Notations on a Monday

[shadowkat]

ME: Did you get Breaking Bad's email? He screwed up his back over the weekend and won't be in -
Babs: No. I've been busy - (checks). No it's not there. I probably wasn't copied on the email.
Me: That's odd, why wouldn't he -
Babs: I'm no longer in your department or reporting to him. So he probably took me off.
Me: And The cheese stands alone.
Babs: Not alone. Look on the bright side - you'll get more work.

***

On the subway ride home, I look up from my book, earphones in place, and catch a young man with spectacles and a goatee drawing me.

He has black hair. Twenties. Black jeans. Boots. And a black sketch book which is just slightly bigger than my kindle. Our eyes meet briefly, but his are in the artist zone, so I'm not sure he's aware I've caught him at it or much cares.

Hard to be upset - considering I do it too. If only by memory. I just did it with him (but can't quite get the drawing bit right, it's easier to draw people reading, drawing not so much and I'm out of practice.)

An odd feeling being studied in that way, I become aware of all my flaws, and the small shaved stubble on my chin - a side effect of growing older. I rub at it, realizing that it is not noticeable at a distance and barely there.

***

Drops of water hit my shoulders on the way home. Kids and their mothers huddle on a patch of grass near an apartment doorway, while a man rolls about in a wheelchair with no legs, and another strums a tune on the guitar behind him. Balding, yet young, the guitar player, not the man with no legs.

***



Mother: I'm in the emergency room.
Me: Wait, what?
Mother: Been her since 1:30pm.
Me: Oh no!
Mother: I fell. I was visiting my friend, and tripped over a brick and fell on my face. I'm alright, but I fractured my nose in three places, and have a deep gash on my forehead that the plastic surgeon is going to fix.
Me: I'm guessing they'll fix the nose too?
Mother: Well, it's not that bad, apparently. I'm not on pain-killers and feel fine. I wasn't unconscious, nothing is broken.
ME: Besides the nose - which I guess isn't that big a deal.

[I may be the only person in my immediate family that hasn't broken my nose?]

***

Loneliness slips beneath the cracks
While the world whirls and laughs
Until one feels almost gone
Swallowed whole
Not quite there
At all

Comments

[yourlibrarian]

Sorry to hear about your mom's nose, but glad it wasn't any worse. Falls can lead to really bad things.

Regarding the chin hair, better to pluck it. Repeated plucking will often get it to not grow back.

[shadowkat]

Eh, had a dermatologist explain to me to do shave instead. The plucking is kind of severe and can cause issues.

At any event - I've discovered a little shaver that you just roll over the skin, and removes it. Less and less appear after awhile. I use it daily.

[kerk_hiraeth]

Just saw that first 'cheese' cut there and had a sudden image of the Cheeseman in a heroic pose with a big 'C' on his chest in a missing scene from Restless.

Must have been that Camembert...

kerk

[iddewes]

Hopefully that guy drawing you felt you had an interesting face, character showing in your face. 😊