Tin Collector


tin collector
by 
steve coel

tin collector: a story in four parts -
nice breakfast
free time
teamwork
heavenly session

nice breakfast
nice breakfast is about a female door person. 
a threat, last heard in prison, 
has been directed at her.
she needs to find out 
if the threat is a real one 
and deal with it quickly 
before things turn really really nasty.

extract 1.

makes a nice breakfast me
when i's got the time
keep it simple
i says
works for me every time

breakfast
pretty much
sums up the way
i approaches
most things in life

but i's still thinking
thinking hard about
where i was
made the mistake
that might just prove
to be the game changer

extract 2.

see 
time inside
can be time
well spent
for some
but first
you got to adapt
and get used to
different ways 
of doing things
and
getting things done

there is
for example
a particular noise
which you either
get used to
or
you don't

extract 3.

if you's been in
you knows
exactly
what i's been talking about
like a quiet scream
is what it sounds like
like a huge cry
for mercy
is what it really is
only mercy
don't come 
until
it's all over


free time
free time is about institutions 
and their quests for uniformity 
in everything they represent and do.
different individuals in free time 
stand out for many different reasons.

extract.                                            
...so this last time in the bank, spooked i was. 
uniforms see, everyones in uniform, 
everyone. 
had some cash, needed an account, 
to open one like, 
but i caught someones eye. 
wrong someone.
asked to leave i was, 
exchanged a few words was all, honest. 
so i loses me cash 
and a bit more of my free time...


teamwork
this story is about the neighbourhoods 
we've either lived in, driven through 
or read about.
they are what they are, 
like anywhere; 
different things to different people.

extract 1.

like i says
when they leaves their mark
people learns about it
real quick like
got to
if they wants to survive
in this game

they like nice things
pretty girls
you know the story
we all know how that one goes
they's still young

keeping it all legit
is the hard part
and truth be
they got that covered
real good
has the gift
they has
is why they'll stay
top of the pile for a long time
round here at least.

extract 2.

still
someone is going to have a quiet word
straighten things out
cos theres always a someone involved
somewhere along the line
always

this ain't normal
but you tell me
what is
take that drink now i will

heavenly session
about four characters and their responses 
to the same threat.

extract 1.                  
...old guy in the corner   doghead we calls him   
and doghead is what he likes to be called   
main reason being   he's always on about times   
either had dogs   or raced them   
something like that   anyways   
was coming here   before i took over like   
so could be different reason   
anyway   always in the corner spot   
always drinks steady like   
for an old timer   not a problem...

extract 2.                                                                ...watching it all go down   
not seen it this bad before   
somebody's going to win   somebody always does   
but if you has winners   you has losers too   
just natural like   i ain't a loser.
will always win me   always...

tin collector [ Draft ], from Tin Collector 
[ A Series of Micro Flash Fictions ] by Steve Coel, 2015.

arbrofion gweledol / lliw
steve coel