A Little Bit Mad

Footy Devotion

I’m sitting in a black vinyl covered swivel chair at Carnegie Hair place, Carnegie, of course.

Sophia is combing my hair into sections with the pointy metal end of a tail comb. She is singling out the strands, painting them with a cool paste and swaddling each bundle into a tight foil wrap.

The foils stand upright on my head, and flap about like pages of an open book when I move. An oversized pink clip holds the conglomeration of foils together, crowning the pitch of my silver tiara. The alarm is set.

I sit still for an hour, and try to put some order to my thoughts and words.

Sophia is four weeks away from giving birth to her firstborn. A son to be named Dimitri.

Dimma for short, I posit.

No, definitely not, his full name only. No nicknames.

The hum of the hair dryer in the background along with Sophia’s methodic process is softening my mind into a billowy state of sleepiness.

I fight the urge to drift into a complete non-compos oblivion, devoid of all weight, hope and expectation.

Danny, the barber, walks past me. He hands me the free Tiger mask from today’s Herald-Sun. Good Luck Kate, Good Luck for Saturday. He feels the weight. He feels the pressure. He feels good.

Footy finals have overtaken my usual day to day routine with emails, ticketing and barracking, all requiring attention.

Last week I went to mass. I thought it might be peaceful. Inside the church sat a school full of young kids decked out in their footy gear. The Gospel was read by one of the Dustys, whilst prayers of the faithful were delivered by one each of the Hodgeys, Rooeys and Dangers.

Toby and Cotch took up the gifts in the offertory procession.

And the choir sang, Do you believe….Yes Lord I do believe, they retorted.

It was a curious, joyful sight…and strangely peaceful.

The foil alarm sounds and I am suddenly alert. I catch a glimpse of myself in the mirror. My head is reclined backwards into the basin and adorned with a crown of purple suds. Tepid water streams over me and trickles down my neck washing the purple suds away.

In some ways I have been out of sorts, a bit distracted, a bit displaced and feeling just a little bit mad; in a good way, though.

I think of all the things I have to do for Saturday and I am reminded..Richmond…..Richmond is in the Grand Final, this Saturday and how mad is that?

Feeling coiffed and refreshed, I wish Sophia all the best with the arrival of the young Dimma , sorry, Dimitri and I tell her that I hope he has a wonderful life in this world.

Because, Dimitri’s world could well be just more than a little bit madder than mine.

Let it be.

Go Tiges.

Comments

  1. Yvette Wroby says

    Lovely Kate. Go Tiges

  2. Baby Dimitri will be a lucky girl, I hope.

    Enjoy the Grand Final, Kate.

    Thanks

    Yoshi

  3. Also been feeling a bit mad and very displaced. Its real. We are in it and only we or they can win it. We have kicked 16 other teams out of the way and there’s just one left.

    Have a great grand final Kate, and thanks for your wonderfully buoyant and daffy Tiger art all year. Go Tiges!!

  4. Good luck Kate

  5. To quote The Sandpebbles – “springtime….who hasn’t lost their head?”

    :)

  6. Phillip Dimitriadis says

    Great work Kate,
    Young Dimitri/Dimma. Perhaps Dusty if the Tigers salute?
    By 5pm tomorrow I hope the G is a cornucopia of yellow and black.
    Good luck !!

  7. Thanks Yvette and Yoshi, yes very exciting. Haven’t been to one since the draw match in 1977..

    And Chris it’s been an interesting visual journey that I did not expect would come to this. Thanks for following my daffy stuff.

  8. Joe De Petro says

    Beautiful, Kate.

    We are more than just a bunch of crazies.

  9. Yellow&Black: the One True Faith.

  10. From middle earth watching shall I be

    Alone, but connected

    Imagine if we did this thing

    How fucking funny would that be’

    13th to 1st, Rixhmond of all clubs

    Suck on that!

  11. Mathilde de Hauteclocque says

    Beautiful Kate. And beautiful beautiful painting.

    I was just stirring the thyme among the sautéing carrots, saying to the Cygnet how strange it is not to be ‘feeling’ the impending GF this year. But you are. In the most wonderful way.

    Enjoy!!

  12. Yes, Mathilde , enjoy the rest, because I’m finding it takes a level of energy that I’m not accustomed too.

    Just back from the Almanac lunch, early To Bed for the big day ahead… whatever the result may be. Off to the GF with my own cygnet,,12 year old H,, not sure who is more excited!!

    Pete, hope u find some company within middle earth, if not then here!

    The wrap and joe ,, faithful and crazy and yellow and black.. hope it happens

  13. Bloody hell Kate, it’s not as if you’re a great artist, now you’re showing off as a great writer as well. This is a terrific piece, as a personal story and as an example of what Tiges fans are feeling. Love yer work and good luck for tomorrow.

  14. Vincent Bibby says

    Kate.
    Can I have one those. Absolutely fabulous. I think Bashur’s beard is a bit small. Vin.

  15. Thanks Vin.

    Plan to scan a few of them and make some prints .

    Great to see you at the GWS game too.

    Thanks for ghs read.

    Cheers Rick.

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