The Romantic Hatmaker -a short story by Austin Mitchell

The Romantic Hatmaker The by Austin Mitchell The man made his purchase of hats from the woman. He was thirty five years of age. She was in her late twenties. He was of average height while she was tall and angular. She had four children and he had three. The year was nineteen seventy nine “Where is Maxwell?” he aske. “He went to Linstead, but you can’t stay because Alfred is over by Celia’s house,”she told him. “Why is Alfred over there?” Collie asked. “Are you sleeping with her and me at the same time Collie?” “I’m not sleeping with Celia?” “So why are you behaving that way because Alfred is over at Celias’ house?” “Is he sleeping with her?” Kathy didn’t reply and went inside her house. Collie looked on his watch. It was minutes after one o’clock. He got on his bicycle and rode off. Collie was married to Cynthia, his childhood sweetheart. He was probably the best ballroom dancer around. Whenever there was any dancing, he was in the thick of things. That was why he was so popular with the women. But Collie was a troublesome fellow. He happened to have gone to Kingston to sell his hats. One night he and a friend went to a house of pleasure. He was surprised when a young girl came out to him. It was Peggy, Miss Gladys’ daughter! “Mr. Collie!” she shouted and rushed back inside. Collie and his friend Lenroy were allowed to choose different women that night. But the story did not end there. Collie was a very talkative fellow. Miss Gladys soon heard the bad new about her daughter, Peggy. She and her brother, Dillon, went up to Collie’s yard. Both of them carried pimento sticks with which to beat him. “Collie, come out here and face me. Why are you up here scandalizing my daughter?” Collie came out into the yard with his machete. “Have you asked Peggy about it?” “Of course I did. I went to the hostel in Kinston to see her. My daughter is in need of nothing, Collie. You’re a wicked man and a liar.” “Have you asked Lenroy about it?” “He says that you are lying,” Dillon replied. “Let’s go down to his house. Let him tell me that I’m a liar to my face.” But Lenroy denied that he and Collie had ever visited any brothel in Kingston. From that day the two men were never friends again. Dillon still wanted to beat Collie and rushed at him with his stick. “You are a dirty liar, Collie. I’m going to beat you for telling lies on my niece.” He rushed Collie again, but Collie used his machete and hit Dillon’s stick out of his hand. Collie had him at his mercy, but Gladys and several villagers intervened. Collie told them all that he knew what he was talking about, but Lenroy still said that he never went to any brothel with him to look women. Collie was of the opinion that Lenroy was lying because he was either along with Gladys or was going to try and seek sexual favors from her. He maybe didn’t want his wife to know that whenever he was in Kingston he would visit a brothel. His second theory proved correct, as one early morning he saw Lenroy leaving Gladys’ house. Collie of course told his wife that he was passing this big house in Central Kingston. A lady from inside the house called to him. She wanted to purchase some hats from him. There were several young girls in the yard. Some of them were calling to him. He suspected that it was a brothel. It was then that he saw Peggy in the yard. She recognized him and ran back inside the house. The lady, or the madam of the house as he suspected her to be, eventually bought half a dozen of his hats. His wife of course, didn’t believe him and told him that she would stop sleeping with him if he didn’t stop visiting those places. Collie was along with several women in Norris. He was drinking in a bar one night when Maxwell came in and accused him of being along with his wife, Kathy. A man named Benny intervened. “How do you know that Collie is along with your wife, Maxwell?” Maxwell hesitated. “I got it from a good source.” “How do you know that the man who told you so isn’t the one along with your wife.” Maxwell chucked Collie, but before he could react Benny and some other men got between them. “I know who told you that I was along with Kathy. It was Tenny, why don’t you ask him what he was doing at her house?” Maxwell left the bar in a sour mood and went up to his house and gave Kathy a proper beating. “Collie, I don’t want anything more to do with you.” “Look how many times you’ve slept with me and before you defend me, you’re telling my husband that Tenny was also sleeping with me.” “Maxwell accused me of sleeping with you. He even chucked me and before I could react some men got between us.” She started to cry. “He beat me up last night and ran me from his house. I have to be staying down at my sister, Princess’ house.” “How did he know about us?” “Somebody must have seen you leaving my house. I don’t know what got into your head to tell him about Tenny. Tenny is a little boy, I only talk to big men.” “Collie if you want me again, you’d better find somewhere to put me. Because where I am at my sister, I can’t accommodate any man.” Willie Strudwick had a one bedroom house in Keswick renting. He agreed to rent it to Collie. So Kathy used some partner money to buy a bed and a coal stove and a bag of coal plus some of her things Maxwell had allowed her to take from the house when he put her out. He didn’t allow her to take any of their four children with her. They had two boys and two girls. Incidentally Kathy went to the police about the custody of her children. The police advised her that if she wanted custody of her children, she would have to take out a summons and take Maxwell to court. Kathy is a maker of bags, mats, hats and other goods of that nature. Collie would take them into Kingston to sell for her. From this money she would pay him a commission. But Collie was also along with Celia. Kathy suspected that he was still along with her friend and neighbor. “Are you still sleeping with Celia?” “I never used to sleep with her.” She knew that Collie was a big liar. She was in quandary. Maxwell was living with another woman. Most persons advised her that now that Maxwell had a woman looking after her children, her chances of getting custody of them were slim. Collie nearly broke his foot one night when he was making love to a woman and her husband returned home unexpectedly. Collie had to hastily put on his clothes and jump from an upstairs balcony, spraining his right foot. The news spread throughout the community like wildfire. However the next day when Kathy saw him, he denied the rumors and said that he had fallen off his bicycle. When Collie’s wife died in nineteen eighty four, Collie was forty and still a virile man. His wife had died of a brain hemorrhage at the age of thirty nine. After his wife’s funeral Cellie decided to move Kathy up to his house. Kathy agreed to this move, she was sleeping with Collie, it would be a good move to now live with him. His two sons and daughter objected strongly. The two sons soon came around, but the daughter refused to talk to her. It wasn’t until her children started visiting her that Dania started talking to her. Kathy’s children were Alton, Holly, Tena and Roy. They were fifteen, twelve, ten and eight years old respectively. At thirty five Kathy got pregnant for Collie and they had a girl. Two years later she had a boy bab One day Alfred accused Collie of fathering a child with his wife, Celia. Collie of course denied the accusation Kathy was distraught, she had just given Collie two lovely children, yet he was still fooling around. “Collie, do you want me to leave you? I can’t be living with you, having children for you and you’re running around with all kinds of woman.” “I’m behaving myself now. Everybody I ask says that Celia’s new baby resembles Alfred.” “If you weren’t sleeping with Celia, you wouldn’t be asking those questions. I’m going to leave you.” But despite most villagers agreeing that Celia’s new baby resembled Alfred, Kathy moved back in with her sister. Dania and her brothers, Russell and Darren pleaded with her not to leave, but to no avail. Dania was sixteen, Russell, fourteen and Darren, twelve years old respectively. Collie was distraught as were his children. They were getting used to Kathy and her two children. It transpired that Maxwell’s woman, Audrey had left him and returned to her husband. He was now giving Kathy an open invitation to return to take care of her children. He told her that she could bring the children she had with Collie. Collie was adamant that if she was returning to live with Maxwell his two children would not be going with her. Kathy had a decision to make. She still remembered the beatings she had received from Maxwell. She hated Collie’s wild ways. For a month she hovered over a decision. Finally, it was made for her when Audrey returned and Maxbradwell gleefully welcomed her back. So Kathy returned to Collie. She refused his marriage offers. She warned him that she was prepared to move out again if he didn’t behave himself. In January 1991 they got married. The End.The Romantic Hatmaker by Austin Mitchell The man made his purchase of hats from the woman. He was thirty five years of age. She was in her late twenties. He was of average height while she was tall and angular. She had four children and he had three. The year was nineteen seventy nine “Where is Maxwell?” he asked her. “He went to Linstead, but you can’t stay because Alfred is over by Celia’s house,”she told him. “Why is Alfred over there?” Collie asked. “Are you sleeping with her and me at the same time Collie?” “I’m not sleeping with Celia?” “So why are you behaving that way because Alfred is over at Celias’ house?” “Is he sleeping with her?” Kathy didn’t reply and went inside her house. Collie looked on his watch. It was minutes after one o’clock. He got on his bicycle and rode off. Collie was married to Cynthia, his childhood sweetheart. He was probably the best ballroom dancer around. Whenever there was any dancing, he was in the thick of things. That was why he was so popular with the women. But Collie was a troublesome fellow. He happened to have gone to Kingston to sell his hats. One night he and a friend went to a house of pleasure. He was surprised when a young girl came out to him. It was Peggy, Miss Gladys’ daughter! “Mr. Collie!” she shouted and rushed back inside. Collie and his friend Lenroy were allowed to choose different women that night. But the story did not end there. Collie was a very talkative fellow. Miss Gladys soon heard the bad new about her daughter, Peggy. She and her brother, Dillon, went up to Collie’s yard. Both of them carried pimento sticks with which to beat him. “Collie, come out here and face me. Why are you up here scandalizing my daughter?” Collie came out into the yard with his machete. “Have you asked Peggy about it?” “Of course I did. I went to the hostel in Kinston to see her. My daughter is in need of nothing, Collie. You’re a wicked man and a liar.” “Have you asked Lenroy about it?” “He says that you are lying,” Dillon replied. “Let’s go down to his house. Let him tell me that I’m a liar to my face.” But Lenroy denied that he and Collie had ever visited any brothel in Kingston. From that day the two men were never friends again. Dillon still wanted to beat Collie and rushed at him with his stick. “You are a dirty liar, Collie. I’m going to beat you for telling lies on my niece.” He rushed Collie again, but Collie used his machete and hit Dillon’s stick out of his hand. Collie had him at his mercy, but Gladys and several villagers intervened. Collie told them all that he knew what he was talking about, but Lenroy still said that he never went to any brothel with him to look women. Collie was of the opinion that Lenroy was lying because he was either along with Gladys or was going to try and seek sexual favors from her. He maybe didn’t want his wife to know that whenever he was in Kingston he would visit a brothel. His second theory proved correct, as one early morning he saw Lenroy leaving Gladys’ house. Collie of course told his wife that he was passing this big house in Central Kingston. A lady from inside the house called to him. She wanted to purchase some hats from him. There were several young girls in the yard. Some of them were calling to him. He suspected that it was a brothel. It was then that he saw Peggy in the yard. She recognized him and ran back inside the house. The lady, or the madam of the house as he suspected her to be, eventually bought half a dozen of his hats. His wife of course, didn’t believe him and told him that she would stop sleeping with him if he didn’t stop visiting those places. Collie was along with several women in Norris. He was drinking in a bar one night when Maxwell came in and accused him of being along with his wife, Kathy. A man named Benny intervened. “How do you know that Collie is along with your wife, Maxwell?” Maxwell hesitated. “I got it from a good source.” “How do you know that the man who told you so isn’t the one along with your wife.” Maxwell chucked Collie, but before he could react Benny and some other men got between them. “I know who told you that I was along with Kathy. It was Tenny, why don’t you ask him what he was doing at her house?” Maxwell left the bar in a sour mood and went up to his house and gave Kathy a proper beating. “Collie, I don’t want anything more to do with you.” “Look how many times you’ve slept with me and before you defend me, you’re telling my husband that Tenny was also sleeping with me.” “Maxwell accused me of sleeping with you. He even chucked me and before I could react some men got between us.” She started to cry. “He beat me up last night and ran me from his house. I have to be staying down at my sister, Princess’ house.” “How did he know about us?” “Somebody must have seen you leaving my house. I don’t know what got into your head to tell him about Tenny. Tenny is a little boy, I only talk to big men.” “Collie if you want me again, you’d better find somewhere to put me. Because where I am at my sister, I can’t accommodate any man.” Willie Strudwick had a one bedroom house in Keswick renting. He agreed to rent it to Collie. So Kathy used some partner money to buy a bed and a coal stove and a bag of coal plus some of her things Maxwell had allowed her to take from the house when he put her out. He didn’t allow her to take any of their four children with her. They had two boys and two girls. Incidentally Kathy went to the police about the custody of her children. The police advised her that if she wanted custody of her children, she would have to take out a summons and take Maxwell to court. Kathy is a maker of bags, mats, hats and other goods of that nature. Collie would take them into Kingston to sell for her. From this money she would pay him a commission. But Collie was also along with Celia. Kathy suspected that he was still along with her friend and neighbor. “Are you still sleeping with Celia?” “I never used to sleep with her.” She knew that Collie was a big liar. She was in quandary. Maxwell was living with another woman. Most persons advised her that now that Maxwell had a woman looking after her children, her chances of getting custody of them were slim. Collie nearly broke his foot one night when he was making love to a woman and her husband returned home unexpectedly. Collie had to hastily put on his clothes and jump from an upstairs balcony, spraining his right foot. The news spread throughout the community like wildfire. However the next day when Kathy saw him, he denied the rumors and said that he had fallen off his bicycle. When Collie’s wife died in nineteen eighty four, Collie was forty and still a virile man. His wife had died of a brain hemorrhage at the age of thirty nine. After his wife’s funeral Cellie decided to move Kathy up to his house. Kathy agreed to this move, she was sleeping with Collie, it would be a good move to now live with him. His two sons and daughter objected strongly. The two sons soon came around, but the daughter refused to talk to her. It wasn’t until her children started visiting her that Dania started talking to her. Kathy’s children were Alton, Holly, Tena and Roy. They were fifteen, twelve, ten and eight years old respectively. At thirty five Kathy got pregnant for Collie and they had a girl. Two years later she had a boy baby. One day Alfred accused Collie of fathering a child with his wife, Celia. Collie of course denied the accusation. Kathy was distraught, she had just given Collie two lovely children, yet he was still fooling around. “Collie, do you want me to leave you? I can’t be living with you, having children for you and you’re running around with all kinds of woman.” “I’m behaving myself now. Everybody I ask says that Celia’s new baby resembles Alfred.” “If you weren’t sleeping with Celia, you wouldn’t be asking those questions. I’m going to leave you.” But despite most villagers agreeing that Celia’s new baby resembled Alfred, Kathy moved back in with her sister. Dania and her brothers, Russell and Darren pleaded with her not to leave, but to no avail. Dania was sixteen, Russell, fourteen and Darren, twelve years old respectively. Collie was distraught as were his children. They were getting used to Kathy and her two children. It transpired that Maxwell’s woman, Audrey had left him and returned to her husband. He was now giving Kathy an open invitation to return to take care of her children. He told her that she could bring the children she had with Collie. Collie was adamant that if she was returning to live with Maxwell his two children would not be going with her. Kathy had a decision to make. She still remembered the beatings she had received from Maxwell. She hated Collie’s wild ways. For a month she hovered over a decision. Finally, it was made for her when Audrey returned and Maxbradwell gleefully welcomed her back. So Kathy returned to Collie. She refused his marriage offers. She warned him that she was prepared to move out again if he didn’t behave himself. In January 1991 they got married. The End. From my collection of short stories: The Worst is Over Now You can find my books on Amazon, Payhip, Book Fusion and many more channels. My email:glengoffe1@cwjamaica.com If you have purchaed any of my books please be kind enough to leave a review at Amazon. payhip store: https://payhip.com/Stredwick