Friday, April 04, 2008

Good Books & Bourbon on Black and Blue Nights

When a new moon shines her face high in the sunshines sky, it doesn't make the day any brighter, but more interesting. And you know it means that come nightfall, she's gonna leave you be. Left long enough without her, your eyes will adjust... catching shades of black and blue in everything.
Emergency candles. About four and half inches tall. Ten at a time, they come in a plain open-face box. An everyday saucer turns into a candle holder when you flic the bic and melt the bottom of these ten cent lights & quickly smoosh their base to the saucer.
Living without power every night is a late night filled with cooking out & candle light, but the new moon nights seem to be the latest of late nights. It's dark...really dark. People go to bed early ... all but the night owls.
Some of the night owls are older & wander out to roam the streets, smoking cigarettes on the corner and talking about 'One day...' Some, like me, are younger and have to stay in.
Some folks that aren't normally night owls become night owls under the influence of a lack of moonshine & the presence of cheap bourbon. That would be my dad.
I, like him, have fallen pray to never 'going to bed' but instead simply 'falling asleep.' We read, watch, talk until K-Plop! we're out.
For him it always seems like he falls asleep hours and hours before me.
But take away the moon and it's shine and leave it's place a ten cent candle and a cheap bottle of bourbon & he'll be up all night.
It was 1974 or maybe it was 1976. I can't remember.
The house was dark and quiet. Very quiet. No hum of the fridge. No clicking of the water pump. No birds outside whistling. No snoring.
Everyone was asleep or out and about. Except for me. And him. And he had already been in sqwaukin at me ...'go to sleep child!'
I could hear him fidgeting, munting, grunting, shifting, twisting, grumbling & occassionally I could hear the clink of the bottle returning to the counter top. I laid still...staring out the window, willing my eyes to be able to see better than shades of blue and black in this dark, moonless night.
I heard a door open, then close. More grumbling. Then a rummaging sound. Another clink and the door opened again, followed by the sound of something outside. I didn't budge.
It went quiet again. Totally quiet. I started to get up to investigate, but froze in fear as I heard the door again. This time it simply closed with a slam.
Somewhere, someone stirred then, again, total silence. I laid there for eternity, playing possum...waiting for the grumble, for the clink. It never came.
So, I pitter-pattered quietly to the front of the house. I could see no-one, even with the light from the street shining in. I went to the door and looked out the window.
There, under the street light and down by the road, lay one twin sized mattress. Upon it a man, my father, in baby blue boxers on his back with one leg bent & the other crossed over it. His head was cocked to the side, like I had seen it a thousand times before, intently focused on the hard-back book clutched in his left hand.
Twas the night of new moons and, finally, to all a good night.



Images compliments of my little world, the world wide web & the dumb asses at smart cars inc;)

23 comments:

Dee said...

cleverness and resourcefulness in the face of adversity

singleton said...

Ha! I remember that night well, and his face scrunching when the sneer of head lights comin' round the bend would momentarily blind him mid-sentence....
"It's a beautiful night to read".... he said as I clanked up the driveway past him, in through the front door, and out through the back.....
I took my book, "I never promised you a Rose Garden" straight to the hibachi....and cranked it up....
Pretended it was the high noon sun, and the grass ticklin' my nightime legs was sand fleas....

Peace~love my precious baby sib....

The CEO said...

You always amaze me with the imagery you create. I can feel the night. I can see your father reading. It could have been me.

Peace and love,

Monty

Mel said...

Oh, what we won't do to have that 'good read'.



There's a reason the books are on the nightstand, dontchaknow.

Mel said...

Ohhhhhhhh!!!!! And what creativeness on the award.

*going to investigate the recipient!*

:-)

Anonymous said...

Dee...I so do adore you! Lol, yes, that's exactly what it was! So silly, it sounds like it couldn't be true!

Sing...hahahaha...being a walker, I remember leaving for school in the morning and there was dew everywhere and he was snoring... as the school bus with big kids blared by... I tip-toed... hahahahaha ...don't wanna wake the sleeping giant! Poor mother was so embarrassed, dontcha know... but I bet all the neighbors just thought she had kicked him to the curb for the night.

CEO~ Lol, so you take that position while sleep / reading too? Or are you like us in that you gotta 'fall' asleep? I think there are a good many like that & I have to say, as an adult, I have often wondered what it would be like to simply go to bed at a set time. BTW... you inspired me to create a thousand and one skinny awards...TY and of course, that means one or two will have to fly your way. Always p&l...

Mel... Lol, if I remember correctly when Mother went to sleep...all candles went out. period.... especially with a drunk man in the house...so that nightstand behooved him none. Oh and you my little missy, can count one a special award or two... if only I could find my sidewalk chalk ;)

Maithri said...

You write so beautifully,

I've been a bit of night owl too lately...

Its that moon I tell ya,
she's just too darn beautiful
for her own good, ;)

Much love, Maithri

SHE said...

slb: -LOVE- the visions you've created here.. the suspense, the mystery, and this vision of reading by moonlight

intoxicating in its own write

love, peace, encore to you! ~s.

~Babs said...

Aaah, the midnight readers,,,night crawlers,,, count me amongst them.
When a kid: after lights out,,,flashlight under the covers,
reading "Little House On the Prairie",,,Nancy Drew.

Adult: can NOT sleep without at least a chapter,,often wide awake/ sleeping/reading,,,,,glasses on, book skewed,,,jerk back to the page,,,for just a few more words.

Never tried it under the street light, or with the bourbon,,,but one can never say never, I s'pose.

skinnylittleblonde said...

Maithri...TY. Last night I was reading about the String Theory & the Big Bang Theory & Time Arrows as I feel asleep & my passing thoughts were 'hmmm...whatever it was, the result we are in sure is a beauty' Lol, Nightowls who love the soothing warm sunshine are also known as insomniacs ...so watch out! ;)

She...TY. My father would be appalled if he knew I ever thought about this... more so if he knew I wrote about it. Hahahaha, oh well, it is what it is. xoxox

WilsonsBab...Lol, I too was that kid...flashlight, Nancy Drew,lol...harlequin romances. Anymore, it only takes a page or two before sleep takes over unless I have something ultra-riveting to read. Under the streetpost? Hmmm...maybe that requires a lack of electricity & moonshine and a fifth of bourbon & stubborn determination? ;)

vicci said...

Hi Sweetie....I am with you !!!! I need you to e-mail me your e-mail address....I have the old one....and don't know if you changed it or not! I have to tell you about my BIG adventure coming up! and...THANK-YOU for such a beautiful award!!! (it's the BEST one I've ever got)...:-)
sending BIG LOVE your way!!!! with XXXXOOOOOO

vicci said...

PS...Sweets...I always have piles of books on my nightstand....if they start to dwindle down too far I start to panic....gotta run to the library for more! XO

~Babs said...

Skinny, stop by my blog and pick up your (yes, another) award.
~Babs

John-Michael said...

There is some definition ... some meaning to this itty-bitty phenomenon that finds me stone-still ... staring at the page when the Reading is all done. Yet I don't budge. Transfixed, I am simply ... Captured!

I love You.

skinnylittleblonde said...

Vicci...You are too sweet. i will bop over in a bit & drop off my email. It's easy & predictable ;) One thing most of us bloggers are guilty of ... is reading. I've loved it since I was a kid & love to see kids who actually enjoy reading now-a-days...it seems so rare. BTW... you are very welcome for my cheesy little award. No doubts about it Vicci, you are a natural beauty & you see the beauty in all around you. If you don't see it with your eyes, you bring it to fruition with your hands & your heart.

skinnylittleblonde said...

John Michael... i read your copy and followed your cookie crumbs. My thoughts are with Jen & her family, most especially her child.

WilsonsArt...(head held low)I will come but I can already tell that I am totally undeserving of any award. I have been a bad blogger of late (like six mos or so...ever since divorce and new grueling job)but I am longer over due to my dose of your world...so I am on my way! Thanks! P&L girl!

Shrinky said...

Skinny,

Your writing is pure poetry girl, the memories play out before our eyes.. told with unsentimental love and joy. Ah, it's good to be back! (Hugs)

Shrinky said...

Skinny,

Your writing is pure poetry girl, the memories play out before our eyes.. told with unsentimental love and joy. Ah, it's good to be back! (Hugs)

Unknown said...

Wonderfully written. I felt that I was in the house with you.

singleton said...

Oh child, I love you...
touched you...
felt you...
heard you tonight....
Yeah, you were there
talkin' out loud

to the drums....
the guitar wailing...

And I listened....

ILYSVVM

Me said...

So very peacefully romantic.

skinnylittleblonde said...

Shrinky....So good to have you back, now I just need to come over & play! Another Sunday off & so much to do... bills, trash, laundry, mopping, blogging ;)

John Michael...didn't mean to skip your second comment! Thank You...maybe you were transfixed, like I was a kid, wondering if it really made sense to drag a mattress into the yard.

skinnylittleblonde said...

Seventh Sister...love your moniker! TY for bopping in & I'm glad you enjoyed your trip.

Singleton...I was there...eyes closed, diggin' the blues...'take her back to where she came from'...'ok, just give me peace'...You Rock!

Orhan...You are the romantic, dear heart. Have you gotten your passport yet? Snap, snap...come along now! ;)