Brutal City - The Notes
I was sat beneath the towering grey. Disconnected from the world and the arrogant steel machines that were gassing by. And then an old lady, an extraordinary old lady, took center stage of the moment.
I watched her buy a coffee and a croissant, jam and cream. Then she smoked one cigarette. This seemed to be a very long standing tradition. Then it crossed my mind, maybe this was the first time in many, many years. A last good-bye. A preparation to softly slip away.
She was looking so timid, checking out everything, scutinizing where she could sit, where she would fit! I doubt that Wayne's Coffee bar was her usual haunt. Watching her, i am sure i heard the chink of white fragile porcelain china - of days long gone bye.
Yet she persevered and ordered her coffee, the service guy begrudgingly carrying her plate. Still she was not to be hurried. As timid as she was, she still maintained the diginity and pride of those porcelain china days.
And so she sat, dressed in her finest clothes. A classic styled tartan trilby, her warmest winter coat, fine pearl ear rings (not gaudy, just as they should be, suiting her and the occasion). A red silk scarf elegantly ruffled around her neck. Greta Garbo came to mind. And how tightly she clutched her small black leather dress bag. But there the facade stopped, the lie to this story, the lie to crack this tearful charade. Her black patent shoes were split along the length of the sole. But they were still her finest.
And as an excited child, she seemed unable to constrain her excitement and in an unguarded moment she scooped a large quantity of cream into her mouth. Her face flashed images like a movie screen. You could tell she had instantly been transported to a bygone time. Again i heard the sound of fine porcelain china chink. And my senses played with the aromas of newly starched white linen napkins, fresh arabic coffee and fine cigars. The sound of idle chatter drifting by.
The world around her had ceased to be. The towering dark buildings of the brutal city had lost their force. The people that surrounded and ignored her became unimportant. She shone through them all!
I could see the smile dance across her eyes, as she delicately raised one last small piece of croissant to her mouth - and savoured the jam.
And my heart could not hold back the tears and so i had to withdraw from the scene!
I am still unsure why the moment touched me so deeply!
© Rik - 02/09/2006
Words by Rik
Read 1584 times
Editors' choiceWritten on 2006-09-02 at 23:07
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