Sometimes I Cry At Strangers.
Yesterday was Carmen’s goodbye Hafla. It was a bittersweet occasion, but I can’t blame that. I blame my cold and my weird stomach and my PMS. Because nothing makes me more unpredictable than a fever, stuffy nose, and two kinds of cramps.
But there was this guy. Rachel said he looked like her boss from the bookstore in Chicago. He was a large man, both in height and girth, with a frank, mobile face, and a bright red shirt. He was actively interested in what was going on with our sparkly party, and didn’t mind the loud music or the sudden interruption of a song for another one to come on. He was enjoying his time and taking it all in: Food, drink, music, people.
But then Kim was dancing to ‘Somewhere Under The Rainbow’. I glanced over my shoulder at the guy to see his reaction. And was transfixed.
His eyes were closed, which surprised me. Who closes their eyes when there’s a belly dancer dancing? He was mouthing along to the words, and he had the most perfect, blissful look on his face. He was transported, and whatever he was seeing on the inside of his eyelids was more joyous than even watching a belly dancer could be.
He was so absolutely in his own perfect heaven, and it was too beautiful and fragile for anything in this world.
I wondered who or what he was thinking of, because how much he loved them made me cry.
Some Stuff | Liz February 17, 2009
By rachel, February 17, 2009 @ 12:44 pm
Wait, you were crying about BRAD?? I saw you wipe tears from your eyes, but I thought it was about how transparently sad Kim was, even though she was smiling and dancing to happy songs.
Then again, at least you weren’t weeping over my bizarre aspiration to be a scimitar-bearing Cossack, when that was just wrong wrong WRONG, from both a military-history and aesthetic standpoint.
By Liz, February 17, 2009 @ 3:58 pm
Yes, I was crying at Brad, even though it wasn’t Brad. And ‘Somewhere Over The Rainbow’ isn’t a happy song, I would like to point out!
But it would be hypocritical for me to laugh at your trans-Caucasus aspirations while I still harbor the wish to dance as a Gahwazee cowgirl at some point in my life.
By Beth, February 17, 2009 @ 5:59 pm
Okay, I was thinking “Somewhere Under the Rainbow” was some weird Al Jankovic satire.
By Liz, February 17, 2009 @ 11:33 pm
Beth, that’s what happens when I write when I’m sad and distracted: I make mistakes.
By Beth, February 18, 2009 @ 11:33 pm
I make mistakes when I have far less reason.