Sunday 26 June 2016

Fictitious Facts I: 'Cultivation of a Murderer' continued: CH 23 "Pain of Love".


Chapter 23
Pain of love

Don was back working with a gang of seven on Monday, camping in bushland in outdated yellow plywood caravans, each with few cupboards and a set of steel double bunks inside. They were parked on a bridge building site miles from nowhere deep in a valley preparing foundations. The crew consisted of a foreman, two carpenters, a crane operator, a powder-man, and two labourers; one of them being Don. All but Don was over the age of fifty, the oldest sixty five and Don the youngest. It was the middle of winter and the temperature was never above three degrees Celsius until the sunlight breached the mountainous tree line around eleven ‘am’. The sun’s rays would penetrate for about four hours before it once again sunk below the treetops. The purpose of the bridge under construction was to bypass and replace the concrete causeway because it flooded with superfluous frequency causing the stoppage of the large logging trucks meeting their schedule.
After Friday’s operations when the work crew was permitted to return home, Don went into town to the sports store to purchase a rifle. The store was multifarious in supply and stocked a huge range of firearms. He admired the gold engraving on the stock of a ‘Winchester-model 1892’. It was, or at least looked the exact same as the one actor Chuck Norris used in the television show called, ‘The Rifle Man’, around the early sixties. Unfortunately the cost of around eighty dollars was above his means. The option of putting it on lay-by was available but he wanted a rifle to take with him on Monday. The rest of his work mates had guns and they regularly went spotlighting for feral pigs, he wanted to be part of the hunting fraternity so settled for a cheaper .22 semi automatic which fired fifteen shots from a cartridge clip. Being keen to try the rifle he fired a few magazines into the scrub near his home and was pleased with its rapidity in discharging bullets.
It was the start of another working week of camping on site. At first the stormy weather gave no opportunity to fire his weapon in any kind of hunt, but as it cleared and housekeeping duties, such as; cooking and cleaning and the rituals of washing tin plates and mugs was complete, he rugged-up and joined the ready and waiting group for an evening of hunting. The area was alive with all types of wildlife, but it was the pigs they were pursuing. The feral pig is an omnivore which can exceed one hundred and forty kilograms in weight, and besides causing havoc to the natural balance of flora and fauna they carry many diseases considered dangerous to the health of domestic livestock. There was never a complaint from the community when pigs were being culled for sport; it was encouraged. They spent an hour trekking deep through the bush where the tell tale signs of pigs rummaging in the vegetation were prominent, his mate made a sweeping search of the undergrowth with a powerful beam of light, and not far away, hidden in the bushes, two shiny eyes reflected the hideout of a huge black boar boasting enormous tusks. Because of his new rifle Don was given the privilege of first shoot while the others stood quiet and watched. He stalked his prey, after creeping to a distance of no further than twenty five feet away and lifted his weapon to take aim. The group could hear the grunting of more swine’s nearby and scanned the area with the spotlight, taking it off the one Don was aiming at, it allowed the pig to refocus and it took a defensive stance. Usually, if given the chance they run away but this one went against the grain of normality, instead of scatting it began charging at Don with its head down and tusks armed. He did not panic and had a good clear shot, gently he squeezed the trigger, ‘click’, again ‘click’, nothing happened, he pulled the trigger again without success. Terror was the first thought to mind because the pig was heading towards him at full speed and closing in fast, he dropped his rifle and scampered away in an undignified manner, tripping and screaming to his friends. As he got closer to his mates the light beamed again on the commotion, then shots from their guns whistled past his ears and dropped the pig only metres away from his shaking body. Everyone but he thought it to be a great joke as their laughter echoed through the cold night.
       “Great gun you’ve got there,” was the first sarcastic remark. He was too stirred to give reply, picked up his rifle, wiped the mud off it and sank slowly into an embarrassing slump. They continued the hunt for a few more hours without the contribution of Don’s firepower. The following weekend he took the gun back and had it repaired but from then on the firing-pin would jam with regular monotony and occasionally snapped in two. He knew he should have waited until he could afford the ‘Winchester’ and never did bag a pig.
Early morning starts in his job were customary and sleep was a luxury each took seriously. Determined to interrupt the work-crew’s slumber was one in-particular ‘logger’ driving a ‘Kenworth’ semi trailer. He had a warped sense of humour, around four every morning as he crossed the flooded causeway he thought it hilarious to blast his air horns. Don and his mate’s caravans were in close proximity to the crossing. The noise was alarming, frustrating and deprived them of precious sleep. Men would jump out of bed in ready to throttle him, but by the time anyone rose to scream their discontent his truck was long gone. The powder-man, named Joe, had enough of this ratbag behaviour; he did not find it funny and forewarned the crew of his intentions to put a stop to it. The next morning he set a detonator in a half stick of ‘gelignite’, put it next to the causeway in the water and lay in waiting up on the ridge with his plunger. The strategy was to wait until the perpetrator blew his air horns and push the plunger to explode the charge; it was an impressive plan and would hopefully give the desired effect of scaring the shit out of him. No-one wanted to miss the outcome so all got up early in the damp freezing morning to witness the prank, besides, the vans were so close to the blast site it was assumed to be safer up the ridge with Joe than in the warmth of the van. The sound of the truck approaching could be heard from a distance away and gave plenty of time to prepare. They took it for granted the driver coming was the culprit disturbing their sleep each morning and all was good to go. As the ‘logger’ slowed to a crawl to negotiate the streaming causeway he let loose the noise of his air horns and held the racket continuously. When he reached the middle of the causeway Joe shouted ‘man in the hole’, he did this just for the fun of it, it had no significance for the safety of the logger because he could not hear the warning, then he pushed the plunger; Kabooooom! A resounding full ‘BOOOOMMM’ blasted a wave of water and stones in the air meeting the driver and giving him the shock of his life. He ran off the line of the causeway before correcting his path and came to sudden halt on the other side. When he staggered out of his truck he was in such a fluster with stutter and abuse he was ready to punch the nose of the first person who engaged him. Luckily there were many of Don’s crew and only one of him because he was a large irate character. Joe took it upon himself to explain the situation and threatened he not blow his horns again or next time the blast would be underneath his truck. The driver’s only recourse was to suck in his hurt pride and carry on with business as usual. He went off in a huff, but it worked, and it was the last they heard of him or his horns. The customary morning ruckus so rudely interfering with their craving for a deep and torpid sleep was again minimised to the idle of the engines of trucks passing and a satisfying slumber could be enjoyed.
Working so far away from home only to return on the weekends added a range of complexities to Don’s life proving equal in distributing the many pressures familiar to teenagers; the physical and emotional urges for female companionship, the need for friendships with people of the same age, the hanker for homely comforts, and of course Cardinia’s touch. Prior, his once healthy fortitude in childhood had been withered away by the many intimidating scenarios endured; now it was seclusion rendering it impossible for any clarity of conviction to pass into normal adulthood. Plus, any balanced reasoning regarding maturity was impaired by his hyperactive hormones controlling most thought patterns. Weeks passed and Don had not heard from Cardinia. Sitting by the phone on weekends and driving past her house countless times trying to get her attention proved futile. The few Saturday mornings he went to her place of work she was absent. By now he believed she was being evasive and had reservations as to her predilections for him. He was not about to give in just yet, but chose not to take the direct approach by knocking on her front door for fear of rejection from her or her parents, so his certitude tilted towards the formation of a scheme to get noticed and aspire her to approve his persona. He remembered her parents were devout churchgoers, so his plan was to heathenize himself by attending her church on Sunday Mass.
The church opened its doors early. He parked across the road listening to the ringing of the bells for what seemed an eternity whilst waiting and watching for Cardinia to appear. Finally, vehicles filled with people swarmed on the small chapel, so many it blocked his vie, making it difficult to spot any particular individual. Now standing next to his car searching the horde he caught a glimpse of her about to alight from one of the cars, he was certain it was not her parents driving so took his chance by leaning in the window of his car and hooting the horn to nominate himself as the centre of attention; it worked. He attracted everybody’s attention, but most importantly when his identity was recognized it was her who responded. She acknowledged him with a wave and advanced in his direction. As she crossed the road he admired her knockout figure and drooled at the way she paraded a pleated white short skirt and a shaded brown mohair cardigan with her hair long and the sides brushed back in plated tails to flaunt such flawlessness in woman.
       “Hello,” she said, “What are you doing here?” Don replied;
       “You didn’t ring so I thought I would come and see you. I wasn’t game to come around your place and you weren’t at work, so I thought this would be the best place to find you.”
       “Yes, they wouldn’t let me go to the pictures. Besides we’ve been away to see a relative. Let’s go for a drive.”
       “What about your church? Where’s your parent’s?” He asked while looking anxiously throughout the crowd.
       “Oohh don’t fret, its okay I can miss church. My parents couldn’t come today. As long as I get back in time for my friends to take me home it’ll be okay, they won’t mind.”
       “Won’t they tell you parents?” She was decisive in reply;
       “No! I just said they won’t miss me! Let’s go.” Don did not have to be told again. Feeling his own heart beat in perfect rapture, awed by her poise and feminine pulchritude, and elated with the pleasure of her company he sped off; another bonus in thought was he did not have to attend church. They drove a few kilometres along a river bank to an old disused and derelict boat ramp. The view was picturesque with a bridge in the foreground engulfed by colourful sailing skiffs, on the other side power boats skimming the calm waters with skiers in tow; it set the scene. He knew it to be a perfect spot for a conversation and hopefully a bit of canoodling. They spoke of many things, and whether for fun or satire she made reference to her active friendship with Kolora and laughed at the day he kicked them out. Don was tiring of this story because it had been told many times before, he asked;
       “You’ve mentioned this a few times, does it still bother you?”
       “Nooo, don’t be silly. I find it amusing now, that day is just a silly memory. He could have asked a hundred questions because the way she answered was not convincing to him, but he picked up on a tetchy pout and did not want to ruin the opportunity of love by creating friction.
Don knew there was no freeing himself from enslavement; she was an obsession of passion and he would have bent head over heels on request. They had a kiss or two, and without further to do proved her patience was far superior to his sexual drive, she said;
       “I had better get back now, they’ll be finished soon.” He did not want to take her back but was not going to upset her by chancing an argument, so he respectfully agreed, wriggled his genitals in place and started the car for the trip back.
       “Okay if we must.” She ran her fingers through his hair and stated the obvious;
       “You sound disappointed?”
       “Of course I am. Why wouldn’t I be? We’ve only been here fifteen minutes.”
       “Tell you what? When I get home I’ll tell my parents I saw you at church, and maybe, if you can come next week they’ll get to know you a bit better.” Don could think of nothing worse than getting to know the old warthogs, let alone going to church, but surmised her recommendation to be a small inconvenience, a contribution of fortune for many possible engaging liaisons; wholeheartedly he agreed it well worth concurring to her terms.
       “I’ll be there with bells on. I’ll see you there.”
Sunday mornings were reserved outright for church. Much to Don’s astonishment on his first visit he saw the ‘collar’ as being none other than ‘Father Punty’. He thought: ‘I was sure ‘Punty died long ago, I guess not; shame. Shit he must be well connected to people in high places; the old bastard.’ Fortuitously for Don he did not recognise him. Her parents were long-faced when Cardinia presented him as a promising disciple and it took weeks for them to lower their guard. For Don Church was a means to an end, a charade he tolerated for months. It was not enjoyable, especially the obtrusive exaggerated pietism befitting individuals of clans falsifying their allegiance; he hated the insincerity of the rituals, the faked religious zeal and the affected righteous order of the Catholic faith. But the suffering and toleration paid dividends because it was not long before Cardinia’s parents afforded him the consent to date her and responsively they took full advantage of the controlled, limited and small frames of freedom allotted to them. Their rendezvous of compromise with her parent’s was a double feature at the pictures to see ‘On her Majesty’s Secret Service’ starring ‘George Lazenby’ as James Bond. They strolled hand in hand and sat watching the film ablaze with passionate dedication to each other. Both established the same conditional response like mental telepathy leading to the second feature being inconsequential because they never saw the end of the first; instead they skipped the theatre and departed to allow private time together; parking at the boat ramp was their place of choice.
The night was still with a chill conducive to necking. The lights of the buildings on the opposite bank reflected and twinkled on the serene surface of the water encouraging romantic interest. Not much was said, he was lost for words in the belief she could enamour any man’s heart and wondered; ‘Why would she be interested in me? There’s must be heaps of guys chasing her.’ This question nagged at his insecurities causing perpetual instability. He wanted to ask her that very thing but was scared of upsetting the mood: ‘I would have to be dumb to ask her, any mistake in my stupid thinking at this moment would only prejudice glorious privileges to her warmth.’ The outside visibility was being marred by the fogging of windows letting concentrations to be re-focussed, and her seraphic looks made known the feelings of mutuality towards tender play. Gently he leaned across the tiny seat to engage in an affectionate embrace and she countenanced the move; a lasting kiss had him pining for more. The steamy air turned into dripping condensation; their bodies hot and turned on. Don had his fingers manipulating every part he could reach, she was responding favourably with sounds emanating cravings for lust. They contorted their bodies awkwardly between the two front seats to climb through to the back, then Don hastily tried in vain to remove her cardigan but it suited like a hauberk; he needed help. She leaned to one side and with a sultry titter and tut she slowly discarded her vesture and other clothing underneath; he was in heaven and could not ignore the pressure of the blood rushing through his veins. It was now impossible to repress or control his sexual hunger. While frantically stripping off his shirt they hugged and kissed; arms were thrashing everywhere. Nearly nude, the feeling of her bare breasts against his chest added another dimension to his already inflamed exhilaration, he kept rubbing her clit to maintain the initiative, she was ready, and she knew exactly what she wanted. She took off her underwear and lay back as best as one could in the back seat of a ‘Mini-Cooper’ and although a little cumbersome in manoeuvre he removed the remaining of his clothing.
She spread her legs and moulded his penis in her hand to guide it home; he was throbbing with gratitude. Already an extoller of her superb virtues, the slow entry into her sodden, tepid, tight hole, together with abrupt perfervid thrusts removed all logical implications from his senses; he was mentally and physically hers. Her nails dug in his back and her breathing erratic. He plunged deeper and deeper with only the final chapter in mind. Her muffled screams and grinding arches triggered the effusion of sperm upstream to its breach, his body quivered, hers in tremulous salutation clutched to him firmly constricting his movements, he burst into deep groans and finally the climax filled her full of his gamete; the gush was like an oil well erupting. Panting and perspiring heavily from exertion they rested for a period. Blood was abundant, defloration assured, yet too dark to properly ascertain the amount of blood lost, she used a towel to clean what she could. Smoking, drinking and chatting was a formality with natural conclusions; it was not long before the urge for coitus again provided more intimacy and the second as pleasing as the first.
In remembrance of Fran falling pregnant and blaming him, serious considerations regarding birth control of adequate form nullified the mood for a third encounter. He implicated his mind-set by fixating on the impact pregnancy could have on their lives, thinking rationally he wanted to prove himself to be an attentive suitor capable of focussing on the future with gallantry. His discussions began by relating them to his own incompetence;
       “I’m sorry I didn’t pull out. I got carried away as usual. I’ve never had access to ‘french letters’; sorry. I hope everything will be okay. I’m more than willing to take full responsibility if;   you know?” Without reply she took a sip of her drink. Don failed to comprehend why she showed such a casual disregard for his concerns. He waffled-on; “I promise I’ll get condoms from somewhere, or at least pull out in time.” Then he sought to justify his lack of control due to the intense pleasure. “It was the best feeling ever and I didn’t think of anything but;....well anything really.” Still she remained quiet and he promised again he would satisfy any wishes she had to safeguard their future together. “If we were so unlucky for you to fall pregnant the first time I would stand beside you; promise. Composed without the impetuosity of a fretful woman she finally spoke, and in a faintness of voice evinced little concern while giving an assurance on the subject;
       “Don’t worry about it. I’m on the pill.” Don was bowled over, rather relieved and yet curious, he thought: ‘Fuck me, you could have told me that before and stopped all my worry.’ And clearly puzzled by her statement: ‘She told me she was a virgin; I believed her because of the vaginal blood stains on the back seat. I don’t get it.’ he asked;
       “How? Why? What for?” She explained;
       “I’ve been on the pill for a couple of years because I get bad menstrual pains and it eases them. I’ve always been bothered with pain down there.” He could not believe his luck and thought: ‘I have a girlfriend who cannot get pregnant, meaning we can have sex anytime without the worry of mistakes.’ She saw the assuaging effects of blessedness on his face;
       “Does the news make you happier?”
       “You bet,” he answered beaming in complete concurrence.
They saw a lot of each other after that night and their sexual impulses were met and fulfilled at every opportunity. Don was scared of losing her, so much so he was subservient; his deference to her every wish was honourable and he stayed true to her every whim. Later they exchanged friendship rings and become an exemplary and simpatico young couple. She introduced him to all her churchy friends whom were a lot more convivial than past company kept, but still he found it hard to feel accepted. Kolora hardly ever attended church but remained a friend of Cardinia’s, so he had a few encounters with her, who like Cardinia thought that day of past rejection from him now quite funny. She held no malice towards him and in conversation explained;
       “I don’t see Sam anymore. He was wrong about you. I found out what he was really like. He was becoming obsessive and spiteful.” The world was a great place to be in at this particular time for Don, everything was going his way. He was very happy and getting a bit more confident in himself; but as always nothing stays the same.
About six months into their relationship Cardinia’s parents upset Don’s peaceful relations and caused great emotional disturbance by disclosing plans to move to Sydney. Cardinia protested against their intensions and with tears she objected by stating a blatant refusal to go. They sprouted religion and moralistic preaching’s and ordered her to join them. She continued her unorthodox behaviour and refused to act in accordance with their directive, creating an awkward period of conflict; there was a lot of unrest. Eventually the months turned into weeks, and as the move became evident and their seriousness about proceeding beyond doubt, with only one week to go Cardinia realised the blood connecting kinship was too hard to forsake; together with the oppressive atmosphere and the threat of renouncing their daughter created many indifferences which persuaded an obligation to conformity. Their move was impendent, both Don and Cardinia were inconsolable, they could not bear to be torn apart but the result was inescapable; she was going to Sydney. Don wept profusely, with her parent’s permission he made a heartfelt commitment; he promised he would remain courting her by travelling to Sydney each Friday night, sleep over, and return home Sunday afternoons. Between them it was the best scenario they could muster until Don could organize to move nearer.
The weeks following her departure were filled with melancholic despondency. Don was dejected, lonely, and in a state of mild depression. The first weekend of his visit could not come quick enough. Leaving after work on a Friday afternoon he arrived at Cardinia’s about seven at night, then the unexpected happened, her mother and father were standoffish. He was made unwelcome and they kept a watchful eye over their daughter’s every move. They were never sociable to him but now it was worse. With each physical or verbal exchange between Don and Cardinia was a requirement to defend himself from stymieing inquisitions. It was frustrating every meet because they worked to thwart loving affections. He did not accede easily to their meddlesome bumptiousness and week after week he kept his promise of driving the distance; Friday after Friday he set off for the long drive.
Don’s father rarely got involved in his social life, he believed he would learn by his mistakes, but on this occasion he offered Don the benefit of his wisdom and told him he was mad, but no-one could change his mind; he loved her and equated his hardship and travel to his brother-in-law’s experiences and ideals when courting Zoe; he achieved the apotheosis of honourable in her father’s eyes and Don hoped if he persisted the same would happen with Cardinia’s parent’s. Alas, what began as an amative weekly jaunt became physically draining and arduous journies. He concluded the trip would be easier and more comfortable without the compactness and jarring suspension of his small ‘Mini’, so he traded it on a ‘1968 GTS Holden Monaro, 307 Coupe’. The Chevrolet V8 made it a more comfortable drive but regretfully more expensive and the reality of his decision to buy another car was only an adjunct in the treatment of the infection; it was a desperate pretence to find a solution to an unsolvable problem.
Cardinia was in constant debate with her parents over the imposed restraints prohibiting her power to act, speak, or think for herself. She was still friendly with Weepy’s sister Sally and kept in touch by pen, and thought if she could get Sally to stay overnight then maybe her parents would let them have a bit of freedom. On one of Don’s stays Cardinia asked him if he would like to bring Sam and Sally to her place for a weekend. She said she had spoken to her parents and they said it was okay and they would all be allowed to visit Luna Park and Taronga Zoo. Don was not impressed with the idea. He remembered well the way Sam treated him in the past but agreed for a few reasons; he thought Sam would act differently out of the company of the others, and he desperately sought to spend quality time with Cardinia, and off course he wanted to keep her happy. When Don returned home to Naretha he established strained communication with Sam and told him of Cardinia’s request. Sam said;
       “Sally hasn’t said anything to me yet. I’ll get in touch with her and let ya know later.” The news was good. Sally was aware of the plans and dictated to Sam the circumstances; they both said ‘yes’. Don picked them up early one morning and took the hours or so trip to Sydney. On the way Don was pleased with the informal exchange of views, the recall of humorous circumstances and the interchange of ideas and information, the discussions were light hearted and in the best form of courteous and social mannerisms; he thought, ‘Maybe Sam has changed for the better, or Sally has disciplined him. Still anyone would go mad mixing with those other two; Weepy and Sterge. I wonder why Sally’s so different. She’s so nice and the best looking girl out of everyone; even better looking than Cardinia. But I’ve never stood a chance with her; she’s all for Sam for some strange reason...... Women?
When they arrived at Cardinia’s there was rejoice and jubilation as each gave and received hugs and kisses. Although still closely monitored by her parents they enjoyed talking about past adventures and were given permission, as promised, to drive to Circular Quay. They caught the ferry to Luna Park and spent the day on the rides and amused themselves in Coney Island. The four got on very well together and it was a day of fun with spontaneous good spirits. On return to Cardinia’s they did not deserve tedious vigilant chaperonage with such dilatorily tactics as practiced by her parents, it dampened what delights the evening could have afforded. When it was time for bed the atmosphere was electric with suspicion. Her parents made sure Sally and Cardinia went to the same room together and closed the door, leaving Sam and Don to the improvised bedding on the lounge room floor. Intentions of sneaking in to the girls room was impossible because the ‘oldies’ kept their bedroom door open and it had to be passed before a prize could be granted. The next day they went to the Zoo. A lot of petting took place but they could not fully appreciate each other’s lascivious nature because in the crowded scene of the daytime menagerie there was never going to be a favourable combination of circumstances permitting sexual congress; her parents knew all too well more than two was a crowd.
Putting aside the discontent associated with the restrained setting of every weekend, there were some memorable times for Don and he was free to embellish Cardinia’s image and show his fondness and admiration, but it was all about to unfold; she would beguile his heart. Months went by and further visits to date had been harshly manipulated by her parents, even moreso than previously. Don was not sure what had happened or who said what, or why, but the mood transformed from one where they at least tolerated him to one of dramatic condemnation. Her parents dictated every part of their lives, especially the sleeping arrangements which always robbed them of the opportunity to bond; sexually or emotionally. Cardinia possessed a refined muliebrity with merits of gentleness and compassion, but her overweening sexual needs were denied and suppressed; Don knew the feeling well. For her, the pressures of Don’s absence, the loathing of him her parents so openly posited, and having to abide to a lot of unwieldy rules and regulations became an insuperable hurdle to jump for both of them. She panged for male companionship and Don could not even satisfy her basic needs, let alone her sexual desires, he was stifled and beaten by her obnoxious keepers; she was drifting away from his love for her.
Unknowingly, on what was to be his last visit she explained she met one of Kolora’s friends from Naretha whom now lives near her and it was her intentions to court him. Don should have seen this coming, but ‘love is blind’, he had no idea who the person was or his name, and the callous, cold, shattering news broke his heart. She wanted to end the relationship immediately. He was stunned, the sorrow was soon replaced with loss and intense anger; he threw his ring at her feet and stormed out. While racing home in his car he thought: ‘How could someone change from one so loving to such an unlovable insensitive bitch in such a short period of time.’ The incident changed his perspective of women forever, he promised himself he would never offer adulation as he afforded her with such sincerity, and never would he succumb to idolatrous and ardent devotion again. He had to admit to himself his long series of misapprehensions about her feelings towards him, and of his extreme gullibility in thinking intimacies could blossom; each played a role in his heartbreaking exercise in futility.
Life is like a stable ecosystem, if a change is forced upon it then it usually undergoes a debilitating effect on other parts of the environment. The consequences of the breakup for Don bore reactions of a similar occurrence; it came at a psychological cost taking affect on everyday living. The whole sordid termination of events took its toll on his ability to make candid convictions because his true sweetheart, who he thought could do no wrong, had betrayed him; she flirted with other men and dumped him. He was not yet to the end stage of a lonely misanthrope, but Cardinia rebuilt his faith in humanity only to demolish it beyond its former state. The dreams of foregone times were now replaced with alienation and scepticism; his trust in women forever violated.


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