Cathy

I was always creative. I had peer groups. I found that mentally I was always five years
behind my physical age. It was like I lived in a windstorm. Because of mental illness,
I guess. And issues with my family life. Mental hospitals are not much fun, you know?
I’m trying to hold things together.

I felt like I was drowning. I’ve always felt like it keeps getting deeper. Blue is my
favourite colour. I like older houses. I have three kids. I was 22 for the first one.
They took them away from me.

I don’t remember much about being a kid. But I remember things about other
people that could freak them out. I like turnips. I remember they were fun. I
make meat lasagna and I liked boat rides.

I went to high school in Smiths Falls. My favourite teacher was Mr. Paul, he had
a shaggy beard, like a disciple. I read books in his class. Dean Koontz. It’s like
Stephen King but better, more formal. It’s been a big help in my life, but I
can’t read them anymore because I don’t want all that stuff to get transmitted
back to the author and have him knowing all these things about me, you know?

As far as I know, I first tried crack when I was 19. I was drunk, I beat my sister
up, and I never touched it again until I found it has healing powers.

Archie

When I was a kid I did model cars and customized them with putty and
sandpaper. My favourite was a 57 Chevy, the blue one. I know everybody
says that, but it’s a nice car. I like the wings on the back. I liked doing
models because of the finished product. I had about 45 of them, cars
and motorbikes.

My dad died when I was eight. That’s actually when I started doing models.
That’s when they started giving me drugs. They gave me Valium instead of
treatment. I couldn’t handle it when he died. I jumped on the coffin. They
just gave me Valium.

My dad’s name was Eddie. He worked at the Château Laurier for 20 years
as the head doorman. I stuck to him like glue. I loved him. He always took
me to the Dairy Queen. He died from cirrhosis of the liver.

I’ve had 53 jobs in my life, but I just couldn’t stick. I have a brother and
sister, but she hung herself when she was 41. I have a step-sister, too.

The first time I tried crack, a friend of mine got some powdered cocaine,
we put it in water and baking soda, and then we cooked it in a Coke can.
Tell people not to do drugs. You can get hooked on them.

Brad

The first album I bought was by the Scorpions. I don’t remember which one.
The posters I had on my wall were a lot of punk rock. The Deftones. I liked
Guns N’ Roses a lot, Led Zeppelin and Pink Floyd.

I had this Gibson Nighthawk guitar. I wanted to make a recording in the studio.
The two songs I preferred to play were “Nothing Else Matters” and “Stairway to
Heaven.” Yeah, that one can get you laid, I guess. I just liked to play it.

I’m from Alexandria and came to Ottawa—South Keys—when I was 17. I’m just
aggressive. I get in a lot of fights. Always have. I’ve always been around a lot of
anger. I wasn’t in school much.

I was 12 the first time I tried crack. My friend had a pipe, I thought it was weed
and, well, it wasn’t. We’re not friends anymore.

I learned a lot of things from crack, though.