Gordon Tudor Patrick part 2: The Chipper Clipper

In Tampa, Gordon attends beauty school. He finds he is allergic to permanents and dyes. What to do? He graduates, but lasts in a shop only six months. One of his clients is a gay veterinarian who steals him away and has him apprentice as a groomer … and becomes his first serious love. Gordon’s apprenticeship is short because he already knows about hair and beauty. He just has to learn about flea dips, dogs, and breed specific cuts and temperament. He can’t deal with the aggressive breeds and enters counseling. The counselor gives him assertiveness training. It helps with the dogs but destroys his relationship with the veterinarian.

He has to leave Tampa. His parents provide the upfront money for his Beauty Beastro, and his mother names it the Chipper Clipper. His shop is located next door to Mayfield Veterinary Clinic and he’s thrilled with the arrangement. When he moves in he sends the vet’s office flowers. He yearns to do Estrella’s hair.

On the first anniversary of the Chipper Clipper, Emily has an intercom system installed between the clinic and Gordon’s shop. Gordon is always helpful and will furnish an extra pair of hands when they are needed and advice even if declined.

Gordon’s parents are still alive, but the spectre of aging parents hangs over him. He is still quite devoted to them. Theirs is the first number on his cell phone, and he talks with them several times a day. Gordon has a Papillon, a natural beauty named Titania.

(This completes Gordon Tudor Patrick.)

(Actually, this completes the backstories of all the human characters at Mayfield Veterinary Clinic. Stay tuned for the non-human characters.)

Gordon Tudor Patrick part 1: The Gay Blade

Gordon Tudor Patrick is a thirty-one-year-old white male. Gordon was born and raised in Sun City, Florida. He’s a change of life baby looked upon as a miracle not unlike Abraham and Sarah’s surprise baby. His parents don’t concern themselves with his sexuality, and it is never a problem for him. Actually, Gordon is brought up surrounded by old people who are as thrilled with his first steps as his parents are.

Gordon’s comfort with old, cranky, eccentric people has been well tested with some of his client’s human companions at his dog grooming parlour next door to Mayfield Veterinary Clinic. Gordon has seen enough silly women to last him a lifetime, but they all adore him. He always seems to understand just what they want for little FooFoo. He kisses the hand that pays him and sings to the dogs as he grooms them. Gordon sings show tunes and can be heard occasionally by Estrella at the clinic’s front desk. If concerned clients do not surround her, she will sing along.

Gordon has always known he is gay. It was a bit of a problem in high school because the school was small enough it was everyone’s business. So Gordon Tudor left Sun City and his multiplicity of doting parents for a bigger city--Tampa.

(continued)

Rocko Troy Part 2: Philosopher

Rocko is the delivery man for the pet food distributor—one bag at a time.

Rocko is looking forward to his middle-age crisis. He anticipates the wrecklessness, the abandon, the thrill of risk-taking. If only it would hurry and get here before he is too dry to celebrate the emergence of Rocko Troy, wildman.

He spends his evenings being an umpire at little league games during the spring and summer. He referees grade school football games in the fall. In the winter he is a catcher for a school of little ballerinas. They always trust him. “Rocko said” starts many a conversation between child and parent. “Rocko said I could hit the ball, and I did.” “Rocko said if I would practice every day I could dance in New York City.” Sometimes parents ask Rocko to say things to their kids, and he will if it he thinks it is the right thing to say. Rocko knows kids. He knows how it feels to be scared and little.

Rocko is a philosopher.


(This completes Rocko Troy.)

(Stay tuned for Gordon Tudor Patrick, pet groomer extraordinaire.)

Rocko Troy Part 1: Greek Unorthodox

Rocko is and always has been the runt of the litter. He looks like Mr. Peepers from the 50’s. He was the last kid picked for baseball and soccer; he was never picked for football. The other kids would rather play with short teams than invite Rocko to be on their team. But Rocko watched all the games and is a die-hard football fan. He follows the Miami Dolphins religiously. He knows all the players, the plays, the coaches, and statistics on every season since 1970.

Rocko hails from a large family of Greek lineage. Like Estrella, he has 12 siblings. But he is number 13. He likes to say that he is ‘lucky 13.’ He also likes to say that he is a baker’s dozen, but he won’t say a dozen whats. All his brothers and sisters are married and most have children. He loves his nieces and nephews and shares Estrella’s passion for family. That is not the only passion he would like to share with Estrella, but she terrifies him. Estrella is so juicy, and he is so prunish.

Rocko’s family is located around Tampa and most of his brothers work in construction. The women cook and take care of the babies. Rocko calls himself Greek Unorthodox. Mother Troy apologizes to Rocko that she had run out of “juice” by the time she was pregnant with him. He lacks the juice to live life with abandon, but he would like to — sort of — if it wasn’t so dangerous and well, unhealthy. And Estrella with her untamable hair makes him long for more of the Greek juices.

(continued)

Robbie Part 2: A Real Technician and a Real Coach

When Robbie is in high school, he is a coach’s dream with a baseball. There is talk about a farm team scout checking him out while he is still a junior. Robbie is good. Edna talks with Mamacita and with Estrella. She knows that Robbie cannot be alone in a big city. He needs people who love him, to take care of him. For all his athletic ability and good nature, Robbie has too low an IQ to survive in a high stress, high demand environment. Estrella convinces one of Emily’s clients, who is the head of the parks and recreation department, to woo Robbie as the municipal t-ball coach, under the guise of Robbie’s talent for baseball being a saving grace for the little boys who need a coach and role model. She also convinces Emily—and this is the really difficult job—to hire Robbie at the clinic. Emily doesn’t have anything against Robbie personally, but she does have concerns about the safety of her patients. Not wanting to insult Estrella or put her patients at risk, she offers a compromise: Robbie Hightower can come in to Mayfield Veterinary Clinic two hours a day to clean kennels.

The day after graduation from high school, Robbie starts as a cleaner at Dr. M’s clinic. He coaches the t-ball team and finds that he is very satisfied with his life. He loves being around the kids and the animals. He was really scared about moving away from home and is happy to have his mom and dad tell him he can play baseball in Clearwater and doesn’t have to move to Chicago.

Robbie’s sister Sylvia, who breeds miniature Schnauzers, changes her vet to become a client of Emily’s clinic, specifically so Robbie will be there to take care of her girls. His sister Linda, who accumulates needy cats, brings all of her brood to the clinic. Seeing Robbie with these animals convinces Emily that he does belong at her clinic. Robbie never lets intellect get in the way of his connection with the animals in his care.

Robbie learns slowly but carefully and is now, after five years, proficient with all of the equipment at the clinic and is a valued and trusted employee. He never gets careless with his charges, tests, safety procedures, or routines. He is reliable and sweet.

His family is proud that he is a contributing member of society. He is proud to be a real technician and a real coach.

(This completes Robbie Hightower.)

(Stay tuned for Rocko Troy, pet food delivery man and ever-hopeful suitor of Estrella de Ramón.)

Robbie Hightower Part 1: Baby Brother

Robbie Hightower is the baby of his family. His dad is a mail carrier and his mother works part-time as a dispatcher for the de Ramón pest control company.

Mr. and Mrs. Hightower have three children. Older sister Sylvia is eleven when Robbie is born. She is embarrassed to have to admit to herself that her parents actually, well, you know. Sister Linda is eight. Baby brother Robbie is the best gift her mom and dad could ever give her. She dresses him, feeds him, talks to, and adores him from the moment he comes home from the hospital. She uses her doll dishes to feed him when he is outgrowing his bottles. Robbie is always “Linda’s baby.”

When Robbie is three, Sylvia enters high school, and the Hightower family needs to increase their income. Mama (Edna) gets a job as part-time dispatcher for Ramon De Ramón Pest Control. Mamacita de Ramón likes Edna, and insists that she bring her little boy to work with her so she won’t have to worry about childcare. The two women become cross-generation friends: Edna is like a daughter to Mamacita, and Robbie is her honorary grandson. Estrella has known Robbie since his 3rd birthday. She calls him Christopher Robin because he reminds her of the gentle sweetness of the Pooh characters. Estrella gets so used to seeing Robbie around whenever she drops by her family’s business that she sort of takes it for granted that he will always be there.

(continued)

Cynthia part 2: Home at last, in Florida

When Cynthia confronts James, he denies all; Cynthia doesn’t fall for his denial and James responds with disdain for her “excessive morality.”

Cynthia walks out on James, talks with her parents, and packs for an art-buying trip with her mother. Mom, Cynthia and Gideon head south to art galleries.

They go to Atlanta, then swing south when the mother becomes intrigued with work by an artist in Clearwater, Florida. Mom and Cynthia decide to go meet the artist. The weather is perfect, they haven’t had time together in a long time, and what the heck. Meanwhile, Dad the CPA is handling things fine at home in DC, but missing them like crazy. Dad also spends time and energy seeing to it that Cynthia gets the best possible settlement in the divorce.

When Mom and Cynthia meet the artist Armando, the attraction between Cynthia and Armando is immediate and Gideon falls in instant love with Armando’s miniature Poodle, PooDoo. (So named because she was so hard to housebreak. “What is that?” “Poo Doo.”)

Mom goes back to DC and tells Dad not to worry, that Cynthia is going to be just fine.

When Cynthia has to take Gideon to the vet, she goes to Armando’s vet, Emily Mayfield. At the clinic, Estrella and Emily are writing a help wanted ad for a vet tech. Hearing them, Cynthia tells them not to write the ad, to hire her. Asked if she has any experience, she tells them no, but she is a really fast learner and a hard worker. They aren’t convinced, so Cynthia makes them a deal: “I’ll work for you for the first month for free. If you’re not satisfied, then run the ad.”

They never run the ad.


(This completes Cynthia Powell.)

(Stay tuned for Robbie Hightower, vet tech assistant.)