Brief flashes of light

In the middle of a Missouri heat wave, these memories came to me. I wish they came with some Black Velvet.

He took us with him to a convention in Marina Del Rey the first year we were in California.  Before he lost his job with the convention center. 

 

We didn't see much of him during that time, between his conventioneering during the day and happy houring into the evenings.  It became one of those nice, frozen moments. 

 

With a map of Greater LA in hand, the three of us set out in search of the San Dimas Mall.  You know - the one where Bill and Ted hung out with their friends.  The one where Socrates Johnson almost got his toga caught in the escalator.  The one where Billy The Kid got tackled by security for waving his gun around.  The one that we just knew was in close proximity to the famous San Dimas water slides. 

 

We were so disappointed to learn that those things only existed on the silver screen.  It seemed impossible!  I remember asking around - "Where is the San Dimas Mall?"  No one knew.  We still searched, because it had to exist.  Finally, we settled for dinner at Denny's.  At least it was in San Dimas.  At least it was in California. 

 

Every evening after the little one went to sleep, she and I would put on flowery dresses and heels and go down to the fancy hotel lobby.  We'd get ourselves a table and just hang out, drinking and smoking cigarettes, dressed in our finery.  I think it was only decaf coffee and sodas, but we were at the absolute height of our own personal sophistication, doing those things in a fancy SoCal hotel.  Both of us, hillbilly born and raised.  She, the dune buggy queen.  Me, the dreary dregs of Old Northeast.

 

On the last night of the convention, he invited me to join him for happy hour in the rooftop bar.  I can only imagine the beauty of the sun setting over the Pacific and the sound of the waves lapping the shore.  I put on my flowery dress and heels and got on the elevator.  When I arrived at the rooftop bar, I saw him holding court over a group of young girls, drunk and laughing, slapping each other on the shoulder.  I heard someone say, "Get out of town!" followed by a hearty round of laughter.  After a minute or so, I got back on the elevator and returned to watching cable TV with my two. 

 

After he returned, and the little one fell asleep, she and I made our final sojourn to the hotel lobby in our dresses and heels, to drink and smoke cigarettes one last time in paradise. 

 

Except for the scene in the rooftop bar, to which only I am privy, those things are precious memories to me.  Brief flashes of light.  Thank you both for being there and sharing those things with me. 

 

 

Reviews

[Mathias Winters]

It's well written and it has a great style. You capture the speech of the characters very well. I found myself confused throughout the story though, as if I couldn't quite understand what was going on. Otherwise, great job!