My Dad and I met and talked about life.
The old bumper cars were under the wooden canopy
behind us.
It was evening, or at least I don't remember the
sun.
He asked me how things were going.
"OK" I said. I talked about a few
upcoming gigs, and that Lynette was doing well.
Now I remember, it wasn't evening, and we weren't
outside. That's why I don't remember the sun. We were in one of those tourist
caves, those big ones with electric lights strung through out.
I was sitting on a low rock, or was it wood logs?
I don't remember now... it was something like that. He was sitting across from
me. I remember the endless single electric wire strung from point to point
along the cave wall behind him. The occasional yellow, brightly lit bulbs
hanging like over-ripe neon fruit, every ten feet or so leading away and down.
Leading past the bumper cars under the canopy. Leading
past the railings along the path. Leading down into darkness and out of sight.
No. Wait.
There wasn't a canopy at all. It was just the
cave. And the cars were all just there to my right and slightly behind. Just
there under the vast cave ceiling.
Still. Ready to go.
He smiled and nodded as I talked, both of us
gazing at the ground now and then, like we often did when we'd have these
Father - Child talks. Glancing up at each other, accidently locking eyes then
quickly turning away. Refocusing on something else. The tiny pebbles strewn
around where we sat for example.
I focused on one.
Nudged it a bit with my boot. Pushed it back and
forth with my toe for a while. The movements of which added a quiet scraping
sound to the electric hum which surrounded us. I felt I could almost hear the
dead silence around the hum. the depth of the cave blocking out any external
sound. No birds, or wind. Just my toe pushing that pebble, the low electric
hum, and silence.
Our voices so close. As if our words were spoken
in a void.
I asked him how the afterlife was.
He shrugged.
Said it was alright.
"So is it all going well?" I asked, and
added, "I mean, you know, is it all going ok for you?"
This time I really looked. Really watched his
face. His eyes.
He paused. Looked up and at me, his eyes looking directly
into mine.
I quit moving my toe.
The tiny pebble laid still.
"Yes." he said.
"Good." I said. "I was
wondering."
