

  

as  she played the CD of the show that she'd bought. Guilt  overcame  her 

  

and she cried, she cried just like a little girl.

 

               Now sometimes fate cannot wait no longer it bursts on the 

  

scene, it  demands attention.  Louise was returning the books to  the 

  

library, she had just bought more knickers from the  Bull Ring. It was 

 

while she was crossing the road at the top of Hill Street that she  nearly 

  

walked under a bus, had it not been for a strong hand pulling at her bra 

  

strap she would have been dead.  "Pervert" was on her lip, as she fell 

  

backwards but the noise and shadow of the bus drown her words.

 

"I could have been killed," she stuttered, as she got to her feet.

 

"That's why I grabbed you, your bra strap was what saved you," replied 

  

Michael.

 

Louise looked up to see who had saved her, she looked deep into his eyes 

  

,his child like eyes.  She screamed and fainted, he caught her in his 

  

strong arms. A full minute later she opened her eyes.

 

"But it’s  you,  I've never seen you with your clothes  on,  "  stammered 

  

Louise.

 

"Pardon? " replied Michael not knowing her guilt secret.

 

"You see,  we are neighbours in Miracle Road Qangleton,  "  explained 

  

Louise.

 

"Here's your knickers," replied Michael as he picked up her carrier and 

  

it’s spilled contents.

 

"But, you  saved my life,  " said Louise,  before smothering  him  in 

  

kisses, he had saved her life after all.

 

"Let's go for a coffee in Dunkin Donuts," suggested Michael "you  have 

  

had a shock after all.

 

        And so that was how they finally met, it was all in the stars, I 

  

think they went on to have twelve children and lived happily ever after, 

  

you get a lot of family allowance with twelve children after all.

 

 

 

 

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

 

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

 



               

                       It’s All In The Stars 2016 ©
 
                          
                              By
 
 
                         Michael  Casey
 
 
 
          Louise  just  loved  to  read her stars  in  the  papers,  but 
 
gradually  she  became disillusioned,  they were  too  inaccurate,  too 
  
general,  she wanted more detail,  a personal touch, she wanted to know 
  
how her life would be.  Not "you'll have a happy day today,  a  surprize 
  
could be on its way." She wanted more, so she went to see a clairvoyant,
 
the  clairvoyant   was a gypsie who had pitched her caravan  in  the  Bull 
  
Ring.  Louise happened to be there buying new knickers for herself outside 
  
Saint  Martins  church when she spotted the sign saying "fortunes  told, 
  
cheap prices, under a fiver to know your future. "
  
           So grasping her knickers in the carrier  she climbed  the  four 
  
steps into the caravan.  The fortune teller looked like a rugby player in 
  
drag,  but that’s normal for fortune tellers,  so Louise wasn't afraid. 
  
She  had  30  mins before she had to get back to  Stats  and  some  report 
  
writing  for  Derek  the boss.  The bells of  Saint  Martin  peeled,  a 
  
lunchtime service was about to begin, as for Louise she held her breath, 
  
what would the future bring ?
 
       Michael also wanted to know the future.  He read his stars avidly 
  
in the papers,  he'd buy his shopping in Safeways, then once through the 
  
checkout he'd read his stars in all the newspapers, before discarding the 
  
papers  and leaving with just his shopping,  the papers in a heap at  his 
  
feet. He always hoped the stars would tell him when he'd meet the love of 
  
his life,  what he failed to notice was that while he had his head in the 
  
newspaper,  pretty  women were standing right next to him  browsing  the 
  
womens magazines. If only he looked up from the stars.  
  
           Fate would bring these two together, in fact they lived in the 
  
same street, but their paths had never crossed, Michael lived at number 
  
19  and Louise lived in number 25.  Michael had been a computer operator 
  
for 20 years but when the job ended he took the first job that came along 
  
, so now he was a security guard, not one of those thick ones in uniforms 
  
,  no he was a guard in the new Travel lodge hotel on Broad street,  the 
  
biggest hotel in the city.  He wore a suit and had a nice badge with  his 
  
name  on  it,  and he had a nice slim radio.  So he was an  upper  class 
  
security guard.  It was the perfect job for him because he liked  meeting 
  
people and having a gossip.
 
           The fortune teller had told Louise,  that she'd meet  somebody 
  
strong  and  reliable,  though perhaps a little  boring,  things  would 
  
happen suddenly and she'd be swept off her feet.  Louise liked strong men 
  
why  she'd  been to see the Chippendales four times,  so  she  smiled  to 
  
herself as she left the caravan,  clutching her carrier of knickers.  The 
  
months  passed  and still Louise hadn't found her Mr Reliable,  she  got 
  
offers  of course,  she enjoyed strutting her stuff in pubs all over  the 
  
Black Country her and her friend Mary.  Only the offers were always  from 
  
men just past their sell  by date, men who would buy you a pint and a bag 
  
of  chips and then want to feel more than your hips as she danced  to  70s 
  
Glamrock.  So Louise said "Sod It !", as she slapped another man across 
  
the face.  Why couldn't men be Gay without being Gay,  you know Gay  men 
  
treated you like a lady and didn't grope. Just why couldn't one like that 
  
turn up.
  
         Michael finished another 12 hour shift and was wandering  around 
  
  his  flat  naked,  scratching his bum and drinking another 2  litres  of 
  
  coca cola.  He switched the telly on and surfed teletext, his HiFi was 
  
  on too playing Genesis,  he always read the news on all channels before 
   
reading his stars on ITV channel 4, channel 5 and Sky. His whole working 
  
life involved working odd hours with even odder people, so he'd never met 
  
anybody  who would put up with his lifestyle. Now 40 was on the horizon, 
  
was  he  clutching at straws hoping against hope by reading  his  stars  to 
  
cheer himself up. Jo from the kitchen had given him a Xmas card saying "I 
  
hope  the  girl of your dreams find you in 98 ",  and the year  was  half 
  
over. Michael sighed, at least he could have a quiet cry while he watched 
  
weepies  on  Sky and the other channels.  Little Women  was  perhaps  his 
  
favourite film,  the ending where the Professor says he has empty hands 
  
& he has nothing to give,  but the girl gave him her hands and said "now 
  
they are full".  His own father had nothing when he met his mom, yet she 
  
married him, and yet he married her and her false teeth,  and they went 
  
on to have six children.  So Michael watched and wept, at least there 
  
was refuge and solace in prayer, he had taken up regular prayer when he'd 
  
 
read about Padre PIO, and when  his mother died, and to his surprize  his  faith  got 
  
stronger.  But still he longed for company, to talk with, to laugh with,  
 
to cry with,  and to wake up with. So he prayed and read his stars in 
  
equal doses.
  
        Louise slammed the door of her flat, and rearranged her  blouse,
 
that bastard had more hands than an octopus, he'd left his thumb print on 
  
her boob too,  and the bra strap was broken too. She have to go down the 
  
Bull Ring on Monday and get herself a new red bra, and new red  knickers 
  
too, it was a matching set after all. She flicked on the telly, Central 
  
Weekend was still on, Russell Grant was on,  so she didn't switch off. 
  
He was saying that a proper reading involved study.  Louise examined her 
  
bruised boob as he talked,  still listening she practised her  undressing 
  
technique,  it'd been in Mary's Cosmo three months before, so she'd been 
  
practicing it. Once she met a Gay man who wasn't Gay, he'd have the full 
  
benefit of it,  it was all about pleasing him,  so to please yourself, 
  
that's how Cosmo explained it.  So there she was naked before her telly 
  
with just Russell Grant smiling at her,  "And it’s about  examining  your 
  
potential and optimizing your best  bits ",  Louise was examining her  boob 
  
again,  and her bum, she found another bruise there. So it was standing 
  
naked before Russell Grant and a studio audience that she decided to do it 
  
herself, she'd go to the library and dig out some books. She'd form her 
  
own future, she'd caste her own fortune.
 
          Michael dried the tears from his eyes, and switched the tv off,
 
scratched  his bum,  then got into bed.  If only a millionairess would 
  
stop at the hotel and fall in love with him,  well it  happened  in films 
 
didn't it?  His stars had been contradictory as usual, so  he  just 
  
believed the nice ones. Louise had  switched off the telly when she'd 
  
glanced out of her window,  only to see a naked man get into bed. Michael 
  
was afraid of the dark you see,  so he always left a chink in his curtain 
  
and Louise by chance or was it fate ? She had seen him, he was fat and 
  
very hairy, but at least he had a big chest, she just loved men with big 
  
chests. So sniggering Louise headed for her own bed.
 
          The following Monday Louise dashed up to the Library and got as 
  
many do it yourself Horoscopes books as she could find.  There were five 
  
in fact. She'd read them all then photocopy the best bits on the  works 
  
photocopier.  No more newspapers for her, she'd do it herself, she had 
  
five minutes left of her lunch hour so she went and got a new matching bra 
  
and knickers from the Bull Ring, and some grapes too,  she just  loved 
  
grapes. Somebody was selling a telescope too, so on impulse she bought 
  
that as well, it was only a fiver. She be able to gaze up at the stars.
 
          Michael had a nice day at the hotel, people seemed to like him,
 
well in five minute doses that is, a millionairess did stop at the hotel,
 
only she was a bitch, who knew she was rich and beautiful and intelligent 
  
and she  wanted the whole world to know it.  If only she had a dose  of 
  
humility that'd change her thought Michael, would  be perfect for this rich millionairess,
 
  a dose of humility was  a good  thing, but Michael smiled and carried all her shopping 
  
and put it into a waiting taxi,  as she swore at him for not being  quick 
  
enough. But his stars had said "You will be mixing with the  rich  and 
  
famous", and so he was, by carrying her bags.  
  
  
             Louise dashed home with her carrier full of library books, 
  
she'd know her future tonight, she was a bit impetuous at times, so she'd 
  
work out her future tonight.  She saw the light go on in Michael's flat, 
  
and  she did have a telescope,  so she gave into temptation and spied  on 
  
him. e was nice,very nice, then she nearly dropped the telescope, he 
  
had a horrid birthmark on his left shoulder, a brown stain all covered in 
  
hair. He was a bit like the elephant man, Louise laughed, and then went 
  
back to  her  books.  As for Michael he put the Disney channel on and 
  
watched Beauty and the Beast,  he could empathise with the Beast,  he'd 
  
been called a beast himself because of his birthmark,  girls had run away 
  
from him because of it. They could put up with him being fat, but not the 
  
birthmark as well, that was too much. So Michael watched Beauty and the 
  
Beast and cried and cried, some say a man should not cry, but  Michael 
  
knew that was bollocks, it was good to be in touch with your emotions, a 
  
good cry  cleanses  then system. Recently he'd  started  listening  to 
  
Classic FM,  cos one of the cleaners had told him about it, and that made 
  
him cry too, how could just a few violins and so forth touch your soul in 
  
seconds. But it was nice, besides they'd never be anybody there to see 
  
him cry, so he could be true to his soul, and cry and cry. 
  
 
 
         Louise looked up from her books, she'd spent five hours reading 
  
the future was hers,  she picked up the telescope again,  this time  to 
  
look for Uranus, but the sky had clouded over. So she watched Michael's 
  
bum as he got into bed.  Louise spent weeks reading and watching naked Michael
 
she even went  to West Bromwich library in search of books, she was confident,
 
she knew she’d always be ok for money,  and that was all that mattered as far as 
 
she was concerned,  so long as she could pay the bloody mortgage and could  feed 
  
her cat Sam.  One night Mary couldn't come on the razzle, strutting her 
  
stuff with Louise, and as Louise had a bit of a cold she stayed in  and 
  
watched the telly.  Elephant Man was on, the music was good, but Louise 
  
hated the black and white,  and was going to switch it off,  but it  was 
  
compelling in a horrible sort of way.  As she watched she looked out the 
  
window and could see naked Michael, she laughed, then looked back at the 
  
Elephant Man, then she laughed "Elephant Man lives over the road, Sam",
 
then the music touched her, she felt guilty,  a silent tear fell. She 
  
couldn't bear her guilt so she got up and switched the telly  off,  she 
  
didn't  have a remote control. She put Heart FM on loud to cheer herself 
  
up, but her eyes were drawn over the road towards Michael's back, so she 
  
picked  up the telescope.  "It's not that bad I suppose, if I were  his 
  
girlfriend I'd shave it." Then she dropped the telescope, and  reached 
  
for  her chocolate, and soon forgot him, Heart FM was great.
 
         Hazel had the flu, so would anybody like tickets to see Phantom 
  
of The Opera. So as it was free Louise had it, she liked classical music 
  
too as well as glam rock, so it would be a night out for her and Mary.
 
The Phantom was great, a bit like Disney's Beauty and the Beast really or 
  
even the  Hunchback Of Notre Dame,  about  love  crossing  insurmountable 
  
barriers.  Michael had once said to his mom, that he wasn't good enough 
  
for anybody,  and his mother had chided that of course he  was,  Love 
  
Conquers All was her message. And so was the message of Phantom. Louise 
  
ate her chips on the bench outside the Hippodrome,  her mind troubled, 
  
Mary thought  she was a bit quiet.  Louise lied and said she  was  only 
  
tired.  But once home she got her telescope out and watched Michael's back 
  
as  she played the CD of the show that she'd bought. Guilt  overcame  her 
  
and she cried, she cried just like a little girl.
 
               Now sometimes fate cannot wait no longer it bursts on the 
  
scene, it  demands attention.  Louise was returning the books to  the 
  
library, she had just bought more knickers from the  Bull Ring. It was 
 
while she was crossing the road at the top of Hill Street that she  nearly 
  
walked under a bus, had it not been for a strong hand pulling at her bra 
  
strap she would have been dead.  "Pervert" was on her lip, as she fell 
  
backwards but the noise and shadow of the bus drown her words.
 
"I could have been killed," she stuttered, as she got to her feet.
 
"That's why I grabbed you, your bra strap was what saved you," replied 
  
Michael.
 
Louise looked up to see who had saved her, she looked deep into his eyes 
  
,his child like eyes.  She screamed and fainted, he caught her in his 
  
strong arms. A full minute later she opened her eyes.
 
"But it’s  you,  I've never seen you with your clothes  on,  "  stammered 
  
Louise.
 
"Pardon? " replied Michael not knowing her guilt secret.
 
"You see,  we are neighbours in Miracle Road Qangleton,  "  explained 
  
Louise.
 
"Here's your knickers," replied Michael as he picked up her carrier and 
  
it’s spilled contents.
 
"But, you  saved my life,  " said Louise,  before smothering  him  in 
  
kisses, he had saved her life after all.
 
"Let's go for a coffee in Dunkin Donuts," suggested Michael "you  have 
  
had a shock after all.
 
        And so that was how they finally met, it was all in the stars, I 
  
think they went on to have twelve children and lived happily ever after, 
  
you get a lot of family allowance with twelve children after all.
 
 
 
 
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
 
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
 


       



                It’s All In The Stars 2016 ©

 

                          

                              By

 

 

                         Michael  Casey

 

 

 

          Louise  just  loved  to  read her stars  in  the  papers,  but

 

gradually  she  became disillusioned,  they were  too  inaccurate,  too

  

general,  she wanted more detail,  a personal touch, she wanted to know

  

how her life would be.  Not "you'll have a happy day today,  a  surprize

  

could be on its way." She wanted more, so she went to see a clairvoyant,

 

the  clairvoyant   was a gypsie who had pitched her caravan  in  the  Bull

  

Ring.  Louise happened to be there buying new knickers for herself outside

  

Saint  Martins  church when she spotted the sign saying "fortunes  told,

  

cheap prices, under a fiver to know your future. "

  

           So grasping her knickers in the carrier  she climbed  the  four

  

steps into the caravan.  The fortune teller looked like a rugby player in

  

drag,  but that’s normal for fortune tellers,  so Louise wasn't afraid.

  

She  had  30  mins before she had to get back to  Stats  and  some  report

  

writing  for  Derek  the boss.  The bells of  Saint  Martin  peeled,  a

  

lunchtime service was about to begin, as for Louise she held her breath,

  

what would the future bring ?

 

       Michael also wanted to know the future.  He read his stars avidly

  

in the papers,  he'd buy his shopping in Safeways, then once through the

  

checkout he'd read his stars in all the newspapers, before discarding the

  

papers  and leaving with just his shopping,  the papers in a heap at  his

  

feet. He always hoped the stars would tell him when he'd meet the love of

  

his life,  what he failed to notice was that while he had his head in the

  

newspaper,  pretty  women were standing right next to him  browsing  the

  

womens magazines. If only he looked up from the stars.  

  

           Fate would bring these two together, in fact they lived in the

  

same street, but their paths had never crossed, Michael lived at number

  

19  and Louise lived in number 25.  Michael had been a computer operator

  

for 20 years but when the job ended he took the first job that came along

  

, so now he was a security guard, not one of those thick ones in uniforms

  

,  no he was a guard in the new Travel lodge hotel on Broad street,  the

  

biggest hotel in the city.  He wore a suit and had a nice badge with  his

  

name  on  it,  and he had a nice slim radio.  So he was an  upper  class

  

security guard.  It was the perfect job for him because he liked  meeting

  

people and having a gossip.

 

           The fortune teller had told Louise,  that she'd meet  somebody

  

strong  and  reliable,  though perhaps a little  boring,  things  would

  

happen suddenly and she'd be swept off her feet.  Louise liked strong men

  

why  she'd  been to see the Chippendales four times,  so  she  smiled  to

  

herself as she left the caravan,  clutching her carrier of knickers.  The

  

months  passed  and still Louise hadn't found her Mr Reliable,  she  got

  

offers  of course,  she enjoyed strutting her stuff in pubs all over  the

  

Black Country her and her friend Mary.  Only the offers were always  from

  

men just past their sell  by date, men who would buy you a pint and a bag

  

of  chips and then want to feel more than your hips as she danced  to  70s

  

Glamrock.  So Louise said "Sod It !", as she slapped another man across

  

the face.  Why couldn't men be Gay without being Gay,  you know Gay  men

  

treated you like a lady and didn't grope. Just why couldn't one like that

  

turn up.

  

         Michael finished another 12 hour shift and was wandering  around

  

  his  flat  naked,  scratching his bum and drinking another 2  litres  of

  

  coca cola.  He switched the telly on and surfed teletext, his HiFi was

  

  on too playing Genesis,  he always read the news on all channels before

   

reading his stars on ITV channel 4, channel 5 and Sky. His whole working

  

life involved working odd hours with even odder people, so he'd never met

  

anybody  who would put up with his lifestyle. Now 40 was on the horizon,

  

was  he  clutching at straws hoping against hope by reading  his  stars  to

  

cheer himself up. Jo from the kitchen had given him a Xmas card saying "I

  

hope  the  girl of your dreams find you in 98 ",  and the year  was  half

  

over. Michael sighed, at least he could have a quiet cry while he watched

  

weepies  on  Sky and the other channels.  Little Women  was  perhaps  his

  

favourite film,  the ending where the Professor says he has empty hands

  

& he has nothing to give,  but the girl gave him her hands and said "now

  

they are full".  His own father had nothing when he met his mom, yet she

  

married him, and yet he married her and her false teeth,  and they went

  

on to have six children.  So Michael watched and wept, at least there

  

was refuge and solace in prayer, he had taken up regular prayer when he'd

  

 

read about Padre PIO, and when  his mother died, and to his surprize  his  faith  got

  

stronger.  But still he longed for company, to talk with, to laugh with,  

 

to cry with,  and to wake up with. So he prayed and read his stars in

  

equal doses.

  

        Louise slammed the door of her flat, and rearranged her  blouse,

 

that bastard had more hands than an octopus, he'd left his thumb print on

  

her boob too,  and the bra strap was broken too. She have to go down the

  

Bull Ring on Monday and get herself a new red bra, and new red  knickers

  

too, it was a matching set after all. She flicked on the telly, Central

  

Weekend was still on, Russell Grant was on,  so she didn't switch off.

  

He was saying that a proper reading involved study.  Louise examined her

  

bruised boob as he talked,  still listening she practised her  undressing

  

technique,  it'd been in Mary's Cosmo three months before, so she'd been

  

practicing it. Once she met a Gay man who wasn't Gay, he'd have the full

  

benefit of it,  it was all about pleasing him,  so to please yourself,

  

that's how Cosmo explained it.  So there she was naked before her telly

  

with just Russell Grant smiling at her,  "And it’s about  examining  your

  

potential and optimizing your best  bits ",  Louise was examining her  boob

  

again,  and her bum, she found another bruise there. So it was standing

  

naked before Russell Grant and a studio audience that she decided to do it

  

herself, she'd go to the library and dig out some books. She'd form her

  

own future, she'd caste her own fortune.

 

          Michael dried the tears from his eyes, and switched the tv off,

 

scratched  his bum,  then got into bed.  If only a millionairess would

  

stop at the hotel and fall in love with him,  well it  happened  in films

 

didn't it?  His stars had been contradictory as usual, so  he  just

  

believed the nice ones. Louise had  switched off the telly when she'd

  

glanced out of her window,  only to see a naked man get into bed. Michael

  

was afraid of the dark you see,  so he always left a chink in his curtain

  

and Louise by chance or was it fate ? She had seen him, he was fat and

  

very hairy, but at least he had a big chest, she just loved men with big

  

chests. So sniggering Louise headed for her own bed.

 

          The following Monday Louise dashed up to the Library and got as

  

many do it yourself Horoscopes books as she could find.  There were five

  

in fact. She'd read them all then photocopy the best bits on the  works

  

photocopier.  No more newspapers for her, she'd do it herself, she had

  

five minutes left of her lunch hour so she went and got a new matching bra

  

and knickers from the Bull Ring, and some grapes too,  she just  loved

  

grapes. Somebody was selling a telescope too, so on impulse she bought

  

that as well, it was only a fiver. She be able to gaze up at the stars.

 

          Michael had a nice day at the hotel, people seemed to like him,

 

well in five minute doses that is, a millionairess did stop at the hotel,

 

only she was a bitch, who knew she was rich and beautiful and intelligent

  

and she  wanted the whole world to know it.  If only she had a dose  of

  

humility that'd change her thought Michael, would  be perfect for this rich millionairess,

 

  a dose of humility was  a good  thing, but Michael smiled and carried all her shopping

  

and put it into a waiting taxi,  as she swore at him for not being  quick

  

enough. But his stars had said "You will be mixing with the  rich  and

  

famous", and so he was, by carrying her bags.  

  

  

             Louise dashed home with her carrier full of library books,

  

she'd know her future tonight, she was a bit impetuous at times, so she'd

  

work out her future tonight.  She saw the light go on in Michael's flat,

  

and  she did have a telescope,  so she gave into temptation and spied  on

  

him. e was nice,very nice, then she nearly dropped the telescope, he

  

had a horrid birthmark on his left shoulder, a brown stain all covered in

  

hair. He was a bit like the elephant man, Louise laughed, and then went

  

back to  her  books.  As for Michael he put the Disney channel on and

  

watched Beauty and the Beast,  he could empathise with the Beast,  he'd

  

been called a beast himself because of his birthmark,  girls had run away

  

from him because of it. They could put up with him being fat, but not the

  

birthmark as well, that was too much. So Michael watched Beauty and the

  

Beast and cried and cried, some say a man should not cry, but  Michael

  

knew that was bollocks, it was good to be in touch with your emotions, a

  

good cry  cleanses  then system. Recently he'd  started  listening  to

  

Classic FM,  cos one of the cleaners had told him about it, and that made

  

him cry too, how could just a few violins and so forth touch your soul in

  

seconds. But it was nice, besides they'd never be anybody there to see

  

him cry, so he could be true to his soul, and cry and cry.

  

 

 

         Louise looked up from her books, she'd spent five hours reading

  

the future was hers,  she picked up the telescope again,  this time  to

  

look for Uranus, but the sky had clouded over. So she watched Michael's

  

bum as he got into bed.  Louise spent weeks reading and watching naked Michael

 

she even went  to West Bromwich library in search of books, she was confident,

 

she knew she’d always be ok for money,  and that was all that mattered as far as

 

she was concerned,  so long as she could pay the bloody mortgage and could  feed

  

her cat Sam.  One night Mary couldn't come on the razzle, strutting her

  

stuff with Louise, and as Louise had a bit of a cold she stayed in  and

  

watched the telly.  Elephant Man was on, the music was good, but Louise

  

hated the black and white,  and was going to switch it off,  but it  was

  

compelling in a horrible sort of way.  As she watched she looked out the

  

window and could see naked Michael, she laughed, then looked back at the

  

Elephant Man, then she laughed "Elephant Man lives over the road, Sam",

 

then the music touched her, she felt guilty,  a silent tear fell. She

  

couldn't bear her guilt so she got up and switched the telly  off,  she

  

didn't  have a remote control. She put Heart FM on loud to cheer herself

  

up, but her eyes were drawn over the road towards Michael's back, so she

  

picked  up the telescope.  "It's not that bad I suppose, if I were  his

  

girlfriend I'd shave it." Then she dropped the telescope, and  reached

  

for  her chocolate, and soon forgot him, Heart FM was great.

 

         Hazel had the flu, so would anybody like tickets to see Phantom

  

of The Opera. So as it was free Louise had it, she liked classical music

  

too as well as glam rock, so it would be a night out for her and Mary.

 

The Phantom was great, a bit like Disney's Beauty and the Beast really or

  

even the  Hunchback Of Notre Dame,  about  love  crossing  insurmountable

  

barriers.  Michael had once said to his mom, that he wasn't good enough

  

for anybody,  and his mother had chided that of course he  was,  Love

  

Conquers All was her message. And so was the message of Phantom. Louise

  

ate her chips on the bench outside the Hippodrome,  her mind troubled,

  

Mary thought  she was a bit quiet.  Louise lied and said she  was  only

  

tired.  But once home she got her telescope out and watched Michael's back

  

as  she played the CD of the show that she'd bought. Guilt  overcame  her

  

and she cried, she cried just like a little girl.

 

               Now sometimes fate cannot wait no longer it bursts on the

  

scene, it  demands attention.  Louise was returning the books to  the

  

library, she had just bought more knickers from the  Bull Ring. It was

 

while she was crossing the road at the top of Hill Street that she  nearly

  

walked under a bus, had it not been for a strong hand pulling at her bra

  

strap she would have been dead.  "Pervert" was on her lip, as she fell

  

backwards but the noise and shadow of the bus drown her words.

 

"I could have been killed," she stuttered, as she got to her feet.

 

"That's why I grabbed you, your bra strap was what saved you," replied

  

Michael.

 

Louise looked up to see who had saved her, she looked deep into his eyes

  

,his child like eyes.  She screamed and fainted, he caught her in his

  

strong arms. A full minute later she opened her eyes.

 

"But it’s  you,  I've never seen you with your clothes  on,  "  stammered

  

Louise.

 

"Pardon? " replied Michael not knowing her guilt secret.

 

"You see,  we are neighbours in Miracle Road Qangleton,  "  explained

  

Louise.

 

"Here's your knickers," replied Michael as he picked up her carrier and

  

it’s spilled contents.

 

"But, you  saved my life,  " said Louise,  before smothering  him  in

  

kisses, he had saved her life after all.

 

"Let's go for a coffee in Dunkin Donuts," suggested Michael "you  have

  

had a shock after all.

 

        And so that was how they finally met, it was all in the stars, I

  

think they went on to have twelve children and lived happily ever after,

  

you get a lot of family allowance with twelve children after all.

 

 

 


 

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

 

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

 

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