My pre-school years
were spent at the
Torino apartments,
in San Carlos, California,
which was about a
full days journey out-side
of San Francisco,
by ocean liner.
***
Those years total some
of my most beloved
child-hood memories,
***
even if,
after all this time,
they are less whole
memories,
than they are just
un-connected,
fragments of things;
that I am
fairly certain
once happened to me.
***
Nevertheless,
I can still remember
few people from
that apartment building.
***
There was Josh,
he was my age, and
lived in an
apartment up-stairs
from my own,
***
and,
the way I remember it,
Josh had more
monopoly game board money
than anybody
I had ever met,
before or since.
***
There was Mette,
she was a younger than
myself,
***
and my
most complete memory
of her was that
she always seemed
to have a couple of
lego-pieces handy,
***
Then there was
the Gargling Man …
he lived
next door to us,
— much older than myself,
***
We only met once
***
but he was one of the
great mysteries of my
life
… up until that time.
***
Part Two
***
“… And the Gargling Man gargles.
Gargling his life away.
How many times
did he gargle to-day?
1 … 2 … 3 … 4 …5 …“
(from a 19th century French children’s jump rope song.)
***
Part Three
***
Now there
are two
schools of thought
on the who
and what
of the
Gargling Man.
1.
It could be that,
in the design of
the apartment building,
his bathroom was
close to my bedroom,
and so, it goes to say,
the
only time I would have
been aware of
his presence was when
he was in the bathroom,
getting ready for work,
or, preparing for bed …
***
Or, …
***
2.
And this is my particular school of thought,
maybe the Gargling Man was always gargling.
***
Which is correct?
No one can say.
***
My mom swears
I am totally exaggerating
the entire thing.
In particular,
this next part,
which she claims I
“cut from whole cloth”.
***
But I know what I saw.
***
For this one time,
I happened to be coming
out of my apartment,
when at the
exact same time,
the Gargling Man
was coming out
of his.
***
Startled, I took an immediate step back.
***
There he was,
as tall as a tree,
head-cocked,
mouth wide open,
minty smell.
… Gargling.
***
I squeaked
a hello.
He glanced, nodded,
and said,
“Hng-gar-o”.
***
I swear that is true.
***
But then,
just like that,
one day
the Gargling Man
was gone.
***
I’d lay in bed at night
and
listen for the
tell-tale sounds,
… but there were none.
***
“What will become of the Gargling Man?”
I would ask my dad.
But he would just look
at me funny and say,
“I have no idea what that boy is talking about.”
***
Then, I guess, I forgot all about it.
***
That is,
until one night, many years later.
I was much older,
having just
returned home
for Winter break
from college.
***
I happened to be up late,
watching a popular late night-host on TV,
and the announcer said,
“Next up, actor, Mike Lookinland.”
***
But I must have mis-heard him,
because for a second,
I thought the announcer had said,
the ‘Gargling Man’.
***
And for that one moment in time,
I was so fucking proud.
.
the author, at about that same time.
(1) Josh lives in Park Place, a luxury condo that is a full day’s travel from the Baltic Sea on the Reading Railroad.
(2) Mette remembers saying, “Lego my girly pieces!” She thought you were cute, though…
(3) The Gargling Man was practicing for a role in the TV movie, “Gargoyles.” Sadly, he misunderstood the title of the film. But at the auditions, the film director did compliment him on his minty breath.
LikeLiked by 4 people
Hah! Thanks, DM.
LikeLiked by 2 people
It’s the details that get me. The Monopoly money. The Lego pieces. The Gargling Man. You either know how to tell a story or you’re leading one messed-up life. Good write.
LikeLiked by 2 people
Thanks, fw
LikeLike
Funny what children remember.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Excellent memories, Tref! I used to love monopoly money, lego and gargling! It’s a small world.
LikeLiked by 2 people
Hah! Thanks, Tom. I knew we shared a commonality.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Bizarre but entertaining. ADORABLE photo!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thanks, PiF!
LikeLiked by 1 person
He was a gorilla gargling with Colgate to become a human.
( tref as a young gaffer. Very cool)
LikeLiked by 1 person
Mostly likely, Colgate Total, as that one is all-encompassing. Thanks, cb-h
LikeLike
Great story :)
LikeLiked by 2 people
Thank you, derrick
LikeLiked by 1 person
An epic tale of gurgling. Gurning. Gardening. Giggling.
Whatevs.
LikeLiked by 2 people
Hah! Thanks, vc
LikeLiked by 2 people
Now Gargling Man is proud as he is the star of this story. Adorable photo!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thanks, magickmermaid!
LikeLiked by 1 person
[…] The gargling man — t r e f o l o g y […]
LikeLiked by 2 people
Thanks, dbb. Hope you are doing well.
LikeLike
Wow – an epic. Thank you for this one.
LikeLiked by 2 people
Thank you for the kind words, 1537
LikeLiked by 2 people
Brought back memories of my early years in San Diego!! Great post!!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thank you, Mr. Reluctant
LikeLike
Great memories and so vivid. I can recall very little and the people around me are amazed: “You don’t remember THIS, you don’t remember THAT?” I’m amazed, too, and sad. Wish I had your memory.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Well, between you and me (everybody else stop reading this reply) it is a made up story, but it is close to how I perceived the world at that time.
LikeLiked by 1 person
I assumed some elaboration, but still…I just have raggedy threads of memory from childhood.
But your perceptions feel familiar, like how I remember the few things that have stuck in my brain from then. Gives one the warm and fuzzies, lol.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Minty, with a hint of Vonnegut… I believe in The Gargling Man…JIM
LikeLiked by 1 person
I love, LOVE this account of the gargling man.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thank you, Silver Screenings, that is very kind of you.
LikeLiked by 1 person
A chuckling picture
Ocean liner on the Bay
The sound of gargling
LikeLiked by 2 people
Thanks, Cog!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Did he ever gargle Gershwin? Now that would be something!
LikeLiked by 1 person
I think he was more of John Philip Sousa guy.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Funny
LikeLiked by 1 person
You are brilliantly insightful.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thank you for the kind words, Cindy.
LikeLike