The windshield wipers made a funny squeaking sound as they glided over the smooth glass of the windshield. There was just enough water flowing down in a thin stream to bug him so he kept the wipers moving at the slowest possible speed. And even that was sometimes too often so he would waffle between leaving the squeaking intermittent sequence on or manually flipping the switch. Both of which weren't good solutions.
It had started to snow and as he pulled into the small parking lot of the even smaller public park where he commenced to find a secluded spot to leisurely enjoy his take-out lunch. One of which consisted of a burger and two tacos to be flushed with a Diet Pepsi. All of which didn't make him very proud for spontaneously purchasing. He just hoped that his wife wouldn't ask him about what he had later and had already started to think of artful topic changing subjects just in case it did.
The weather had been cold all week. Out of the south, coastal rain had matriculated up the region to bring snow and the accompanying slick roads and engagements of four wheel drives. He had contemplated going out in the marginal weather and his common sense told him that he should have stayed relatively close to the office and not tempt fate. But after zipping across the frigid parking lot and firing up the vehicle, getting away from the office was precisely the point and sooner than he realized he was well across town.
The parking lot was empty save for the one abandoned white car near the front entry. This actually made him happy since he didn't like to share his quiet spots with anyone else and he could feel free to sit in his parked car, happily listening to the radio or stretching out to take a quick nap in solitude without fear of thinking of what other possible onlookers may or may not think.
He positioned his car as far away from the abandoned vehicle so that he could look out onto the small grassy field. On the ground around him he could see the remnants of past visitors who left their shoe prints in the old snow that blanketed the parking lot, sidewalks and grass. A squirrel was operating not too far away and was busily bounding across the snow from his choice of trees that strangely still retained their leaves this late in the season. He could see the squirrel shake the tree and the leaves as it scurried up to the very top of the mid-height trees to pluck the remaining berries still attached.
Across from him was the small building that had posted a small sign:
"CLOSED FOR WINTER"
The sign was threatened by the overhanging snow/ice that was desperately grasping to the slick green metal roof.
The snow was fascinating to watch. It reminded him of the way a camp fire's flame can be hypnotizing where the generally uniform falling flakes would be manipulated by the wind currents circling around the trees in the park giving the field of view a visual tapestry of being alive.
He wanted to get out and walk in the snow. To hearken back to his childhood where he would stand under the streetlight and try to catch the snowflakes on his tongue as the made their way to the ground. How endless the snow had looked and felt back then when the current affairs weren't as dominating nor packing as much influence as they do today.
He decided against going out. He alternated between the excuses of wearing the wrong shoes to not having a hat both of which he knew were poor excuses. The lame arguments won out and he would have to settle for watching through the glass and postponing any silly childhood memories.
Staring out at the snow multiple thoughts filled his head:
His kids playing in the snow...
Work that should be getting done...
Meeting tomorrow with the University...
Driving up north for the weekend in this weather...
These topics just seemed to quickly interchange in his mind - like a flashcard reader on crack.
It was cold and he had to turn the motor back on to get some heat back into the cab. The glass had started to fog up as well.
The snow had started to let up and across the field he could see the brightly colored playground equipment which looked to him rather sad and lonely being gently covered in the whiteness of the snow and the severe lack of children that should have been enjoying their offerings of fun and amusement.
Above the equipment and further off into the distance the tall, old trees stood leafless exposing their pockets of abandoned nests that lay bare in the crooks of the branches high above the ground. Their previous inhabitants having long fled for warmer places and fellowship.
He thought of leaving to warming places, too. Of travelling far to be with warm people and cooler drinks. To be in places where winter doesn't reside and spring is a perpetual glorious land to be exploited by fun.
Greener pastures weren't to be explored today and they would have to reside in dreams kept. He pulled out of his glove box a small notebook and scribbled that down.
It was there and then that he wanted to become a teller of stories.
It had started to snow and as he pulled into the small parking lot of the even smaller public park where he commenced to find a secluded spot to leisurely enjoy his take-out lunch. One of which consisted of a burger and two tacos to be flushed with a Diet Pepsi. All of which didn't make him very proud for spontaneously purchasing. He just hoped that his wife wouldn't ask him about what he had later and had already started to think of artful topic changing subjects just in case it did.
The weather had been cold all week. Out of the south, coastal rain had matriculated up the region to bring snow and the accompanying slick roads and engagements of four wheel drives. He had contemplated going out in the marginal weather and his common sense told him that he should have stayed relatively close to the office and not tempt fate. But after zipping across the frigid parking lot and firing up the vehicle, getting away from the office was precisely the point and sooner than he realized he was well across town.
The parking lot was empty save for the one abandoned white car near the front entry. This actually made him happy since he didn't like to share his quiet spots with anyone else and he could feel free to sit in his parked car, happily listening to the radio or stretching out to take a quick nap in solitude without fear of thinking of what other possible onlookers may or may not think.
He positioned his car as far away from the abandoned vehicle so that he could look out onto the small grassy field. On the ground around him he could see the remnants of past visitors who left their shoe prints in the old snow that blanketed the parking lot, sidewalks and grass. A squirrel was operating not too far away and was busily bounding across the snow from his choice of trees that strangely still retained their leaves this late in the season. He could see the squirrel shake the tree and the leaves as it scurried up to the very top of the mid-height trees to pluck the remaining berries still attached.
Across from him was the small building that had posted a small sign:
"CLOSED FOR WINTER"
The sign was threatened by the overhanging snow/ice that was desperately grasping to the slick green metal roof.
The snow was fascinating to watch. It reminded him of the way a camp fire's flame can be hypnotizing where the generally uniform falling flakes would be manipulated by the wind currents circling around the trees in the park giving the field of view a visual tapestry of being alive.
He wanted to get out and walk in the snow. To hearken back to his childhood where he would stand under the streetlight and try to catch the snowflakes on his tongue as the made their way to the ground. How endless the snow had looked and felt back then when the current affairs weren't as dominating nor packing as much influence as they do today.
He decided against going out. He alternated between the excuses of wearing the wrong shoes to not having a hat both of which he knew were poor excuses. The lame arguments won out and he would have to settle for watching through the glass and postponing any silly childhood memories.
Staring out at the snow multiple thoughts filled his head:
His kids playing in the snow...
Work that should be getting done...
Meeting tomorrow with the University...
Driving up north for the weekend in this weather...
These topics just seemed to quickly interchange in his mind - like a flashcard reader on crack.
It was cold and he had to turn the motor back on to get some heat back into the cab. The glass had started to fog up as well.
The snow had started to let up and across the field he could see the brightly colored playground equipment which looked to him rather sad and lonely being gently covered in the whiteness of the snow and the severe lack of children that should have been enjoying their offerings of fun and amusement.
Above the equipment and further off into the distance the tall, old trees stood leafless exposing their pockets of abandoned nests that lay bare in the crooks of the branches high above the ground. Their previous inhabitants having long fled for warmer places and fellowship.
He thought of leaving to warming places, too. Of travelling far to be with warm people and cooler drinks. To be in places where winter doesn't reside and spring is a perpetual glorious land to be exploited by fun.
Greener pastures weren't to be explored today and they would have to reside in dreams kept. He pulled out of his glove box a small notebook and scribbled that down.
It was there and then that he wanted to become a teller of stories.
Posts
No comments:
Post a Comment