I know we all feel this. Sometimes you feel like whatever you’re doing, at a very specific time, feels like an act or like you’re in a scene from a movie, or in a fucking movie. I had this the other day when I was at my dad’s in Nanoose bay for our xmas dinner. Yes, it was our Xmas dinner – which now seems like it may have been the beginning to the movie.
I was at my dad’s and there was an underlying sense of turmoil but it never boiled over but just enough mayhem to make you think, “what the fuck?” I felt like I was in an episode of arrested development. My father’s girlfriend was leaving for the afternoon to go to her play rehearsal, afterwards coming home and showing us her dance moves and how she has to shimmy and move. How her lines were to go and how they didn’t. It sounds like a blast. And if that were it, that would be it. At the same time, or in the same time frame, her daughter, Kathleen has finally arrived with her boyfriend Gobi – sure, it’s his real name. And is asking where Maya is – her sister’s child that is and had been living at my dad’s for a while now since Tracy, the other daughter, has been going to school in Nanaimo – she lives in Victoria with her husband. Well, maybe not anymore. There’s trouble there. And he has the kid and is bringing her back to the house and picking up his motorcycle and heading back to Victoria. Kathleen seeing that Maya is not there retreats to the office and brings up facebook while her man Gobi plays the piano and sings in the other room. Eric – the Brazilian father and husband shows up with Maya and a car in need of some repair as his oil plug has fallen off on the highway and spewed all of its oil. Some sort of repair was made on the highway and he’s now under the car speaking in his broken English about what’s happened. I went out to help, or something, but was soon bored and headed back inside where Kathleen was now happy that Maya had arrived and was with whom she had wanted to see. She had made it clear earlier that she was only there to see Maya. Charming.
Tracy, meanwhile, was downstairs working on a subject lesson after getting out of the shower after her yoga. She works hard and is very bright and I couldn’t help thinking how do siblings end-up so different from one another. Sure, she’s high maintenance but she knows it and says it, but thoughtful and hard working as well. Then I think of my sister and me. Night and day.
My father had been experiencing dizzy spells all day that are not related to his stoke a year back but it still causes me some concern and makes me ponder my life and his. His diner that he had prepared for all of us goes uneaten by him, as he has to go to bed and take some time. I miss him at the dinner table and shortly after dinner have to leave, as it’s a little too much for me.
I do get to meet, finally, my father’s best friend of fifty plus years, bill, who has his own hell he’s going through right now. Cancer of the throat and now the ribs and such that has made his days long and painful. As soon as I met him I knew he was a great guy a man of great character and one funny fuck – if I could explain it any other way I would. Good natured, full of life even in his state of pain his is in. constantly. I wish I had met him years ago. I’ve now met him only the once but know I will never forget meeting him.
And so it was, two ferry rides through the passage to make my way to and fro for Xmas dinner at Floyd’s. I took a picture of my father as well while I was there for a series of pictures I am doing – he being the first in the series. I am posting the picture because I want you to see it. This is not the finished picture but it is the flavour. More about this series as it develops – finally.
It was an interesting day. Up early. Home late. Ran into another car on the ferry. Fell asleep in my car had to be woken up by the ferry dude. Ate some great food at my dad’s.
It was a day to be sure.
g. xo
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