A Month in Success- Creative Writing Monologue Project, Part Three

Lesley Gate

I got into the money business years go. Not without a lot of elbow grease though, mind you. You see, I didn’t start out life in the best of ways. I lived in a mare of a flat; I could piss, eat and sleep all in the same room. There’s was always something different falling apart and I was always begging someone for this, that and more. I always had a plant though, mind you, even if I didn’t have much else. The young man who lived above me was always saying, ‘Tough world out there sweet cheeks, deal with it’. I’d say, ‘World would be a lot nicer if there was a bit of decency in folk.’

You know, I used go round the towns restaurants, saying I had a dog that liked scraps. For the life of me I’ve never been able to stand dogs. Always pissing on the grass and digging up plants. Where was I though? Ah yes, it took more years than I care to say to get to today, got my name, Lesley Gate, above the door and everything. I saved up every penny then started lending them out to folk after I’d learnt a thing or two about high interest rates. After a while I even hired the young man, Jack, from upstairs to get me what was owed. Then he started saying how all’s that’s needed is a bit of decency.

Patrick Star, now there’s a man who needs to learn decency. Even Jack hasn’t managed to get back what that man owes me. He drives around in his flashy car, knowing full well my money got it. That scallywag’s enough to make my skin crawl. He’s a sign of a new breed that man. Everyone’s desperate these days, they take and take, yet no one wants to pay me back. Well, let me tell you, I know how to look after my money.

Anyway, Star sent in this woman today, caked in more make up than a common hooker, pearls as fake as her eyelashes. She was ranting and raving, just as greedy as the rest. She was throwing all these bits of paper at me, like I gave two tuppence worth. Let me tell you, I riled her up something fierce. I kept shuffling around the office, giving my plants a drink, while she’s trying to follow, talking up a storm something fierce. I tapped on my hearing aid just to nark her.

By then, she’d turned on the water works, so, I told her what I say to most folk these days. I said, ‘Honey, that better be water for my plants, because tears don’t work on me no more. Everyone’s got bills, there’s a homeless shelter down the street, and they’ve all got the same sob story there. It’s a tough world out there sweet cheeks, deal with it.’