THE GAME, THE LEDGER and THE TRAIN

 Mr Johnny Christen and Mr Lou Cifer met on the first Sunday of each month at twelve noon, at the old railway station to play The Game, everything else on their agenda was put on hold.  No matter where in the world they were the first Sunday was kept free for The Game.  Nobody seems to exactly remember when it started  but if the truth be known it has been going on since man came to the conclusion that he has a soul and that it is worth protecting or fighting for but the funny thing is nobody has ever seen this so called 'soul', but Johnny and Lou seem to think it's worth playing The Game for, and besides they get the chance to catch up on events and compare notes, not that it really matters to them, for  they are just playing out another Game devised by man himself from his own little Mind.

The railway station was of simple buildings in highly polished black granite that you could see your own reflection in that black stone and never seemed to have aged with time.  In fact everything was in black granite, even the crows that sat in the trees seemed not to move and looked bigger than normal crows also had the appearance of black granite and eyes as white as marble that looked beyond you to some far off distance that only they could see into.  

As for Johnny and Lou , well .... they stood out in all of this .......

this reflecting black polished stone ... made quite the elegant pair too, for they took pride in their dress and how they projected themselves especially towards each other. Weakness in spirit was not on the agenda at any time of the day or night for they were always watching for the weak link in each other, to see who could break who, but till now they are on even footing and it seems it will always be this way.

Johnny Christen was dressed in all white. A white that gave off a glow that seemed to shimmer like a mirage in the distance, shoulder length blond hair that he now liked to tie back in a ponytail fashion and tied with a blue ribbon that matched the colour of his eyes. Eyes that were so deep you felt you could swim in them, eyes that were hypnotic and yet gentle that when you looked into them you seemed to drift into his body and felt to be part of him, but that was Johnny, 'all for you'.... His features were soft and skin that looked like polished ivory you felt you wanted to touch, tall, and carried himself gracefully as if his feet never touched the ground .... You remember that story about Johnny 'walking on water', there might be some truth in it after all.  

Mr Lou Cifer, as he liked to be called, what can you say, Lou Cifer was the original Playboy, dressed the part and  played it to the full. A real killer of a looker, a women's man and a man's man, the glorified all rounder.  Changed his suites as often as he said his name and that could be a thousand times in the day. Nothing on the dull side for Lou, bright colours and shoes to match his small feet, you would think he was walking with stilts, but for today it was red, his favourite colour and before entering the station it was canary yellow. He was the real chameleon in more ways then one. Tall with jet black hair in lose curls that made him look, well for the want of a better word, almost angelic. He had sharp and rapid movements in his walk you would think he was trying to catch flies, his features were more on the angler side and his skin always had a tan, just like fresh brown toast. His eyes were like looking into two big black holes that you could see your own reflection in if you dared to look into his eyes and when standing near him his body odour always had this smell of sulphur where as for Johnny he smelt like a blooming rose garden all the time. When Johnny and Lou stood side by side, and that was not very often, they looked like the hard and the soft version of the same person, but that's where it ended. Their intentions and their way of doing things were totally different, complete opposites, the black and the white, the good and the bad situation of all that's known. The Yin and the Yang of the human race.

The station master looked like a station master that you could see in any railway station around the world. Born for the part, looking busy, saying little and only when he was spoken to, his expression alert while walking about wrapped up in his own thoughts and importance, but everything was kept to a strict time table right down to the time he would permit himself to pee. You had the impression he never relaxed and that he was the same in his time off, or did he have time off ?.

Johnny and Lou were now seated on wroth iron chairs each with their own initials on the back in gold leaf scripted letters at a marble top table in the design of the chess board. The station master appeared from nowhere with the chess pieces and the all important Ledger under his arm which no Game could start without.  After arranging the pieces on the board the station started to fill in with people as if there was some kind of end of season sales on.  People of all colour, size and age, women children and men. A whole cross section of the Human race, the good and the not so good the strong and the weak, nobody was spared for they all ended up here in the station but one thing you noticed, apart from the station now quite crowded, were they all had the same expression on their face's, that of fear and being lost and not knowing what to do next or more to the point what was happening or where they were going. They were here now and there was no going back. 

The station master, Lou and Johnny paid no attention to the 'lost souls', now piling in at a fast rate and even though the station looked to be full to capacity they were still coming in but were no more then twenty feet away from the table and never seemed to cross over that invisible line and all looking in the direction of the station master and his Ledger, even those at the back who could not see what was going on were looking in the same direction. In his business like way the station master opened the Ledger and the Game was now in play, neither Lou or Johnny looked at each other or spoke a word nor the station master at them but all eyes were on the board. ''Mr.Christen and Mr.Cifer if you please'' ... The Game was in full play.

Johnny in his shimmering white suit was totally calm in his expression and Mind. Where as Lou, who now had a ultramarine blue suit on with matching shoes had one thing on his Mind and that was to win at all cost, for each chess piece gained and lost was the value of souls in grate numbers and it all went into the Ledger. There were no mistakes made here, because the Ledger was the final written word on one's one and only 'soul', ... so The Game decides onto what page your name goes into The Ledger. For all time.

As always Lou played black and Johnny white and once the first pawn was moved out to do battle The Train appeared not too far from where they were playing. This was no ordinary train, it was known as the 'Mystery Train' though it had only two destinations, and everyone knew that, up the track and down the track. No diversions and no stops, once on you could not get off and you had no idea if you were going up the track or down, only when the train stopped did you know where you were. It was truly the real 'Mystery Train'. It was made from crystal that glittered in the light  while it stood idle in the station and it's reflection in the polished granite was dazzling. When it was moving it made no sound and you saw nothing outside when it entered the tunnel just the light at the other end that was coming towards you, at the 'speed of light'.  It was always full to capacity but everyone had a seat, it wasn't thought fair that one should stand on their last journey no matter how you played out your life. For life is not a matter of chance, it's a matter of choice.

It was twelve thirty and the Game was in it's final stages of play, Lou was on the winning end, it was his time now and knew that the 'Train' was his, just two more moves and the Train was full and the station empty of it's 'souls', some knowing that their ticket on the 'Train' was paid for somewhere in their past. The Ledger now closed and the train was entering into the tunnel on the down track. Lou Cifer feeling quite pleased with himself and looking at Johnny through the black mirrors that were his eyes said,  '' J.C. this is my time now, temptations are like spiders webs, if some poor weak soul comes up against them, it is caught '' .... but Johnny Christen  looks at Lou with complete calmness and says,  '' And into deeper darkness fall those who follow, but a stronger one can break through and get away ''.

Mr Johnny Christen now in his black mourning clothes, and Mr Lou Cifer changed back in his red suit stood up and without further words passing between the two, walked out of the station. With the ledger squeezed tight under his arm the station master walks back to his office to wait for the next Game and for the Ledger to come out again, and more souls to show up for the 'Mystery' train ride of no return.  

When passing the sign board on the wall that nobody seems to pay any attention to when they enter the station, and never did and probably never will, he stops and looks at the twelve inch high letters in gold that looks in keeping with the black granite, and reads it out at the top of his voice for all to hear, but there is nobody about, not even a left-over-lost-soul. Even the crows have gone.

  
    One becomes good by good action, bad by bad action .   

I will see you all at our appointed Time in the railway station .........

CHECKMATE TO GOD

2004                                                                                   

Limestone, Ireland.

White Granite, Ireland.

Mirror

0.32m x 0.26m x 1m High

Private Collection

The Story

Not all sculpture needs the 'written word' to explain the meaning behind the work, some can 'speak' for themselves and  therefore the message that the sculptor is trying to convey is not lost to the viewer. When I show my work in exhibition I do not give the 'The Story' as to the thinking behind and therefore the making of the sculpture, I leave it to the viewer to form their own 'Story' through their emotions to the sculpture, but some works I feel need the 'written word' to help the viewer understand and therefore appreciate the work and where the artist was coming from with his idea to make the sculpture and ''CHECKMATE TO GOD'' is such a work that deserves 'The Story'.

My message in this work is; ''As above so below'' .....  these were also the words I kept in mind while in the process of making the sculpture. Starting at the top of the sculpture, the white granite pieces represent the Galaxy's, the 'heavens' as in the whole infinite universe and are movable as in the chess game. While moving the pieces we ourselves become the player, the god, therefore in moving the pieces we are responsible to and for 'everything', it's like raising our subconscious through our actions. The 'universe pieces' are placed on a mirror, '' As above so below ''. The mirror's form, as in the pointed corners, is my way of showing it all moves out in all directions and also to look like a compass needle, giving directions.... in any direction it will be the same situation ..... infinity.

The bottom stone, and not a pedestal, is one limestone block with the top part polished and represents 'Creation' holding it all together. The cuts into the edges of the stone are symbolic of 'time travel'. Standing on a white granite 'stone-section' of a circle, representing the 'perfection' in the Universe and Creation.

What you now have, as the viewer of  ''CHECKMATE TO GOD'' and after reading 'The Story' is the meaning behind the work and a glimpse into my 'thinking' in the making of the sculpture. The work itself , I will leave to your own subconscious mind, and the title ''CHECKMATE TO GOD''....... who's to know.

VICTIMS OF PURE COINCIDENCE

She pulled the classic M.G. off the road. She had no choice. There was enough power in the car, even though the engine had stopped for it to glide to the kerb side, it was the only fast reaction she had had all day, and it was now 2.10a.m. and raining constant since early evening. The ivory coloured M.G. sat there as if it was dying, steam coming out from under the bonnet like smoke signals sending out 'help' messages to any other passing cars, but none will pass.  This was not a good part of town to have a break down at any time of the day or night, let alone in a classic car. You even took a chance stopping at a red light, they were that quick that they could have your wheels striped off before the lights turned to green. She made a wrong turn, panicked and lost her way, driving around trying to find some bearings that she could drive her way out of this maze and the confusion in her mind, of course the five martini's with their green olive and no ice, didn't help any. It was OK when she was sitting at the bar trying to kill the pain of missing Mike. Not just missing him but feeling her life and all of life-kind  had ended, full stop, and it ended six months ago with him.

Mandy Gilroy sat behind the steering wheel not knowing what to do and started to cry and not for the first time today. She was breaking down and she knew it, but she didn't care. She didn't care anymore about anything, Mike Gorman had died, the only man she saw herself with in her life. He die, up and died. She could not accept it. Life was not without Mike. She was going down, down in health and down in mind. She wanted Mike back. She wanted him back, no matter what. She pleaded with the Devil to take her soul for in exchange to have Mike back. He was always nearby, like the bad boy standing on the street corner, waiting for opportunities just like this one to come by. She didn't ask God, oh no, He was in her bad books, she was blaming Him big time for taking Mike from her. God had a lot to answer for, and she wanted answers, how and where she didn't care, but answers were due. 'She wanted him back at any cost', is all she could hear in her head. It was all her mind and body energy was saying and sending out, and the Universe Energy heard it too. Non stop re-play, on and on, 24 hours, 7 days a week, 6 months ..... she wanted answers.

Mike and Mandy were the perfect couple. If you were not in their circle you hated them for making life look so good and being the perfect couple and if you were in their circle, you envied them to the point you felt so  incapable of having a relationship ... ever, or the one you were in was full of holes, like a sinking boat and you are bailing out water, as fast as it was coming in, but to hell with it you are drowning anyway. They had a nice but small four room apartment in Meadow Grove, facing the old park. A good part of town where you knew your investment was safe and you with it. They met three years ago by an accident on a sky slope, they slided into each others arms literally, trying to avoid the obvious accident on a skying holiday, and have been together since. They shared the same interests, extreme sports, good wine, jazz dancing, and movies of all kind just to escape into other worlds together.

Mike Gorman had it all when it came to looks, he had 'magazine looks', but was humble about it, never used it for his hormone quest. He had a good job in fashion design and a hobby that was becoming more than a hobby. He like to make welded steel sculpture and was getting some attention for his sculptures on the gallery circuit. He and Mandy would toy with the idea of living out their days in a good 'balance' with life. Mandy worked for a top advertising agency in the city. Worked hard and held a good portfolio and liked to write, mostly on travel and would write the odd short story now and again, had some published, and now putting down the 'rough' for a novel she was planning. Mike encouraged her to pursue her writing, but the 'encouragement' was equal from both sides, it help to create the perfect 'balance'. This was the plan. That was the life plan.

Mike Gorman was already six months dead on the same date the M.G. was dying by the roadside, and she could not let go of him, her pain was too much that maybe the M.G. also sensed it and decided to die too. The car was Mike's pride and joy. He personally restored it to prime condition sending away and waiting for months for the parts to arrive like an anxious child waiting for ice cream, and standing in the kitchen throwing a tantrum when it was taking too long to arrive. He was her baby. Mike use to joke about how the things he loved in life were too much of a coincidence and that they all had the same initials like his name, .... his true love, Mandy Gilroy ..... his joy ride, M.G. .... his perfect home in Meadow Grove, and the sculpture that got him some recognition for his work titled, 'Man Grue-some' .... 'To much of a coincidence', he would keep telling her. She would just smile and thought how complete her life was with Mike in it. Life without Mike was just not on the cards.

Mike Gorman took off early that morning. He tried the night before and in the morning at breakfast to see would Mandy change her mind and go bungee jumping with him. He wanted to try out a new jump he heard about but Mandy had a story in her head that was eating away at her and she wanted to see it in words on her laptop or at least the best part of it, that day. They said their 'good byes' over coffee that sunny morning, both understanding that respected 'balance' in their live, they were working towards. She heard the M.G. leaving the car park. It was a Sunday morning and most people were still in bed at that hour, and then heard it no more, nor did she hear it returning that night as promised in time for pizza. They were going out for pizza as was the treat they gave themselves on most Sundays, but not this Sunday. Destiny had other plans for Mike and Mandy.

Mandy put the phone down after spending an hour or so ringing around Mike's friends who would go bungee jumping with him. No .... nobody was with Mike that day. He was out on his own and he died because of it. They say it was a freak accident. He hit his head on an outcrop of rock ..... a freak accident. Nobody could understand how or why. He was an experienced 'jumper' that knew all the rules, but today he broke the rule of 'jumping on his own'. They found his car at first daylight and Mike still hanging on the end of his 'line' at the bottom. Swinging gently from side to side and in little circles with the side of his head open for all to see Mike Gorman's brains, and the crows, making a hell of a noise, lining up and jumping place,  looking on in anticipation of free pickings. Not a pretty sight now, poor Mike. The parting was painful for both of them. He, in his pain of dying through out the night, slowly, so slow, in the rain, feeling life as he knew it slipping away,  away, far away from Mandy, swinging, just like the dance from the hangman's rope, only it was his own rope, and his last dance. On his own, in the rain, swinging back and forth, like the wind was playing with him. 

It was too much for her now to cope with each day and today was a crap day by all means. She did not go to work nor would she answer her phone ... not to nobody. The two M.G.'s were dead in her life. It was just all too much for her as she sat there in the now dead car feeling all alone in the world and panicked. Some kind of life movement was starting to come back to her brain when she opened the car door and stood beside it in the rain, hoping beyond hope that somebody would come along. It was now 3a.m. and not another car in sight, 'what now' she thought as she saw the full on headlights of a 'monster' of a four wheel drive coming towards her at speed, too fast, unless he was running from something or to drunk to care. It was swerving all over the place like a swinging rope by the time it had reached her, and after it had hit her and crushed the side of the M.G. leaving her face down to die slowly on the side of the road in the rain. Mike was calling her to him, she knew it was Mike. She lay there choking in her own blood and  'Last Stop Bar' martini's. Her body now mixing it's own cocktail ... had a funny taste in her mouth, blood and martini. It will be the last 'taste' she will know.

She knew she was not going to get up, she didn't want too, and she couldn't if she tried. She was cold and hot together at the same time. She was slipping into pain and out. She wanted to be with Mike, at any cost..... and this will do just fine now .... no pain .... oh ... pain, like a twisting knife in her side, and that chocking feeling around her neck, now getting a grip on her mentally. No oxygen in the body no oxygen going to the brain. She wants and will go to Mike, to be with him, it's what she wanted all the time, in life or in death. She see's Mike, he is calling to her with that smile of his. She could hear distant music.... 'the car radio cannot be still on, it's not possible'..... she thought. 

She... could... hear...Mike...calling. 

She...could...smell... rubber... burning. 

She... could... sense... Mike... now. 

She... could... see... Mike....    

It was so easy to do ...... let go. She was getting her answers now in a rush. It's what she wanted, to be with Mike. She could see the banged up M.G. in the distance from 'that' bird's eye view. Mike beside her, warm hand in cold hand. It was so easy to do, let go .... and to let go of that pain too. She was happy now. She was with her Mike. It's what she wanted..... in life or in death .... so easy to let go.  They were two victims of pure coincidence. They were in balance now, Mike and Mandy.