Enter Baz. (In the wild West Midlands
names are shortened by the addition of a terminal “z” to the first syllable,
i.e. Baz for Barry, Daz for Darren / Darryl, Shaz for Sharron etc).
Baz is resplendent in ironmongery from his studded leathers
to his multiple piercings. His piece de resistance is a grommet style
arrangement through the left earlobe, that stretches it out to improbable
dimensions, leaving a porthole through which the light can stream and whole
landscapes are made visible.
Like many here in Ambridge, Baz has been afflicted with a run
of colds, coughs, and ear infections pretty much all through the winter. He’s
had the odd course of antibiotics here and there with little benefit, and he’s
getting more and more fed up with things.
He’s especially worried today about his eardrums. It appears
they've been popping and crackling a bit more lately so he wants them looking
at again (for the umpteenth time in the past two months). Sure enough they look
a bit dull and a bit pink, but not especially bad, and certainly no different
to the past three times we've looked at them. I tell him this and he looks skeptical.
So I ask him what’s worrying him.
Well, it turns out he’s been talking to his mate down the
pub, and his mate reckoned his ear drums might be perforated!
