Welcome to Books Bestowed.
Preserve your stories. Celebrate your people.
Helen x
“I’m 45 and I have no drivers licence” … it feels like something a dominatrix would make her slave say to degrade himself in front of her.
Ollie was off to the side spritzing his plant. He spritzes it like, four times a day. I can hear it from all over the house.
They were playing ‘bounce the birdie’ with a dead bird the cat had left on there. I was like, ‘Shit – this is not a good start.’
I’d actually just come out to them as bi, so every day in lockdown has pretty much been them learning how to come to terms with my sexuality.
But in my life, at that moment (and many other moments this past few weeks) the feeling of a deep breath was overtaken by a feeling of no breath at all.
There were lots of other questions I didn’t really have the answers for. I think people just wanted someone else to hear and understand what they were going through.
We’ve started isolating parts of my body that don’t move. Like I’m real good at wiggling my bum, but nothing else goes.
My biggest fear, I think, is how much people and interactions could change. The comfort that people once felt in the presence of others could be replaced by a greater comfort in being alone
The cubby house is our meeting place, and it’s called The Brothers’ Club. The club spies on Mum and Dad in their room.
I would like everyone to look after themselves. To stay positive and safe, and to find a god-damn good dance party every night, even if it’s a party for one.
I was looking at the stars and saying, to anyone really, maybe my grandad … anyone, ‘Please, just help my poor boy. Let him live.’ Fuck. I’ll never forget that.
I live with my fiancé Andy. He’s currently still working – he works at Parliament. He sees Jacinda Adern every day at the moment, it’s amazing.
People around didn’t seem to mind. They probably thought, ‘There’s an old man, he’s going to drop dead any moment. We’ll let him pass.’
