Category: Rituals

By her own admission she had been naïve
newly married – very new
honeymoon over literally
but now
the fulfillment of courtship
in their own home
except it wasn’t,
the landlord and her husband’s employer unitary – the Army.

Still, no complaints
cheap
dirt cheap $11 per week in the 1980’s.
That’s the Army she said
not a round $5, $10 or even $20
but 11
deducted from pay – no pain.

Manoeuvres
war games
exercises – whatever
tomorrow – back the following Friday.
The first time coming home
something to be celebrated
a special meal – full trimmings.

But when?
No one knew.
A call to the battalion office – polite, extra polite,
could they please indicate a rough time.
Yes,
they could tell her exactly.
“ He will be home when he arrives, and not before.”

 

The name caught –
a routinely distinguished academic
impressively intelligent
but not indelibly brilliant,
retiring from tenure aged 65
29 years before?
36, when I was 21.

The experiment ridiculously easy
a drop of acid
capture the liberated  gas … run spectra.

This spectrometer is in a research lab – off limits to undergraduates
instruction: see staff member.
I don’t need to speak,
a nod is directed at my clutched hand
he stands up and moves
I am to follow, I assume.

Through the lab
down a corridor to the lift well,
push and wait
up six levels
through smoke stop doors
another long corridor
into another laboratory.

A machine – impressive and never before seen
a hand points at an aperture
unfamiliar
connections won’t
“ turn it 90 degrees ”
90°?
“ Oh, sideways,”- a nod.

The machine performs its magic
a series of lines is printed
he tears the perforation from the printer – scans quickly – turns.
Backspace
corridor, lift, corridor, lab
20 minutes together – just the two of us
“ turn it 90° the only words spoken.”

 

Standing room only
insufficient chairs
the chairs found only in rooms like this
institutional, but trying not to be
non-break foam, steel legged, scratchy fabric skinned
natural habitat: staff rooms, seminars, conferences. 
Men study sheets of paper
rather not know chivalry looks away from women on feet
etiquette can wait –
the room carries the smell of money …. and tension
both able to dismiss etiquette.

“ Ladies and gentlemen
this is what you have been waiting for
I don’t need to tell you ……”
but he does
“unparalleled opportunity, seldom available, almost unique.”

“ So ladies and gentlemen
will someone start me – anyone don’t be shy
let’s be really silly and begin at 600
600 it is – thank you sir
620. . .640 . . 660 .. 680
700 at the back
720 ..740… 760…. 780…. ”

“NINE HUNDRED.”
Oxygen evacuates
silence moves in
“ 900 is the bid
900 going once
going twice
gooooiiinnng …sold to you sir, for $900,000.”