Nonno (updated Nov23)

First he’s tellin the story of cutting a calf outta an elephant, possibly from the early morning nature show. Big herd. They separate the particular cow from the rest. An Indian either in the raiding party or from some other incident connected by the theme is whipping an elephant with a rope like the ones they tie up boats with. This was back in the days when they were cruel and lacked understanding; the mother elephant of course would get distraught when they took her calf away... They cut it out, the calf... Cut. Cut out. An image that stung the brain and made you wince. Hang on. What? Cut it out?... Nooo. Not cut it. Cart it out... He doesn’t wanna hear about how you dragged a calf outta a moo cow with a vet supervising up in Village Uble, because he’s pulled them out himself with chains, where & when would be a whole other story. (However, he does enquire which way the calf had come, legs, head or what?) In the midst somehow mention was made of one of the dealers. It might have come before the elephants and then veering off to the hunt. As usual it was all piled up dizzyingly. Nonno. Never heard that name before. Johnny Sass had been mentioned previously, Rocky the hairdresser and a number of the others. Not Nonno. This was a newbie, without any previous place in the pantheon. Fella was far from good with foreign names; not within competence. Pizza & macaroni about as far as the Italian stretched. Strange… Wait on. Hang on a sec. Who did you say was that dude, Nonno?... Momentary surprise at having the name plucked out of the rattle of a phone conversation. No no. That’s what I call him…. Later during the trip out to pick up the car part Mick turned out to be the real name. Collingwood, Fitzroy, Carlton were of passing acquaintance for a Chelsea and St. Kilda boy—only particular shady corners therein. The Commission tower on Nicholson Street had been a regular—playgrounds, stairs, elevators, phone booths aplenty. A Maccas was always good. Big supermarkets or toilet blocks. Driving by Princes Park various other locations were fingered. The 7Eleven carpark on the corner of Brunswick Road opposite the old Edwardian groundsman’s house had been good for loading. It seemed Johnny Sass lived just down from there. Not a $600K question guessing why NoNo’s other handle fell off.

 

NB. Since published by Nine Cloud Journal #2 (US) June 2021