Unsung Requiem -- Part II

“Matt and Kathy flying in from New Jersey ….. a beautiful day with no clouds …… Dr. Sanders is an idiot …. ”

Snippets of Cassie’s mellifluous voice, shrouded with anxiety, dipped into a murmur every so often, just as it did whenever Cassie poured out her many distresses to Lily: Having an affair and trying to hide it from David; grappling with loyalty to her husband and her lover; hating herself for causing David’s heartbreak after he finally discovered her clandestine affair one Friday afternoon; despairing over David’s decision to end their ten year marriage; and struggling to raise her two children, Matt and Kathy, while working. And Lily patiently listened, always. That was her role in their friendship. Cassie talked, and Lily listened. And Cassie never asked. At least not the questions Lily would like to have answered -- if Lily wanted to witness David and Cassie’s elopement or if Lily’s high school crush on David was more than a crush. Cassie, after all, counted on Lily. Lily knew that Cassie never doubted the fidelity of their friendship, just as a child unquestioningly believed in Santa Claus. Fifty-four years, Lily thought with a bemused annoyance, only gave Cassie wrinkles, a plumper body, and silver hair. How fitting that Lily should still be listening to Cassie, unable to move, in this hospital bed.

“Lily?”

4:24 p.m. After three hours of an emergency conference call, exhaustion finally forced Lily to slump back into her crushed black leather chair and to deeply drink in the much too familiar office-mustiness. She gazed at the mounds of note pads and paper stacks covering her desk that she managed to finally clean off only last night. Less than 24 hours later, Lily was, as usual, strapped to her black headset that seamlessly disappeared into her hair, and the desk once again disappeared beneath the forest of papers.

“Cassie? Hey you!? I don’t suppose you want to come down to my office and yell at a couple of folks procrastinating in my team for me, would you?” Despite Lily’s jocund tone, her heart palpitated until she thought her skin would dissipate.

Muffled and distressed, Cassie blurted tearfully, “Lily, David left me! It’s awful. I know I never should have cheated. But last Friday, when I finally tried to tell Chris that I didn’t want to see him anymore, David walked in! I couldn’t believe it. Oh Lily… he is so heartbroken … it breaks my heart that I did this to him. No matter how sorry I am, he doesn’t want to see me. How can I fix this? What am I going to do??”

Does she have the right to ask how she can fix this? Lily thought bitterly. How could she believe she deserves David after cheating on him? Lily stood up from her chair and briefly faced her window, but ignored the cloudless sky and the unbroken sky-mirrored San Francisco bay. Instead, she started pacing next to her window, back and forth, back and forth, three steps each way. Cassie’s actions and words justified Lily’s own actions and words. And for one iota of moment, Lily’s bouncing knot disappeared as she clenched her right fist in the air.

“Cassie, I’m so sorry. I don’t know what to say.” Words somehow squeezed themselves out from Lily’s burning, tight throat. Lily watched her scuffed black pumps continuing to beat down the faded-red carpet.

“Maybe I deserve this. I should have been happy with David – being his wife,” Cassie crumbled, “Ten years. I know it sounds awful, but after ten years of just being a mother and a wife, I felt … trapped … that I’m supposed to be … just this. Not like you. You are doing everything you said you would do. Everything you set out to do. I know it’s no excuse. But just for a moment, when I was with Chris, I felt free -- no shirts to iron, dinners to cook, kids to pick up from school – and I felt like I could do anything. I felt I could be more than just... just this.”

Lily stopped pacing. She raised her head slowly and unclenched her fist. She caught sight of the dust-layered picture of David, Cassie and herself at the Ocean Beach during a summer break from college, toppling over each other with wildly uncontrollable limbs and matching laughter snapped so artlessly in their places. It was framed and dwarfed by the paper-mountains on either side, all their laughter now just as dusty as the picture.

“We were so young, Cassie, what did we really know about what we wanted to do when we grew up?”

“Maybe. In any case, I know that’s not an excuse. Deep down, I have always loved David, even if my life ended up as just... this. Even with all the stupid things I have to do everyday, I want to be with him. Always. But it doesn’t matter… he can't even talk to me. I'm scared, Lily. I don't think he will ever forgive me. I don't think I can ever erase the pain I created.”

Cassie’s genuine despair poured from the headset until Cassie’s heartache imbued Lily’s body, from the tip of her toes to the ends of her hair. Just as Cassie’s undisguised ecstasy burst through every crevice of Lily when Cassie excitedly confided in her that David and Cassie planned to marry right after the college graduation ceremony and that Lily must be their witness. An agitated, invisible wolf started to chomp through Lily’s stomach, until Lily lurched forward toward her desk and leaned against a column of paper precariously supporting her.

“Look, I’ll try to talk to him. No guarantees, though. I hope you guys can work through this. If I can’t watch you guys grow old together, who’s going to be my role model for a happy couple?”

“Lily! Ohhhh, Lily!! Yes, please, please talk to him. Make him see it was all a terrible mistake, and I still love him. Tell him I'll do anything... anything! I love you so much!! What would we do without you? Thank you, thank you! I know he will listen to you! You are my only hope!” Hope and gratitude lifted Cassie’s quivering voice.

And Cassie’s infectious hope tamed the wolf inside Lily. Yes, Lily thought, I will talk to David. This was all a terrible mistake.

Feed Hungry People and Your Mind!

See the green icon that says "Free Rice" in the right column of this blog?

Click on it. You will be led to a site where you can help feed hungry people! You play a vocabulary game. Each time you get it right, you will be helping to donate rice to hungry people. Isn't that cool?

So each time you come to this site, do a good deed -- click on "Free Rice." You help ease world hunger and enrich your vocabulary!

Great Advice from a Stranger

Sometimes, best advice comes from people you have never met before in your life.

I love Trader Joe's. It's one of my primary grocery stores. Wherever I go, I look for Trader Joe's. The only thing is, it's everyone's favorite grocery store. TJ's definitely has its fans, for a good reason.

A couple of weeks ago on Saturday morning, I came back from my usual TJ run to Hillcrest, carrying my paper bags full of TJ grocery (I use paper bags to recycle newspapers so I don't feel bad). I bumped into someone at my apartment elevator, who saw my TJ bags. He asked me if I liked TJ. I said of course, and he recommended that I check out the Trader Joe's at Point Loma. According to this stranger, it was bigger, better, and not crowded. Not crowded?? I did not believe him, to be honest. But I thanked him and went my merry way.

I was curious, though, and checked online for Trader Joe's location at Point Loma. I went last Saturday, and I was amazed. It is bigger. It is better. AND it is NOT CROWDED!!! It appears to be pretty new, and I'm guessing the word hasn't spread about the location yet. I meandered through the whole store, thoroughly enjoying the fact that I was one of about 10 shoppers and could actually get to all the items I wanted without waiting for someone to step aside. And this was at 11 am Saturday morning. Amazing.

I guess, sometimes, the best advice comes from perfect strangers. To whoever you are, thanks!! =)

How to Amuse a Voter

So I'm a pretty conscientious voter. I have voted at every election, even when I was in Alabama where I was aghast that the state did not send me a pamphlet of information on candidates and issues before the election date. I guess I'm not your average non-voting American and like to do my civic duty.

Like most people, I don't necessarily like getting phone calls at home that are not from my friends or my family. But I have this really bad habit of actually asking people questions if I get interested and answering surveys if I'm interested. One time, before the Do Not Call legislation got passed, I actually quizzed a telemarketer for about 30 minutes on the fine terms of long distance contract he was trying to sell me. Although I didn't switch contract, I have to give high marks to the poor young man who answered every single question I posed.

Tonight, as I was walking out the door to head out to a cafe to actually continue working =(, I got a phone call from someone who totally mispronounced my name. I knew right away that it had to be one of those "surveyors" (I love how everyone now tells me they don't sell things). It turns out the person was calling to see for whom I would vote as the mayor of San Diego -- the current mayor, Jerry Sanders or the challenger, Steve Francis. When I said I haven't made up my mind, the person then proceeded to tell me how Steve Francis is spending millions of dollars on campaigns. She politely pointed out how Mr. Francis received money from Chevron, oil companies, big corporations, etc. etc. Finally I interrupted her and asked her a blunt question -- how would Jerry Sanders do differently as the mayor? Meaning what would he do to change the present state of affairs?

This lady, who was so well versed in how Mr. Francis's campaign was financed and backed by multiple parties that presumably I shouldn't like, told me she couldn't answer that question. I asked her then who can answer my question. The reply? Mayor Sanders.

I was thoroughly amused. I laughed. Really, I was highly amused. So I asked her what was the point of her call, to which she said she was just taking surveys of who the voters were thinking of voting. THAT made me laugh even harder. Because obviously, she was calling to convince me that I should vote for Jerry Sanders! Come on... this was no survey. And yet when I tried to ask even the blandest substantive question, she had no answer. She, unlike the AT&T telemarketer, gets a failing grade as a "surveyor."

Well, I guess they don't count on voters actually asking substantive questions to these telephone callers. Did this encounter make me want to vote for Steve Francis or Jerry Sanders? Neither. I was simply amused. At least I didn't get a call at 7:30 in the morning on Saturday morning like I did from Steve Francis campaign a few weeks ago. That definitely did not amuse me.

Red Bull Air Race -- Second Day

It's only the end of Monday, and already, I am almost forgetting what I did exactly over the weekend (it's that kind of start for my work week ... or another sign of getting old). But before I completely forget and before I dive back into my fiction writing business, I have to post one more post about Red Bull Air Race. I went back the second day (May 4) and got to stand in a better viewing spot. Unfortunately, I got there a little too early and was shivering for about 1.5 hours before I saw any racers fly by me. Yes, I consider 60's to be cold. ;) Here are some more pictures of racers. After I got to see some fly by and got some pictures, I promptly came back to my apartment and fell into a mini-coma/long nap.

A couple of cones that planes have to pass through.

I was standing under a tree.

This is what I didn't see the day before. Planes passing through these 4 cones.
People from all over apparently came... including someone from Brazil (or Brasil).
A racer passing through the finish line.
After zig-zagging through 4 cones.
Racer zig-zags through the cones.
And makes it look easy!
To pass through these cones and turn back for another loop.

Flying through the course to next set of cones.
Watching racers zig-zag through these 4 cones was way cool. Even if I was really cold and wanted another layer of sweaters!

Red Bull Air Race and Old Town's Fiesta Cinco De Mayo

So for whatever reason, this weekend is jam packed with events all around San Diego. In between doing my laundry (and I realized I still have another load to do... dirty rags!!) and running exciting errands like getting groceries, I stopped by two events.

Red Bull Air Race, which attracted TONS of people, was happening just 10 minute walk away from my home. It's a race for small airplanes, with obstacle courses set on the bay, and the planes take turns flying individually to see who can come in fastest. I don't know how the pilots are able to keep their wits about them, but the sight was spectacular. Here are some pic's.

These huge balloon cones were all over the bay for the planes to squeeze through. Those white puffs are left as "dust" to racer's fast zig-zag across the bay.

Cones from farther away.

Like this plane, racers would loop in between the cones... all only 10 ft above the water!!

As they finish off, racers would twirl and show off for the audience neat little tricks.
Because this is just how big the crowd was! Actually, it's a lot more! They had a huge screen tv for folks to follow the race along.

There was a helicopter monitoring the race.

It was hard to take pictures of fast flying racers, but somehow I caught this one in between.

Crowd was everywhere...to try to glimpse racers flying through. A huge crowd hung out at the pier.

As well as on this pier.

Even from the ship, they were watching.

Then, later in the afternoon, I hung out with a couple of folks at the Old Town for Cinco de Mayo Fiesta. There were a lot of vendors, music, food, colors, festivities, crowd, and good cheer. Since it seems to be the weekend to take pictures, I decided to put my camera to use here too.

Kids in traditional costumes, looking festive and colorful!
There was an exhibit of low riders too.
With characters all their own.
Even if it's a Cadillac.

Pretty interesting to see the insides of these low riders.

But these kids are still way cuter!
Signs of festivities!
They were made of papers, cut into beautiful shapes.
Wouldn't be fiesta without dancing!

That was it for my day. And my night was spent waiting for blogger to upload all my pictures!!!
=)