Can you imagine the colors?
Strong strokes of soft greens,
Hard blocks of brick reds,
A light, golden shimmer
Slowly tangling your hair.
A gentle warmth glistens on your skin,
As the waves of glittering sapphire
Swirl around, entwining you,
Pulling you under.
A sudden gasp of life,
A break into the surface,
The shadows beneath let go.
Feel the breeze carry you,
Tugging at your airy dress.
Up, up, and beyond.
Thursday, June 28, 2007
Friday, June 22, 2007
class ring
She stepped into the small restroom in the back of the coffee shop, heading straight for the great porcelain bowl of running waters.
The sink, kids, the sink.
She took off her ring and set it on the left ledge of the sink. As she turned to pump soap on her hands, she noticed a small diagram under the standard, "ALL EMPLOYEES MUST WASH HANDS BEFORE RETURNING TO WORK." She laughed quietly to herself as she studied the pictures illustrating to her exactly how to cleanse her hands, all the way up to the hand-drying and paper-towel-tossing. With a smile, she shook her head at the pictures. You have got to be kidding me... She took one last look in the mirror before turning around. As she opened the door, she noticed a middle-aged man heading straight for the bathroom. Great, standing between a desperate guy and his utmost relief. She held the door open for him as she walked out.
"Hey, you get your drink?" she called to her friend. "What about the Danishes?"
She walked up to the cashier and asked for her previously requested two cheese Danishes, please. She grabbed the paper bag, called out a thank you, and walked outside with her friend.
* * *
Hours later, bathed and relaxed, she sat at her desk, lurking around online. Unconsciously, she began to rub the skin on her right ring finger. Feeling a change, she looked down at her hand, noticing a lack of hard, shining white lustrium. She glanced quickly to the right side of her desk, again missing the silver ring. Hmmm... She walked down the short hallway to the bathroom and checked the drawers, thinking she might have taken it off before she showered. No, I don't remember taking it off then either. She walked back to her room, frowning at her desk, willing the ring to appear. Slowly, her gut began to sink as she realised where the ring really was. A flash of a white public restroom sink cross her mind.
Not again, you idiot! Ugh, how am I supposed to get it back? It has to be back there. Why would anyone steal it? It has my name in it. It's worthless! To them, at least... Oh God, how could I be so stupid?
She sat in quiet nervous agony for a few minutes as she waited for her parents to leave. After they had gone, she went up to her brother and pleaded that he take her down to the coffee shop. She told him why and he let out a low hoot. "Good luck finding it."
"Thanks, so encouraging."
As they sped down the winding hill, she sat in total silence, complete stillness. She was too nervous to fidget. When her brother parked, she quickly jumped out of the car and sped towards the shop. She waited in silence for a few minutes behind the counter, not wanting to interupt the employees. A tall, thick worker turned around and asked how he could help her.
"Have you seen a silver ring? I left it here in the bathroom this morning. Did anyone turn it in? Or find it?"
"No .. Did you check the bathroom?"
He led her back to the restroom. Her eyes stayed fixed on the level she knew the ledge was on, where she would find her ring. He opened the door slowly and moved out of the way. She held her breath as the sink came into view .. completely bare.
They searched for a long minute, moving the trash can, looking in the corners. She quietly turned on the spot, glaring into every corner, trying to frighten the bathroom tiles into exposing her treasure. Nothing.
"I left it right there on the ledge. It's my class ring. It has my name on it."
The employee apologized again that they couldn't find it. She cursed under her breath before looking up and giving him a small smile. "It's okay. Thanks for looking though."
As she slowly walked out of the store, she heard him asking all the other baristas if they'd seen a ring. She chewed the inside of her lower lip as she trudged down the sidewalk back to the car. As she got in, her brother asked, "Any luck?" She mutely shook her head and stared straight ahead.
They sped up, merging onto the freeway, and tears slowly welled up in her eyes. She kept her window open all the way, allowing the strong wind to blow her hair around every which way. Her hair slapped wildly around her face, blocking her already blurred vision. The flapping hair spread the chilly tears across her cheeks as she closed her eyes and let them run.
[If anyone cares, she told her mom late at night that she'd lost her ring. Her mother was quite upset. In the morning, while the girl slept in, her mother called the coffee place and asked if they'd seen a ring. Upon checking, the employee on the phone discovered a small, silver ring set with a black onyx stone in the cash register. A few minutes later, the girl awoke to find her mother standing over her, asking her to hold out her hand. The girl sleepily smiled as she stretched out her fingers to receive her awaited gift.]
The sink, kids, the sink.
She took off her ring and set it on the left ledge of the sink. As she turned to pump soap on her hands, she noticed a small diagram under the standard, "ALL EMPLOYEES MUST WASH HANDS BEFORE RETURNING TO WORK." She laughed quietly to herself as she studied the pictures illustrating to her exactly how to cleanse her hands, all the way up to the hand-drying and paper-towel-tossing. With a smile, she shook her head at the pictures. You have got to be kidding me... She took one last look in the mirror before turning around. As she opened the door, she noticed a middle-aged man heading straight for the bathroom. Great, standing between a desperate guy and his utmost relief. She held the door open for him as she walked out.
"Hey, you get your drink?" she called to her friend. "What about the Danishes?"
She walked up to the cashier and asked for her previously requested two cheese Danishes, please. She grabbed the paper bag, called out a thank you, and walked outside with her friend.
* * *
Hours later, bathed and relaxed, she sat at her desk, lurking around online. Unconsciously, she began to rub the skin on her right ring finger. Feeling a change, she looked down at her hand, noticing a lack of hard, shining white lustrium. She glanced quickly to the right side of her desk, again missing the silver ring. Hmmm... She walked down the short hallway to the bathroom and checked the drawers, thinking she might have taken it off before she showered. No, I don't remember taking it off then either. She walked back to her room, frowning at her desk, willing the ring to appear. Slowly, her gut began to sink as she realised where the ring really was. A flash of a white public restroom sink cross her mind.
Not again, you idiot! Ugh, how am I supposed to get it back? It has to be back there. Why would anyone steal it? It has my name in it. It's worthless! To them, at least... Oh God, how could I be so stupid?
She sat in quiet nervous agony for a few minutes as she waited for her parents to leave. After they had gone, she went up to her brother and pleaded that he take her down to the coffee shop. She told him why and he let out a low hoot. "Good luck finding it."
"Thanks, so encouraging."
As they sped down the winding hill, she sat in total silence, complete stillness. She was too nervous to fidget. When her brother parked, she quickly jumped out of the car and sped towards the shop. She waited in silence for a few minutes behind the counter, not wanting to interupt the employees. A tall, thick worker turned around and asked how he could help her.
"Have you seen a silver ring? I left it here in the bathroom this morning. Did anyone turn it in? Or find it?"
"No .. Did you check the bathroom?"
He led her back to the restroom. Her eyes stayed fixed on the level she knew the ledge was on, where she would find her ring. He opened the door slowly and moved out of the way. She held her breath as the sink came into view .. completely bare.
They searched for a long minute, moving the trash can, looking in the corners. She quietly turned on the spot, glaring into every corner, trying to frighten the bathroom tiles into exposing her treasure. Nothing.
"I left it right there on the ledge. It's my class ring. It has my name on it."
The employee apologized again that they couldn't find it. She cursed under her breath before looking up and giving him a small smile. "It's okay. Thanks for looking though."
As she slowly walked out of the store, she heard him asking all the other baristas if they'd seen a ring. She chewed the inside of her lower lip as she trudged down the sidewalk back to the car. As she got in, her brother asked, "Any luck?" She mutely shook her head and stared straight ahead.
They sped up, merging onto the freeway, and tears slowly welled up in her eyes. She kept her window open all the way, allowing the strong wind to blow her hair around every which way. Her hair slapped wildly around her face, blocking her already blurred vision. The flapping hair spread the chilly tears across her cheeks as she closed her eyes and let them run.
[If anyone cares, she told her mom late at night that she'd lost her ring. Her mother was quite upset. In the morning, while the girl slept in, her mother called the coffee place and asked if they'd seen a ring. Upon checking, the employee on the phone discovered a small, silver ring set with a black onyx stone in the cash register. A few minutes later, the girl awoke to find her mother standing over her, asking her to hold out her hand. The girl sleepily smiled as she stretched out her fingers to receive her awaited gift.]
Thursday, June 14, 2007
lemonade stand
We're driving back from Target, through the winds and turns of the hilly roads. As we speed through the trees, a boy standing on the edge of the street begins to wave a sign at us. I follow him as we drive past, glancing quickly at the other boy and the table he sat at.
"Oh, they're selling lemonade! Can we go back, please?" I plead with my mother. It is hot but I'm not terribly thirsty. I just want to stop and make those boys smile. There's something about knowing I've made someone's day that fills my own day, makes me smile. That in that smile, theirs and mine, we somehow felt life. Real life.
When we reach an opening in the road, my mother u-turns and heads back to the boys, mumbling about how she must be doing something illegal all for a cup of lemonade. I laugh and look out for the lemonade stand.
We slow to a stop as we come near the boys. I roll down my window and smile at them. They must be about 11 or 12 but don't quote me. I'm terrible with guessing age, estimating time or distance. Basically, don't ask me questions concerning numbers, thanks.
"Hi, can we have one cup of lemonade?"
The thicker, blond boy sitting at the table says sure and pours me my craved cup of yellowy goodness. Both boys have wide smiles on their faces that light my own face as I look back at them. My favorite.
"How much?"
"A dollar."
"A dollar?!" my mother exclaims, teasingly. "What is this, La Cañada pricing?"
The blond boy answers, "Yep" with a laugh.
"Do we get a discount for coming back for you guys?" Just give them the damn dollar. "We just passed you, you know."
The dark-haired boy, still in his school uniform, comes forward to the car and I smile at him as I hand him the dollar and he passes over the small styrofoam cup. I say thanks and, still smiling, he nods but keeps quiet. He turns back to his friend and says laughingly, "A whole dollar!" We're their only customers. He runs back into the house. My mother and I wave at the blond boy as we move forward and turn back.
Zooming back up the hill towards home, I take the first sip of my lemonade. It's thick and entirely undiluted. I wince, then smile at the sour taste of the unsweetened, pulpy juice.
"Oh, they're selling lemonade! Can we go back, please?" I plead with my mother. It is hot but I'm not terribly thirsty. I just want to stop and make those boys smile. There's something about knowing I've made someone's day that fills my own day, makes me smile. That in that smile, theirs and mine, we somehow felt life. Real life.
When we reach an opening in the road, my mother u-turns and heads back to the boys, mumbling about how she must be doing something illegal all for a cup of lemonade. I laugh and look out for the lemonade stand.
We slow to a stop as we come near the boys. I roll down my window and smile at them. They must be about 11 or 12 but don't quote me. I'm terrible with guessing age, estimating time or distance. Basically, don't ask me questions concerning numbers, thanks.
"Hi, can we have one cup of lemonade?"
The thicker, blond boy sitting at the table says sure and pours me my craved cup of yellowy goodness. Both boys have wide smiles on their faces that light my own face as I look back at them. My favorite.
"How much?"
"A dollar."
"A dollar?!" my mother exclaims, teasingly. "What is this, La Cañada pricing?"
The blond boy answers, "Yep" with a laugh.
"Do we get a discount for coming back for you guys?" Just give them the damn dollar. "We just passed you, you know."
The dark-haired boy, still in his school uniform, comes forward to the car and I smile at him as I hand him the dollar and he passes over the small styrofoam cup. I say thanks and, still smiling, he nods but keeps quiet. He turns back to his friend and says laughingly, "A whole dollar!" We're their only customers. He runs back into the house. My mother and I wave at the blond boy as we move forward and turn back.
Zooming back up the hill towards home, I take the first sip of my lemonade. It's thick and entirely undiluted. I wince, then smile at the sour taste of the unsweetened, pulpy juice.
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