Litkicks Message Board Archive

Barry Jones (P.C)

STEPHEN CUMMING- childhood friend.

Barry Jones? Yeah I know Barry Jones. That is to say I knew Barry Jones. Went to the some primary school we did. Boy I haven’t seen him in a good two, three… yeah three years. Since I broke up with his sister in fact. Man, was he upset about that. Which was kinda surprising since he’d given me such a hard time when I started going out with Tash. I guess he’d gotten used to us, or something? Still see Tash occasionally I do, kinda hard not to when you work in the same profession.
Q.
The medical profession, I’m a nurse and Tash is a physiotherapist. So we kinda bump into each other at the hospital every now and then. Actually that’s how we meet in the first place. She’d come to work on one of my patients and we got chatting and found that we had a lot in common so I asked her out to the movies and one thing lead to another and we dated for six months.
Q.
Oh, not until two or three months into the relationship. It was at a dinner to celebrate her twenty-fifth birthday. That’s when I found out her brother Barry was the same Barry Jones I’d gone to primary school with. And he hadn’t changed at all. He was as over protective of his sister at the age of twenty-five as he was at the age of ten. Which is surprising when you consider the difference between them is only fifteen months. From the way he treats her it would seem more like fifteen years than months. I guess it must be in the family or something. Sure I can understand having some loyalty to the family but he just takes it a bit too far I think. When I found out he was Tash’s brother it didn’t surprise me that they don’t get along.

NATASHA JONES- sister.

Let’s just say Barry and I aren’t on the best of terms. I know he’s my brother and all and I know what’s happened to him but that doesn’t change my opinion on him. He’s a chauvinistic pig, as plain and simple as that, and will always be such a thing.
Q.
You’d think so, but I can’t. If you saw the way he acted towards Steve, you wouldn’t have even bother to ask that. After all that happened it was no wonder that we broke up. In fact to tell you the truth I was surprised Steve put up with that for three whole months, I’m surprised he didn’t break up with me right then and there at the dinner table. I’ve had it happen before, you know?
Q.
Yeah this one guy, Shaun. At my friend Tara’s twentieth birthday dinner he got up and gave a speech announcing to the ten of us that he was breaking up with me right then and there then sat back down and continued eating as if nothing had happened. Always was a bit of the dramatist was Shaun. But I digress, back to my break up with Steve. Sure Barry may have appeared upset when I told him about Steve and me breaking up, but it was all an act. He knew it, I knew it and he knew that I knew it. Yet he still went, and still does for that matter, on acting upset about it saying how he thought Steve could even by the one. Like I have to get his approval before I marry someone. Provided I do decided to get married of course. I mean who’s to say I will get married, eh? That’s why I’m not going to tell him about Robert. I can’t and I won’t have another boyfriend scared off because of my brother.
Q.
Sure I can understand why he’s doing it but it doesn’t mean I agree with it or like it. In fact nothing could be further from the truth. When I was in primary school it was nice having this brother who’d protect me I’ll admit that. Even during the early years of high school it was kind off sweet to think that he cared that much for me. But by the start of middle of year 8 that sweetness had worn off and it was beginning to become annoying. I mean there I was a thirteen-year-old girl surrounded by friends with boyfriends or who’d had boyfriends before and no boy would come near for fear of getting beaten up by my brother or one of his mates. But that wasn’t the worst thing by far. No the worst thing was when he got deliberately kept down in year 9 just so we’d finish high school together and he could still look after me. Of course he won’t admit that but I know that’s the real reason. Not because he wasn’t smart enough or wouldn’t be able to cope with year 10 as the teacher’s and mum and dad believed. ‘Cause Barry never was dumb, sure he wasn’t as smart as me and didn’t get good grades like me, but he wasn’t dumb enough to fail a year. Lazy, maybe? Cunning, definitely? But not dumb? I mean he got B’s and C’s in year 12 for Godsakes. Does that really sound like the kind of grades someone who was to dumb to pass year 9 the first time would get?
Q.
Yeah that’s what Mum and Dad and the teachers said. I don’t buy it. I think he realised half way through that year that I’d have free reign in year 12 to do whatever I wanted, to go out with whoever I wanted and he couldn’t bear losing control so he failed second semester.

TEAGAN WILLIAMS- next door neighbour.

Barry? Barry’s sweet. A bit chauvinistic but sweet nevertheless, maybe even too much so at times. I mean don’t get me wrong I appreciated all that he did in getting me settled in, what with the moving of furniture and the free plumbing and all that. But coming over every night did get a bit much. And it’s not that he wasn’t good company or anything like that. In fact he was anything but the perfect guest always asking to use this or that or where the bathroom was and whether he could use it even though he’d help fix one of those water saving shower heads in there. Just between you and me I think he may have harboured a crush on me. Either that or he was lonely. I know he was a big guy down at the club and all but that doesn’t mean he wasn’t lonely. I mean you hear about that all the time, don’t you?
Q.
About how these people who appear to be happy and well liked are really depressed and lonely. How it’s all a front. How they don’t have any real friends, as in people they feel they can talk openly to about everything that goes on in their lives. And I think Barry was one of those fellows. I mean I never actually saw anyone come and visit him, which probably explains why he was over at my place so often. I don’t know whether you’ve lived in a house on your own before but after awhile it does tend to become a bit lonely and you do start to miss others companionship. I know some people like to live like that and are happy to but I don’t think Barry was one of those people. Maybe that’s why he did what he did.
Q.
Yeah I know it’s a big claim to make but there’s always the possibility that’s what he was trying to do. I’m not saying what happened isn’t sad, ‘cause it is. And to tell you the truth I do kind of miss his company and hope that he gets better and plays again. But I’m just saying that maybe there’s more to this then what meets the eye. That’s all.

SEAN MATTHEWS- Captain of St Mary’s Magpies.

I tell you one thing for certain if the Doc’s right and I hope for Godsakes that he’s not - not just for the teams sake but for Barry’s as well; he just wouldn’t be able to cope with not being able to play- this place won’t be the same without him out there. He hasn’t been dubbed the King for no reason, you know? In fact his probably the reason we’ve made the finals the last three years and played in the grannie this year. And I know that’s unfair to the other nineteen guys in the side but when you’ve got a fella who’s kicked over a hundred goals in the past three seasons one can’t help but think he’s part of, if not the major reason, behind the clubs success. You know he was really looking forward to spearheading us to the flag next year and now he mightn’t ever be able to play again.

DANIEL TREMWAITHE- Clubmate.

Barry’s just an ordinary bloke, you know? An everyday schmoe. Works nine to five. Plays footy for the Maggies in the winter and cricket in the summer. You know how it is?
Q.
Nah not really. I mean he runs his own business and his captain of the seconds in cricket but other than that there’s nothing to say than he’s just ‘Bazza the King’.
Q.
Ha ha. Barry interested in politics. That’s a good one. Didn’t put too much thought into that question did ya? Shit it’s hard enough worrying about your own life than having to worry about all that other crap. Do you really think Barry worried about something as trivial as politics? For fucksakes Barry was just a regular Joe. And what do we know about politics? Dickshit that’s what. Nah, Barry’s not interested in politics, or movies or art or whatever the fuck your into.
Q.
And we do. But it’s not about anything like that. It’s about the match we’ve just played or about how works going or about the footy on T.V or something like that. The rest we’ll who really gives a fuck I mean none of that shit concerns us so why the fuck should we care. Listen can we finish this up. I don’t mean to be rude or anything but you’re kinda pissing me off and I really would like to get back to my drink.

JAMES BAWLDON- lifelong friend.

Me and Bazza go way back. Known him since kinder I have. Great bloke. Never one to let your down is old Bazza. Barry the dog, that’s what me and the fellas call him. As in he’s as loyal as a dog. Mind you we never call him that to his face he’d probably sock us one. Not that we’re afraid of him or anything it’s just… you’ve seen Barry, his pretty…
…
Yeah you could say that. In fact Barry’d be mighty pleased to hear someone call him tough. And, well you know how it is? You just don’t say things like that to people like Barry even if they are ya mates. Besides once he’s had a couple of beers in him ya never know what he’s gonna do.
Q.
I don’t know whether that’s the reason… but yeah he’d had a couple. Although having said that when didn’t Barry have a couple of drinks. He was one of the blokes you know. It wouldn’t have been the same if he didn’t have a couple with us. Besides he’d done it every other night and nothin’ ever happened to him then so why’d he expect something like that to happen to him that night.
Q.
Damn right I’m angry. I mean you heard what the Doc said.
Q.
That he mightn’t recover and even if he does recover he might be brain damaged or somthin’ like that. Might even end up in a wheelchair.
Q.
Will he? If he’s in a chair he won’t be able to have a kick with us. He won’t be able to…Sorry can we do this some other time.
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Thanks.