Freddie Mercury by Peter Freestone Read Free Book Online Page A

would talk to his cats. Mary would hold Tom and Jerry in turn up to the receiver to listen to Freddie talking. This continued throughout the years with all the succeeding feline occupants of his houses. He would also talk to Tony quite a lot and so therefore although Tony’s coming was no surprise to anyone, the news that he was to be almost immediately sent home came as a complete surprise to him.
    For some time, Freddie had been aware that Tony had been using him. It had been brought to Freddie’s notice by one of those ubiquitous well-wishers that Tony Bastin had been seen out and about with a slim young blond, many years younger than Freddie. Although Tony had been showered with expensive presents, including an amazing camera complete with case and special lenses, he had not really appreciated anything; rather, he had taken all Freddie’s generosity for granted. Freddie planned his revenge by ringing Tony up and asking him to fly out to America and meet him. Tony was told that his flight would be paid for and he would be picked up at the airport. Freddie’s plan was to meet Tony at the hotel, inform him that the relationship was over and put him on the next plane home, asking Tony to remove his clothes and personal belongings from Stafford Terrace before he, Freddie, got back. The cat called Oscar whom Tony had brought with him into the relationship was, however, the one part of Tony withwhich Freddie characteristically could not bear to part. Tony was out, Oscar was to stay.
    Freddie always accepted that part of being Freddie Mercury was that there would be people around to exploit him. Provided he knew it was going on, he accepted it because he knew he could always turn round and say, “No!” or, “Enough!” What hurt him most was when he was being used behind his back, betrayed and yet he didn’t know about it until after the fact. It hurt a lot because the only people who could be so exploitative were those whom he really trusted and who, in their turn, eventually abused that trust.
    This was one reason why Freddie always found it so difficult to make new friends. Being thus in Freddie’s position, he rather lost friends over his lifetime. And to be seen to have had comparatively fewer very close friends at the end of his life, it explains why particularly in his last year, the press so often stated he was alone and unloved. The truth was, of course, the opposite. Despite the losses, Freddie always had a close-knit group of friends with him until the end. Of these, there were some who were kept at arm’s length because, in truth, he did not want to see them having to endure the pain and suffering which he was going through in the last year or eighteen months of his life.
    And so another one bit the dust in Carolina. Bye-bye Tony Bastin.
    August 17: Indianapolis, Indiana

              
18-19th (we stayed in NewYork)
     
    It was during this stay in New York that Freddie met up with his own personal Viking. Thor Arnold is blond and big and beautiful and we met him in one of our usual haunts, whether The Spike or The Eagle or The Anvil or wherever is immaterial. Thor is a genuine, all-American boy. He lived, then, in Manhattan, near Greenwich Village and spent his day nursing the sick of NewYork for that was and is still his profession, though now he pursues it in San Diego.
    Freddie and Thor had a great night, enjoying each other, but the following day, Freddie accepted it as something that had been and didn’t even think to follow the night up with any further dates. Life on the road is like that and try as you might, nobody could possibly keep in touch with all the people you meet and with whom you might wish to explore a friendship further.
    August 20: Hartford, Connecticut

              
21: Day off in New York

             
22: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
     
    Surprise! As well as an outbreak of Legionnaires’ Disease, Freddie and I were lucky enough to discover