ABSTRACT FLAMENCO DANCER CLOSING DOORS PAINTOGRAPHY BY MICHAL FORBUS Closing Doors written by MIGUEL I LIVED IN A LARGE MANSION WHEN YOUNG AND THERE WERE ALWAYS DOORS SLAMMING AND THE SWEET SMELL OF BOURBON REEKING ABOUT LIKE FRUIT ROTTING. I SWORE TO NOT GROW TO BE A MAN AS I HAD FOR A FATHER. I PROMISED MYSELF WITH ALL MY HEART. I DID KEEP THAT PROMISE. I EDUCATED MYSELF, LEARNED ABOUT THE GREAT ARTISTS AND POETS, READ THE PARISIAN EXPATRIOTS. I GATHERED WITH THE FIGHTERS THAT WOULD FEED THE STARVING. I LEARNED COMPASSION FROM THE SIDDHARTHA, THE GREAT BUDDHA. I READ AT NIGHT BY CANDLELIGHT UNTIL MY EYES BLED AND MY BRAIN POUNDED FROM THE FILLING OF IT. I TRAVELED ON MY INHERITANCE, ALWAYS TRAVELING, NEVER SLEEPING IN THE SAME BED. I STUDIED THE SEVEN GREAT WONDERS AND PONDERED WONDERFUL ARCHITECTURE AND ALWAYS WHEN BY THE SEA, I STUDIED THE CREATURES WHO MADE THAT THEIR HOME. I COLLECTED MOLLUSKS, THOSE EMPTY HOMES OF SEA CREATURES. THEIR HOMES MEANT A GREAT DEAL TO ME, MORE THEN THE MANSION THAT WAS NOW MINE. I CAN'T RECALL SINCE I TOOK TO THE BOURBON WHY I LOVED THEM SO. MAYBE IT WAS THE SLAMMING DOORS. I MET A BRONZED WOMAN ON THE BEACH IN ST. TROPEZ, SINGING AT THE TOP OF HER LUNGS. SHE HADN'T SEEN ME YET AND I WATCHED AND THERE WAS NO HUMOR TO IT OR EMBARESMENT TO FEEL, SHE WAS IN HER GLORY. I HAD SPENT THE DAY DIVING AND HAD DISCOVERED A NARWHAL HORN. THE NARWHAL IS THE UNICORN OF THE SEA, RESEMBLING A MANATEE WITH A UNICORN HORN ALTHOUGH SPIRALED. IT WAS SO PRECIOUS THAT I FELT AS IF I HAD DISCOVERED THE RICHES OF THE ATOCHA. GOLD DUBLOONS WERE NO GOOD TRADE FOR THIS HORN. THE WOMAN HIT A HIGH AND PERFECT NOTE OF AN IRISH BALLAD AND HER RED HAIR AND GREEN EYES FAIRLY SHONE LIKE THE SUN ON THE SEA. AS SHE HIT THE HIGHEST NOTE, SHE FINALLY NOTICED ME. HER FACE BECAME LIKE A HORRID SUNBURN FROM THE SHY BLUSH. SHE EXPECTED EMPTINESS ON THE BEACH. AS WE BEGAN TO SPEAK TO EACH OTHER, SHE WAS SO CHARMING AND BRILLIANT AND I, A RICH KID ABLE TO DO MY WILL. IT WAS OBVIOUS TO HER THAT I WAS WELL-HEELED AND NEEDED NOT WORK. SOFT WRITERS HANDS AND STRONG MUSCLES FROM TENNIS AND SWIMMING ARE DIFFERENT THEN THOSE OF A WORKING MAN, ALTHOUGH I HAVE HAD MY SHARE OF THE HARD LICK. WE TALKED AS THE SUN WAS SETTING OVER THE YARDARM. SHE TOLD ME SHE WAS AN OCEANOGRAPHER AND KNEW MUCH OF THE SEAS. SHE FASCINATED ME, SO DARK AND TAN AND THE ROPES OF MUSCLES SHE HAD IN HER LEGS AND ARMS WERE SO ENTICING, VERY STRONG, THIS IRISH LASS. SHE KEPT ALLUDING TO THE NARWHAL HORN WITH ENVY. SHE FLIRTED MIGHTILY THAT DAY AND FINALLY TALKED ME INTO LETTING HER TAKE THE RARE HORN TO SHOW HER OCEANOGRAPHER GROUP. THIS HORN, ONLY A FEW WERE IN COLLECTIONS IN THE WHOLE OF THE WORLD. AS SHE WALKED AWAY, HORN IN HAND, NO, SHE SKIPPED DOWN THE BEACH, MY HEART BEGAN TO SINK. TO CLEAR ONE MATTER UP, YOUNG AND HANDSOME RICH KIDS GET NO BREAKS IN LOVE, THEY ARE TAKEN ADVANTAGE OF AND LIED TO, AND LEFT TO HANG IN THE WIND AS THE WOMEN TIRE OF THE OPULENCE AND THEY MOVE ON TO SOME MORE SECURE SETTING. AS SHE BECAME A SPECK ON THE BEACH, I SAT, A FOOL AGAIN, DAMMIT, A FOOL AGAIN. SITTING WITH THE MOSS OF THE HORN ON MY HANDS, AND THE THIEF OF HEARTS WITH MY HORN IN HERS PREPARING A PRICE FOR IT. GENTLE PEOPLE, ONE CLARIFICATION, I MIGHT HAVE KNOWN WHAT WAS TO BE, I WAS USED TO THIS TREATMENT IN MY TRAVELS. EVERY TIME I HAD MY STIPEND IN HAND TO TRAVEL AND LIVE WELL, I WAS STRIPPED IN SOME WAY, AND IT WAS WORSE THAT MY HEART WAS STRIPPED AND DRAINED OF IT'S BLOOD STOLEN IN EVERY CASE. I WAS ALWAYS THE GENTLEMAN AND SINCERE TO MY BONES AND AN EASY MARK. AS I AGE LIKE THIS DELICIOUS AGED BOURBON BEFORE ME, MY ONLY TRUE FRIEND, I AM ABLE TO ERASE THE HORN AND ALL MY LOSSES. IT DOES TAKE A MIGHTY DROUGHT THESE DAYS TO CREATE AMNESIA, BUT I HAVE BECOME AN EXPERT, AND THE DOORS CONTINUE TO SLAM SHUT. THIS WAS WRITTEN BY MIGUEL, THERE ARE NO LIVE PEOPLE THAT I KNOW IN THIS WORK. I DISAVOW THE KNOWLEDGE OF ANY ONE RESEMBLING ANY PERSONAGE PORTRAYED IN THIS STORY OF FICTION BUT MYSELF AND I HAVE GIVEN MYSELF PERMISSION TO DISCUSS MY OWN LIFE, NO ONE ELSE IS REAL, WRITTEN BY MIGUEL