Vision
The car with the elderly, upper-middle class couple (white-haired man in khakis and polo shirt, white-haired wife in lilac pant suit) driving down into the underground parking garage of their suburban San Francisco senior apartment. The way the grassy knolls around the wine dark building, impeccably manicured, shine in the sun. The slow descent of the car through the dark entryway. The way the white rectangular door opens to reveal the darkness and the darkness that swallows the vehicle whole. The way the rectangular door closes behind them. Staring downward at the garage door and imagining the way he helps her out of the the car, the way they hobble through the darkness guided by stark light; like light over a patient being operated on. Closed eyes, positioning them now entering the garage-level elevator. This is most easily grasped: the quiet ride straight up into frorey air-conditioning.
The car with the elderly, upper-middle class couple (white-haired man in khakis and polo shirt, white-haired wife in lilac pant suit) driving down into the underground parking garage of their suburban San Francisco senior apartment. The way the grassy knolls around the wine dark building, impeccably manicured, shine in the sun. The slow descent of the car through the dark entryway. The way the white rectangular door opens to reveal the darkness and the darkness that swallows the vehicle whole. The way the rectangular door closes behind them. Staring downward at the garage door and imagining the way he helps her out of the the car, the way they hobble through the darkness guided by stark light; like light over a patient being operated on. Closed eyes, positioning them now entering the garage-level elevator. This is most easily grasped: the quiet ride straight up into frorey air-conditioning.
posted by PWS at 1:53 AM
6 Comments:
You've never been in San fran have you? There arent airconditioners to be found (unless the people really have a penchant for wasting money). Its too cold. Even doing the last years big heat wave, i think san fran only hit 80 or something (whereas san jose and napa went up to 106 and seattle hit 100)
(now i feel like an asshole)
anyway, Nice writing. :)
I have been there. I love Calfornia.
I could ask you, "you've never met any old people have you?", as they lovez their air conditioning! It's one of those classic, but true, cliches.
These last two don't say much for the climate control, do they.
I find a young, dampened pane of pine needles with an oscillating fan in back is good for pumping out the beats on a hot day. Or for colder weather, a gray tight-fitting sweater.
Old people often have wasted away so as to have less natural insulation. I find many old (by that, as one in his fifties, I mean seventies and older :-) ) are often cold and insist on heat on hot days too. In any case, they are cranky and can't be trusted!
a) I live in San Francisco. Your post refers to "suburban". Is this Green St on Russian Hill or is it Millbrae? This is important and related to b) below.
a.1) my 84 year old mother has (politely) mentioned -more than once- how air conditioning might be nice in her inner Sunset place (on those three 80+ days per year.) Her heat is always on. It would be on even if she did have an air conditioner.
b)frorey is now my favorite word. I am thinking you invented it but I have filed it with the image and sounds of Dr and Mrs Khaki Lilac leaving the elevator and entering their (SF) apartment: Danish Modern furniture from the year after he got his appointment at UCSF in 1961. Blinding, refrigerated, triste-free Dave Brubeck flavored light from the late afternoon sun.
Are there alternate meanings?
I live out here in the suburbs of San Francisco and it is damn hot. That old couple would be sweltering. I just can't picture a high rise home in the suburbs. I need to read it again.
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