Friday, July 06, 2007

Home

This was written early last November. I was going to finish it up. Maybe I will sometime.

Putting the key in the lock, you have to jiggle it up and ever so slightly to the right for it to turn. Its dark in here, cavernous. The light will flickers on automatically. You're standing in front on a wire door and a soft breeze swirls gently across the back of your neck. The basement stretches away from you. Cars parked on either side, all facing out. The parks are too narrow to go in frontways. Its grey and dim, you can't really make out the end. It might be the dark grey of a dirty concrete wall, or it might be as far as you can see in this light.

The entrance is about halfway through the basement. Walking towards it you notice the cars. They are all in good condition. Wave to Clancy, he's halfway to your destination, on your right. The park next to him is empty at the moment. The neighbours aren't home yet. Walking up six steps to another door. This one is glass. Same trick with the lock. The floor in here is the same as the tiles on the stairs. Durable dirty. They may have once been grey. Who knows now? Press the button and wait for the elevator.

Looking around the foyer you notice its pretty clean. Just an empty coke bottle in the corner. The elvator dings and the scratched doors open. The elevator is thankfully unscented. You enter from the back and press the button marked 5.

During the trip you have time to examine the elevator. Its small. Apparently has the cpacity to hold 12 people. The engineers must have had the mental picture of starving ethiopians. Because people who use elevators are ALWAYS uber fit and thin. A mirror takes up half of the wall to your right. The elvator stops, and dings again. Its time to get out.

The floor lobby is small and dingy. There is no natural light. It smells of curry tonight. Yesterday it was popcorn. To your immediate right is a door marked '16'. Next to that is a door with no markings. You don't look, but you know its firefighting equipment. Directly across from you is an exit sign. That sits above the door to the stairs. On your left are two doors, side by side. One is marked '17', and is further from the open door.

You enter. And immediately you see light. For the first time since coming onto the premesis. And colour. We haven't taken down our halloween decorations yet. A handful of black and orange streamers dangle from the ceiling, between the entry door and the storage closet. Its covered in humorous postcards that my roomie has collected from uni. Stepping between the screening closest, you look into the lounge.

Immediately you see two clothes horses, sitting in front of a cheap laminated wood filing cabinet and bookcase. An ironing board leans against the file. The book case is about 6 feet high, and packed with all sorts fo books, kids, fantasy, action, thriller, sci-fi, and drama. As well as test books and a colourful row of DVDS. Two pictures sit on the middle shelf. One, a puppy sitting amoingst a heap of stuffed toys. The other, a group of girls laughing on a bed. Looking up, you can see outside, through the vertical blinds, to the balcony. Stepping through the sliding glass door you can see.

See mostly other blocks of apartments. The best view is facing north. Off to your right is the mall. Straight ahead, through the buildings, you can see glimpses of the Parramatta cemetary. I've always wanted to explore there but have never found the time. It looks peaceful, restive. And in the distance you can see trees. Thats suburbia there. Where people aren't packed in like sardines, one on top of the other.

3 comments:

Cazzie!!! said...

Thanks for taking us for gthe ewalk..and smell and touch of the place...filling our senses. Take that trip to the cemetry, they are great historic places to visit.

phishez said...

Cazzie - I've always wanted too. But I want it to be on a nice, warm afternoon, when I have all the time in the world.

Ms Smack said...

ah, lovely!