Sensory deprivation

Gav has been keeping himself to himself the last few days and has just returned from a trip home with Mandy, the new girl in his life, with whom he seems very cosy, holding hands, all smiles and cheeriness.

Lee and I are full of grey cynicism about this.

Last night, he and she went out in a foursome with Ian not-so-weird Tropp and his girl Mary. Ian complained later about the chore of having to go out in a foursome and seemed to betray a desire to preserve his ‘aura.’ In between complaints he told us about his sensory deprivation room beneath the stairs at Blenheim Place which also doubles as a “vice room,” and about doing ‘primal scream therapy’ with some researcher who advertised for subjects in the Herald. All this was recounted in his soft warm voice, in a vaguely benevolent tone, hints of wry amusement at his predicament.

We’ve seen nothing of Barry since the day he collected the rest of his things. Ben is again absent, and has been gone for days. The two girls, Barbara and Sarah, went off to a lesbian disco the other day and stayed away quite a while, although they were here yesterday. Alex pursues his own path, going off to meet people and buy drugs. Morris is worried about Alex’s consumption of smack and when he was round last, quizzed Pete about it.

My dissatisfaction with my University course has been blunted somewhat by the reading list for my major for the term. It contains some good stuff, & I have no excuse for not immersing myself in the texts. My other reading, my other concerns, have fallen by the wayside. I’ve been too involved with others and with living a sort of life to take heed of the lessons I’ve uncovered in the past. I’m making the very same mistake I warned myself against over Easter. There’s no time for Expansion.

Lee has just come in and says he thinks it will be worthwhile trying for another squat if we have to leave the Vicarage.