Elliott was downstairs playing with Sonya and I was in the kids room helping Abbie settle down for the night (and laying in Elliott’s bed). My mind wandered to my years of high school, living in Kansas City. Maybe I just wanted to see if I could remember any of my time there, anything specific — 15 or more years gone. Faces and names and places crept up into my visions.
I remembered Mr. Hubert’s science room — that looked out onto 79th street and the circle drop off drive — and where I sat, in the 2nd column, 4th row closest to the door, behind me the glass wall divider of the “lab” room.
I saw the girls that I had once liked, chattering and passing notes and rolling their eyes. The friends I once had. But I could remember nothing specific. No one moment only meaningless details. The dull yellow glow the hallways. The dusty mucky linoleum floor and royal blue lockers. The wide stairwell that lead to the basement cafeteria.
Driving the Cutlass around the parking lot after school — quickly getting to basketball practice toward the city. My oblivious introspective and self centered nature, and my perspective of now.
Did I have any manners? Why did I ever like them? Did any of my friends care about me? Did I truly care about any of them?All in silence.
Things drift away so quickly.