the cadence of part time poets

Chapter 65: Summer's Start, 1977

The tax man's taken all my dough,
And left me in my stately home,
Lazing on a sunny afternoon;
And I can't sail my yacht,
He's taken everything I got,
All I've got's this sunny afternoon...

- "Sunny Afternoon" The Kinks, 1966

Dear Padfoot,

I hope your summer's going well so far—or as well as it could be in boring old Bath. You'll be pleased to know that I finally accepted I went out with Wormtail and Prongs the other day. We went to Piccadilly Circus. It was sorta It was fun. I haven't been in years. They mostly shopped for the girls, but we found this great new music store too. They had this guitar on the wall—a '69 Strat that the sales guy said had once belonged to David Gilmour. Sounded like a load of crap to me but it is London so I guess you never know. 

I'm sure he's already told you, but Prongs' dad picked up this crazy steel-string acoustic for him from a jumble sale. It's an old model, but apparently he kept going on about how "all real musicians have to start rough". You'd have probably ate it up. Anyway, so now Prongs refuses to change the strings on account of this ' bluesy twang' it's got. Don't tell him I said this, but it really just sounds like someone took a hammer to it. He did bring the thing to Regent's Park when I saw him last though, and I gotta admit that it does look half-way decent. Has Prongs told you what he's started doing with his hair? He's using moose now. (Moouse? Mousse?—Not the dessert, but the weird hair stuff that girls use.) Lily told him that it makes him look a bit like James Dean. Of course he loved it. You should watch out, otherwise he might just rob you of your title of handsomest maraud

Wormtail's been trying to persuade his parents to get him his own kit for his birthday. He says they're being stingy—you know, the noise and all—but Prongs said the Simeon's all for it. And Sim's pretty convincing. With his foot in the ring they might just go for it! How great would that be, hey? Though I doubt Wormtail could get it to school. Try sending a bass drum through the Scottish post. As if.

I still hate this letter-writing nonsense by the way, but I'll do it for you it's not all that bad I guess. I've also been going through the stuff of yours I brought back with me. I was looking for "Sticky Fingers" but I think Wormtail's got it. I'll have to trade him for it next time. 

You've been pretty quiet Prongs says you've been quiet, which is strange because we both know you can't resist yammering our ears off even when we're guaranteed a ten week break from you. You don't have to post me back, but at least write him. He misses you.

Moony.

* * *

Dear Padfoot,

Went to the cinema with Marlene yesterday. You'll never guess who was the lead—Bowie ! Toff was playing some alien too, just like in those songs of his. The movie was decent—stupid long (I sorta fell asleep in the middle) but I'll bet you'd have liked it, Marlene did. She's really taking this whole 'sci-fi' thing to heart. I never knew she was so into it. Also apparently there's this big film that came out in America this year called 'Star Wars' . Dumb name, I know. It's not even out over here yet, but she's over the moon for it. (Thought you'd appreciate the pun.) 

I took the car out with Giles for the first time the other day. And yes, you sarcastic ass, it went just fine. Giles might not agree, but he ain't writing the letter.

Are you doing alright? Prongs is getting really worried that you haven't responded to any of our letters. Lily phoned me yesterday and even she's nervous. Are you getting them? If you are, write us back before they start looking for your obituary in the papers. Though that sounds just like the sort of stupid dramatics you'd love anyway.