The Ned Wood Archive

I’m gonna sleep out on the land
I’m gonna set my soul free

Brandi Carlile, Pyramid Stage, June 2025

Joe

Joe’s enjoying walking around in his new skirt.  George was absolutely right about it.  It’s much cooler.  They’ve dropped off his shorts back at the tent, having transferred all of his worldly goods to one of George’s bum bags.  Not all of his worldly goods, to be honest.  All except the rogue wallet.  Joe gets used to having the bag around his waist, deciding that having the bag on his belly can be quite handy and equally secure.  The last thing he wants to do is lose his credit card or his phone now.     

“Now, Josephine,” says George, “We’re going to find a nice quiet spot and you are going to tell me what you really feel about your young lady.”

He’s very perceptive is George.  He knows that Joe really does want to dig down deep in his heart and spill it all over the stage.  And he knows a good quiet place where he’d feel at ease.  They head up to Strummerville.  It’s a bit on the hot side, climbing up the hill, and Joe has to hold the skirt in both hands to lift it off the dusty ground as he climbs.  No worries, though. It’ll be shady once they get there.

Over the many years later, whenever he went up that hill to Strummerville, Joe would remember that distant afternoon when George took him for a chat to discover himself.  He would remember the bag of drumsticks that had been left on the stage and the rapid rattling beat that they kept up.  He would remember the smells of oregano and rose in the air.  He would remember the music of the string orchestra formed by the vibrating of the wires holding up the lights round the campfire.  He would remember the songs of the birds in the trees and the backing vocals of the leaves rustling along behind them.  He would remember the ghost of Jose Atento Mescalero stepping off the stage and inviting them to sit down on a large sofa that had seemingly been reserved solely for them sufficiently far from the fire to avoid excessive heat.

He would remember lying back to enjoy the comfort of the sofa and he would certainly remember George leaning over on top of him to give him a great big mouth on mouth kiss.  He never forgets that about George.  He’s always giving you a big smack on the lips when you aren’t expecting it.  And also when you are expecting it.

“Careful not to mess up my hair,” says Joe, pushing George off.  It’s only half tongue in cheek because he really is proud of his hair.  Not that he’s vain. It’s just that it’s settled into a set of beautiful ringlets in the sun.  Ringlets that would be the envy of any Victorian child at Christmas time.  Ringlets that you can actually put your finger inside, should you actually be that way inclined.  In fact, Joe is that way inclined.  He plays with them absent-mindedly.  Especially now, when he’s talking about how he really does feel about Ellie.

George gives him a couple of prompts every now and then just to keep Joe going.  Joe’s being open and honest.  He wouldn’t tell anyone else, but George has this way of getting stuff out of him.  Strummerville has a way too.  Must be something in the air.  Jose Atento Mescalero knows.

But Joe doesn’t really know himself yet.  He’s not sure whether he knows how he really feels.  Or is it that he hasn’t yet connected his heart with his voice (or his brain) and he can’t express what he really feels.  On the one hand, she’s stunning.  As in literally stunning – he felt some short sharp shock when he saw her.  On the same hand, they seemed to hit it off yesterday.  They must have done to have spent the whole day together.  And what a day it was.  Just so many different things to enjoy.  And when they went up the tower, it seemed like they were gods and they owned the world.  

You know how the Stone Roses first album is just so good.  And Definitely Maybe is pretty good, too.  Well, yesterday was like that.  Like a wonderful debut. But what Joe doesn’t know is whether the follow up will be more like Morning Glory and or more like Second Coming.  A glorious follow up or a complete let down. See she’s moving to Italy that next week and he isn’t sure how that would work or even whether it would work.  And he was going to see her this morning but, what with one thing and another he cocked it up. Was that the universe trying to tell him something?  Like is fate letting him know?  Is fate making him lose his wallet and thereby telling him not to bother?

George’s been nodding and yessing and go oning during Joe’s soliloquy, except that when Joe gets fatalist, George has to punch him on his biceps with exasperation.

“I’ve told you before that you have to grab your opportunity with both hands.  Seize the day!  Don’t wait.  If you want something, go and get it.”

George can see the inside of Joe’s heart even if Joe can’t.