RAYMOND VAGI (born 1944) is caught in a vicious cycle - a 'Catch-22' situation.
Weighing in at 165kg, he is obese with very poor self-image. Therefore he stays at home alot. Ray often reclines in front of his oversized Idiot Box and often eats/drinks in that position. Mostly he has his meals in a reclining position. This makes him and other obese people INVISIBLE. He then makes very few friends.
The oversized TV was bought for him by half-sister Mae (Maja) of 9 Kalang Road Glenroy. Their shopping trip was a means of pretending concern for her half-brother. Considering she prevented any access - however indirect - to his dying Mum Mari, it was indeed a hollow gesture.
Ray is shunned by HALF-SISTER MAE (maja) LAUL and he
is 100% abandoned by her engineer/real-estate-agent son ANTHONY LAUL (and his family)
Raymond seeks self-worth in consumerism eg stupid mementos and objects (eg statues, fridge magnets, large coloured 'diamonds', books and more books (poignantly, often on relationships, furniture (coffee tables, armchairs, chests of drawers).
Despite having worked in government administration, including Victorian Railways Library, Commonwealth Aircraft Factory and Department of Mines (where he supervised water bore drilling at beautiful Portland), Ray is today functionally illiterate. Ray doesn't read the mostly new books. He arranges them on on secondhand bookshelves and generally throws them into the bin six months later. One poignant book theme is relationships.
Raymond's dream is to return to the far North of Australia. He has very pleasant memories of COOKTOWN (Students of Australian history will know that James Cook anchored at Cooktown for urgent repairs.)
Ray proudly tells you of his experiences meeting Australian Aborigines (summarised in an essay he wrote at a TAFE college). Several times, Ray has packed up all his belongings to go visit or live up North - in the firm belief that his half-sister Mae (Maja) was arranging a trip. It remains but a beautiful dream...
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